Swansea observatory
Encyclopedia
The Marina Towers Observatory (also known as the Swansea Observatory and Tower of the Ecliptic) is located in the Maritime Quarter
of Swansea
, on the coast of southern Wales
. It is home to Wales's largest optical astronomical
telescope. The building was designed by Robin Campbell in 1989 and consists of two towers, it was built with part funding from a European Heritage Grant. From 1993 to Feb 2010 it was loaned to the Swansea Astronomical Society but it is now back in the hands of Swansea City Council.
The top of the tower has a stained glass feature designed by David Pearl. Observational facilities include a 20-inch Shafer-Maksutov telescope
- the second largest of its kind in the world.
Maritime Quarter
The Maritime Quarter, or Swansea Marina, is a residential area of Swansea, Wales, UK located immediately south of the city centre shopping core. It falls within Swansea's Castle ward...
of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, on the coast of southern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is home to Wales's largest optical astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
telescope. The building was designed by Robin Campbell in 1989 and consists of two towers, it was built with part funding from a European Heritage Grant. From 1993 to Feb 2010 it was loaned to the Swansea Astronomical Society but it is now back in the hands of Swansea City Council.
The top of the tower has a stained glass feature designed by David Pearl. Observational facilities include a 20-inch Shafer-Maksutov telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
- the second largest of its kind in the world.