Eyes on the skies: exploring the Sherwood Observatory

For millennia we have gazed into the night sky to find answers. Ever-present but unknowable, stars have shaped humankind, providing us with knowledge on navigation and physics, plus mythology and storytelling.

Today, with scientific advances giving us a giant leap towards understanding the universe better, astronomy poses more questions and existential thoughts than it reveals. Questions such as, does hurtling through an infinite solar system on a pale blue dot make life on earth more or less significant? To find out, one blindingly bright and cold afternoon in late November, I hopped on a Rainbow Three bus to Sherwood Observatory.

Rolling through the mining towns of Hucknall, Newstead and Kirkby-in-Ashfield, it struck me that the locals in this area are probably more familiar with what is below the ground than what is above, yet in the late 1960s, before pits began to close, space fever was gripping the world. Man had finally set foot on the moon and visions of what might be found on further expeditions echoed through culture in space age fashion, David Bowie, and Daleks. It’s easy to imagine how exciting the idea of space exploration would have been to us mere mortals on the ground.

I’m met by Marketing Officer Susanna Holt. We sit in the airy volunteer-run café which overlooks the original observatory and an immense view across the hills of Ashfield, while she gives me a potted history of the centre.

“The Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society is a a volunteer led charity and its members were the ones who came up with a brilliant idea to create a Planetarium and Science Centre enabling access to STEM for the surrounding area. They saw a huge opportunity and worked tirelessly fundraising and the finding architects to help create their vision,” she explains. “Back in the 1970s  the separate and original observatory was created in a very different way, the group literally taught themselves bricklaying, plastering and other skills, and  repurposed anything they could get their hands on (including materials donated by Pleasley Colliery) to create a space for a members group to follow a passion for astronomy.”

The Observatory’s history began when local engineer and amateur astronomer David Collins put a call out in the paper to see if anyone was interested in starting an astronomy society. Four men answered, several of whom had already constructed their own ‘backyard observatories’. 

The original building houses a cosy wood-panelled clubhouse room where the Society would meet, and its wonderfully retro, DIY aesthetic extends upstairs to the Observatory and the original Newtonian telescope. 

Karen Barker, who was one of the many ardent volunteers at the centre before taking on the role of Events and Visitor Support Officer, explains how the telescope was lovingly handcrafted: “The scaffolding that was outside the building makes up the struts of the telescope, and the whole thing is built on the rear axle of a lorry. These are metal signage boards from weighbridges at Pleasley Colliery” she explains, pointing to the casing of the telescope. “The dome above rotates 360 degrees, which is driven by a decommissioned motor from an industrial knitting factory.”

The main science centre next door offers a much more state-of-the-art experience, though not without its own charm and history. Built within a converted underground Victorian reservoir, the lofty brick chamber houses an exhibition space with displays on the history of space exploration, from the various Apollo programs to the achievements of women in space, along with a variety of permanent artefacts such as model rocket parts donated by Rolls Royce.

“Last summer we had an exhibition about meteorites, and the University of Nottingham gave us some meteorite samples which had come from all over the world,” Susanna tells me. “They were very rare, something you’d probably only see once in a lifetime.”

It’s been a big year since the centre opened in 2024. Chair and Planetarium Project Manager, Dr Steve Wallace was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Ashfield, the volunteers at the centre have been recognised with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, and the events schedule has increasingly filled with a variety of unique experiences for visitors.

Susanna explains how they are developing more STEM related events and activities for 2026 even including the arts and mental health, which complement established open days and evenings, planetarium shows, in-house astronomy courses and talks and more. “It’s getting exciting as we continue to broaden our offering” ,” she says. “Following such a successful first year, we can continue to build partnerships and bring even more variation at the centre” 

Next up on my visit is the part I’ve been most looking forward to: the Planetarium. Resembling a high-tech cinema, but with a ten-metre domed screen that spans the whole roof, I’ve never been in a room quite like this before.  

Astrophysicist and lead planetarium presenter Matthew Nutter shows me the directory of shows they offer, which are bookable in advance on the Sherwood Observatory website each month and range from educational children’s films to more in-depth documentaries themed around intriguing space and science topics. Relaxing into a comfortable reclining chair to watch Messengers of Time and Space, I sit in awe, eyes fixed above me for thirty minutes, to learn how centres across the world monitor the night sky for astronomical events.

Throughout the film, vistas of the universe are projected above, offering a experience that is truly immersive, and gives the sensation of movement. The film touches on the electromagnetic spectrum, supernovas, the Aurora Borealis, and how different space centres share information.

After most shows there is a short Q&A session with the presenter, and on this quiet afternoon, Matthew and I discuss Star Trek and the influence of science fiction on science fact, the effect of satellites in the night sky, and how advancements in technology are speeding up the process of mapping and understanding the universe. As we talk we look at the dome screen  and zoom into specific constellations, nebulas and planets that are visible in acute detail.

“Over the past 225 years we go from there being one confirmed asteroid. Then in the first hundred years we found around 600 asteroids. Now we’re finding more every single year than we found in the first century,” he explains, whilst changing the screen to depict a visualisation of the newly discovered asteroids over time via a mightily powerful control panel. 

I ask Matthew what his favourite fact about space is currently. “Probably that we know the taste and smell of a specific nebula – which is alcoholic and smells of raspberries,” he tells me, explaining how analysis of the light from the nebula lined up with chemicals that provide these certain flavourings. “Taste and smell aren’t things you usually associate with exploring space, but if we can interact in these different ways, it makes it a little more memorable.”

This has certainly been a memorable afternoon for me, and as I set out home into the evening, no longer worrying about the chill and darkness, I see the sky anew, and am filled with a new sense of wonder for our pale blue dot floating in space.

For times, prices, booking and events, please head to the Sherwood Observatory website. Tickets should be purchased in advance.

sherwood-observatory.org.uk