Last updated 29th Nov 2012

  Check out the new
Great Shefford Observatory blog:

Home
What's New
Location
Equipment
Software
Methods
Results
Gallery
Links
Ephemerides
Moon etc
Meetings
Contact Us
Site Map

The Great Shefford Observatory is a private astronomical observatory situated in West Berkshire, England, about 60 miles west of central London, run by me, Peter Birtwhistle.

The observatory has been fully operational since 26 May 2002 (see our first light image at right) with a 12" diameter telescope and electronic camera (CCD). A programme of astrometry was started on 30th May 2002. Observatory code J95 was allocated to Great Shefford Observatory by the Minor Planet Center in June 2002.

In June 2005 the 12" telescope was upgraded to a 16" and in September 2005 the CCD was also upgraded, allowing fainter objects to be detected.

First light picture from Great Shefford Observatory

The work done at Great Shefford is primarily:

  • following up newly discovered Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) to help improve their orbits so their position can eventually be predicted far into the future to check they don't endanger the Earth

  • cometary astrometry, concentrating on the fainter objects that don't get quite so much attention as many of the brighter objects.

Other objects are also imaged, including Gamma Ray Bursters, Supernovae, some unusual man-made satellites and deep sky objects.

 Please have a look around and see some of the things I've been doing and check out the What's new page for recent changes.


Great Shefford Observatory operating in moonlight


picture taken with a Nokia 808 PureView, 2.6 second exposure at ISO-1600

At 9pm on 29th November 2012, with the telescope tracking on a bright NEO (2012 WH1), the full moon illuminates the observatory and nearby chicken coop.

The bright star Vega can be seen in the North-West just above the trees which are lit up by a street light only 25 meters from the observatory


(archive of home page pictures)


Visitors to this home page since 5th July 2003:

Operations at Great Shefford Observatory are supported in part by the Planetary Society via the 2005 Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant and by the British Astronomical Association via the 2005 Ridley Grant.

Home Whats New Location Equipment Software Methods Results  
Gallery Links Ephemerides Moon Meetings Contact Us Site map

Click for Great Shefford (RAF Fairford) Forecast  © Copyright 2003 - 2013 Great Shefford Observatory