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The Great Britain Guide

Observatories · South West England

Norman Lockyer Observatory

♿ Wheelchair: limited

Norman Lockyer Observatory — Sidmouth, Devon, England.

Norman Lockyer Observatory, observatories in Devon

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–2.5 h
Best time of year
Moonless winter nights (Oct–Mar)
Nearest railway station
Much Natter · 8.5 km
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Norman Lockyer Observatory is a observatory in the United Kingdom. Named after Norman Lockyer. Wikidata describes it as: "Sidmouth, Devon, England". Coordinates: 50.6880°, -3.2198°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Sidmouth to Beer Coast SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: East Devon

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Norman Lockyer Observatory, the Lockyer Technology Centre, and the Planetarium (jointly NLO), is a public access optical observatory 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Sidmouth, East Devon in South West England. It houses a number of historical optical telescopes, including the Lockyer Telescope, and is operated by Norman Lockyer Observatory Society (NLOS).

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The observatory The Observatory's historic instruments are associated with Lockyer's pioneering work on star temperature which led to theories of stellar evolution and the foundation of astrophysics. The facility was operated by the University of Exeter between 1948 and 1984. In 1984 East Devon District Council became the owner/trustee of the observatory and after a period of renovation leased it to Norman Lockyer Observatory Society (NLOS) in 1995. An exhibition area and 60-seat planetarium was added in 1996 and a 100-seat convention center for lectures and academic conferences added in 2005. The Connaught Dome, which incorporates 'Lockyer Technology Centre' (the observatory's radio…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
50.6880, -3.2198
County
Devon
District
East Devon
Parish
Sidmouth
Postcode
EX10 0NY
Parliamentary constituency
Honiton and Sidmouth
Nearest railway station
Much Natter8.5 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Norman Lockyer Observatory?
Norman Lockyer Observatory is in Devon, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode EX10 0NY), in the parish of Sidmouth.
Is Norman Lockyer Observatory a protected site?
Yes — Norman Lockyer Observatory is part of the Sidmouth to Beer Coast SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the East Devon National Landscape (AONB).
How do I get to Norman Lockyer Observatory?
Drivers can navigate to postcode EX10 0NY. It sits within the Honiton and Sidmouth parliamentary constituency.