Elginfield Observatory

Elginfield Observatory was a research observatory run by the University of Western Ontario, about 25 kilometres north of London, Ontario, Canada, from 1969 until its closure at the end of 2010.

About Elginfield Observatory

Owned and operated by the University of Western Ontario, the observatory opened in 1969 at an elevation of 325 metres in Middlesex Centre, Ontario. Its main instrument was a 1.2-metre Ritchey-Chrétien telescope built by Boller and Chivens, configurable to feed instruments at the Cassegrain, Nasmyth and Coudé foci.

History

The observatory operated for over four decades, from its opening in 1969 to its closure at the end of 2010.

Telescopes & research

Researchers used the observatory to monitor the changing size of Cepheid variable stars, estimate outgassing from minor planets, and search for large Perseid meteoroids.

Location & getting there

The site sits in Middlesex Centre, Ontario, Canada, about 25 kilometres north of London, at an elevation of 325 metres, near coordinates 43.19°N, 81.32°W.

Visiting Elginfield Observatory

The observatory closed at the end of 2010 and is no longer an active research or public-visiting site; there's no indication of regular tours today, so any visit enquiry is best directed to the University of Western Ontario.

See your named star from here

Elginfield's telescope is no longer in operation, but the same kind of right ascension and declination coordinates that once guided its research targets can be used to find a named star at any working observatory today. Browse the catalogue to name one of your own.