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The Observatory

Airdrie Public Observatory is a valuable amenity which is available to members of the public. It is the smallest of four public observatories operating in the UK, all of which are sited within Scotland. The observatory is owned and funded by North Lanarkshire Council and operated on their behalf by ASTRA. The Airdrie branch of ASTRA hold regular meetings in the Airdrie Arts Centre, every Friday evening at 7.30 pm. Weather permitting, observing sessions are held using the telescope.

The observatory houses a 6 inch Cooke refractor telescope. Cooke of York was one of the country's foremost telescope makers. The telescope is mounted equatorially and has a clockwork drive, so that the observer is relieved of the trouble of driving the telescope with the movement of the Earth. The observatory's dome is rotated to the required position using an electrically driven mechanism. The original eyepieces for the Cooke telescope provided a range between 60 to 450 times magnification. The telescope has been adapted by ASTRA to use more modern eyepieces. Although the Cooke is not the original telescope used within the observatory, it is believed that it is in excess of 100 years old and, in its day, would have been considered to be a research grade telescope.

The original telescope, housed in the observatory, was a 3.25 inch refracting telescope. This telescope has been 'retired' as repairs to rectify a damaged tube cannot be undertaken, due to the telescopes' age - estimated to be approximately 135 years. It can still be seen in the observatory.

The observatory has a number of smaller telescopes which can be used upon the roof of the observatory or, alternately, they can be removed to a 'dark sky' site for observing sessions.

Any person or group wishing to arrange a visit to Airdrie Public Observatory may contact either of the curators named below via the contact information for the society.

Alternately you may contact the curators via the library who will pass on your request for a visit to us.

Location:- Airdrie Public Observatory is located above Airdrie Public Library, which itself is located in Wellwynd, (name of the street), next to the Airdrie Savings Bank and opposite to Airdrie Police Station on the corner of Anderson Street and Wellwynd.

Curator: Prof. Oscar Schwiglhofer

Assistant Curator: Danny Kane

Longitude 55° 51' 56"

Latitude 3° 58' 58"

Map Ref: NS 760655

(Ordnance Survey Land ranger Sheet 64 (Series M 726, Edition 6-GSGS)

A random selection of Snap Shops taken at Airdrie Public Observatory Open Days:

 

A history of Airdrie Public Observatory is detailed within the following pages linked below: