THE OBSERVATORY
Name: Starstuff Observatory
Location: Birmingham, England
LAT 52 29.00 N
LONG 1 52.99 W
Design: Roll off roof.
This observatory was built in the summer of 1999. Before it was built, going outside to observe was a very tedious task. It involved going outside many times to check the cloud cover before even considering whether to go outside at all. The telescope & tripod had to be lugged outside and setup, this could take up to 15 minutes. The telescope would then have to be cooled down for up to 45 minutes to allow for the OTA to cool down to outside air temperature. By the time this had taken place I was usually too tired to observe, or the cloud cover had beaten me yet again. This has a very tiresome effect & will deter the most enthusiastic astronomers within weeks.
The only answer to help keep that passionate feeling alive is to build an observatory. The two main designs to go for are the roll-off roof & Dome observatories. Good examples can be seen here. They both have their advantages & disadvantages:
Roll-off roof:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Cheaper to build! | Take longer to build! |
| Faster cooling down time! | More prone to stray light! |
Geodesic Dome:
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Less prone to stray light! | More expensive! |
| Takes alot less time to build (depends on size)! | Takes a little longer for temp cool down! |
Joint advantage: They will both make it much more enjoyable & easy to observe at the shortest of notice. Your time at the telescope will increase dramatically & you will get much more out of the hobby.
Overlooking the
observatory from behind.
Same
as above, but with the roof off.
Observatory with roof taken
back.
Telescope & Magellan I.
The Entrance.
View toward the North.
North view with roof off.
An astronomers best friend.
Observatory in it's local surroundings.
The whole set-up as viewed from above.
Same
as above.
Telescope with corrector plate cover on.
Telescope as
viewed through the door.
Close-up
of the above shot.
