UCL Observatory

UCL Observatory stands on a quiet hill in Mill Hill, north-west London. It belongs to University College London and is used for teaching astronomy. The site has several domed buildings and smaller telescopes set on grass. Nearby houses and trees give the place a calm, academic feel. The observatory was once called the University of London Observatory and opened in 1929. The observatory is worth visiting for its long history and working telescopes. Frank Watson Dyson opened the site in 1929, and the first telescope came from an Irish observatory after the donor’s death. Later additions included an 8-inch refractor donated by H.R. Fry and a 6-inch refractor from John Joynson’s estate. In 2014, staff and students discovered supernova SN2014J here during a teaching session. Visitors find domed buildings housing telescopes, including two Celestron 14-inch instruments and the newer Perren 80-cm telescope. The Fry and Radcliffe telescopes remain in use for training. The observatory also supports research on extrasolar planet transits. Its position on a hilltop gives clear views of the night sky above London’s lights.