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Explore Our Facilities

 
Sherwood Observatory

Explore our facilities

Sherwood Observatory houses one of the largest public access optical telescopes in the UK and a Radio Astronomy Centre which incorporates the base station for the UK Amateur Meteor Detection Network.

Sherwood Observatory is home to an impressive array of telescopes, antennae and other detection equipment,

as well as our immersive planetarium and Science Centre housed in our underground Victorian reservoir.

Our mission is to share our passion for astronomy with others through events and activities at the observatory in Nottinghamshire.

Find out more about our technical equipment and how we use it.

Sherwood Planetarium

The jewel in our crown, the brand new 59-seater Planetarium is where we surround visitors with the sights and sounds of space through specialist planetarium shows.

Observatory Telescope

The main Sherwood Observatory telescope uses a system of mirrors to collect light from the object being observed. The telescope is driven to counteract the Earth’s rotation, enabling objects to be kept in the field of view for longer.

Radio Astronomy Centre

A member of the UK Meteor Beacon project, our range of antennas detect radio emissions from meteors, the sun and other sources within our solar system and beyond. This information is decoded and interpreted by our astronomers.

Science Centre

An exciting discovery was made next to our observatory site – a brick vaulted Victorian underground water reservoir. Lovingly restored and renovated as part of the new site, the reservoir space now houses our Science Centre.