Hampstead Observatory

ASTRONOMERS hoping to have stars in their eyes looking at the wonders of the universe face further disappointment, as an observatory is delaying its reopening until next year.

Hampstead Observatory has had its doors shut since early March last year, after it closed to visitors as the Covid crisis developed.

Simon Lang, the president of the Hampstead Scientific Society, said he and other members had tried to carry out a positive risk assessment of the venue but found it impossible.

He added that he, and others, had partners with chronic conditions. His wife Jacky has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and had been shielding.

The 62-year-old said the confines of the observatory in Hampstead Grove would make it difficult to reopen, as would sharing equipment.

“The walkway up is quite narrow, so that would be difficult to social distance, and it would be the same inside,” he said.

“It’s all very tactile too, so there’s a risk of transmission, like with the telescope – people put their eyes up to it to look through. It’s just not feasible.

Simon Lang with the Observatory’s pride and joy

“Jacky could get Covid and be fine but it’s a massive gamble. We’ve both been double vaccinated, but there is a big chance she could get very ill. We have a lot of vulnerable members and because of that it’s a gamble too far.”

The space-gazing centre only reopened in July 2019 after three years of refurbishment work, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

The observatory has a telescope which can magnify 300 times what the naked eye can see and pick out clear details of the lunar landscape.

During the lockdowns, members of the society have been left using their own telescopes and sharing their sightings on WhatsApp and Zoom calls.

Mr Lang said he saw the comet Neowise in July last year – and that clearer skies from less air traffic meant it was easier to see into space.

“It’s not been so bad for me because I’ve got my own equipment but it’s not the same as being in the observatory because we’ve got the large telescope up there,” he said.

Mr Lang said the society would be doing a staff and donations drive and reviewing its time-frame to reopen in December.

“We’ve lost quite a few people with the pandemic so will need volunteers,” he said. “We’ll have to look as well at how we raise money. We’ve always relied on people putting money in the collection box. But people aren’t carrying as much money now – so we’ll have to look at that.”

He added: “I’m hoping that by December, Covid will have become a background thing with a much lower transmission rate, so we can get back to doing all these things we enjoy but have missed out on.”