Mills Observatory

Mills Observatory crowns Balgay Hill above Dundee, Scotland, and holds a unique distinction: it was the first observatory in the United Kingdom built purely to let the public look through a telescope.

About Mills Observatory

Mills Observatory formally opened on 28 October 1935 as a gift to the people of Dundee, funded by a bequest from John Mills, a local linen and twine manufacturer and amateur scientist. It remains the only British observatory built solely to promote public understanding of science, rather than for professional research. The building was designed by City Architect Mr McLellan Brown in collaboration with Professor Ralph Sampson, then Astronomer Royal for Scotland.

History

The observatory is built from sandstone and topped with a distinctive 7-metre dome made of papier-mâché, one of only two such domes still surviving in the UK (the other is at the Godlee Observatory). Since its 1935 opening, Mills Observatory has continued to serve as a public astronomy venue for Dundee.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's main instrument is a Victorian 10-inch refracting telescope built by Thomas Cooke of York in 1871. It is supplemented by a 400mm Dobsonian reflector, a 12-inch computerized Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector, and a solar telescope for daytime observing, along with a historic 18-inch reflector by Grubb Parsons on display. The site also has a small planetarium and exhibition areas.

Location & getting there

Mills Observatory sits on the summit of Balgay Hill in Dundee, Scotland, within Balgay Park, giving it clear views over the city and beyond.

Visiting Mills Observatory

The observatory is operated by Leisure & Culture Dundee and runs public viewing programs. Call ahead on +44 1382 435967 or check the official website for current opening times before visiting.

See your named star from here

With a working Victorian refractor and several modern telescopes on site, staff at Mills Observatory can point at coordinates well beyond what the naked eye can find, including the right ascension and declination on a named star certificate. If you've named a star with Star Register, this is a rare chance to see it through a telescope with real history behind it.