Preston and District Astronomical Society

'The Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory was built by Preston Council thanks to the persuasive efforts of George James Gibbs, the curator of the delapidated Deepdale Observatory and President of the Preston Scientific Society. It was opened in timely style on June 29th 1927 the day of a total solar eclipse. The new observatory lay in the path of totality and some 30,000 people thronged on Moor Park to witness the event ...

'George J Gibbs died of a stroke on February 22nd 1947 and the council finally appointed Emeritus Professor Vinicio Barocas as Director in July 1949 until his retirement in August 1979. During his office Professor Barocas founded the Wilfred Hall Observatory at Alston near Preston which is now the main teaching centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire.

'Not forgetting the man the Observatory is named after, Jeremiah Horrocks. He was born in 1619 in Toxteth, Liverpool. Attended Cambridge University as a SIZAR (poor Scholar) from the age of 13 till 17 when he left without taking a degree. He went to live in Carr House, Much Hoole near Preston where it is thought he taught children and was a lay preacher or bible reader in St. Michael's. Here he practised astronomy in his spare time and working on Keplers predictions for the plant Venus calculated a transit of Venus across the Sun for the 24th of November 1639. This he observed and got William Crabtree of Salford to confirm it and thus entered the history books before his mysterious death at the age of 22 on January 3rd 1641 ...

'The present form of the Society (Preston and District Astronomical Society) has been in exsistance since 1982. It was in effect an offshoot of the old Preston Scientific Society which is still in existence today. The present society comprises of a relatively small group of members who number around 25 on average.'