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Welcome to our observatory |
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The University of Aberdeen's observatory can be found at the top of Cromwell Tower in King's College quadrangle. It's called the Cromwell Tower Observatory, or CTO for short.
The present observatory was fitted out with its first set of modern refracting instruments in the 1860's. The instruments have now been relegated to our museum and in 2000 we began to refurbish the twin domes with up-to-date reflecting telescopes. After years in which the main use of the observatory has been meteorological, a program that will establish astronomical observations is being put together. The observatory hosted joint meetings of the Department of Physics and the Aberdeen Astronomical Society (AAS) but is no closed pending renovations. Use Internet Explorer to look at the AAS web-page.
The only telescope to have been under the domes in recent years was a simple 8" reflecting telescope. This scope needs some attention before it can be used again. The observatory is now equipped with a new computerised 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. For more information on the new telescope and all its gadgetry see our telescope page.
If you're interested in experiencing some observational astronomy, then consider joining ADAS.
Initial Design by Tom McIvor and Elizabeth Henderson
Content: John S. Reid
Last updated Feb 2009
