Newcastle-upon-Tyne observatory

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Observatory, better known as the Espin Observatory, stood at Close House near Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland, England, and once housed one of the largest telescopes in the country.

About Newcastle-upon-Tyne Observatory

Also called the Espin Observatory, the site was built around instruments originally used by the double-star astronomer T. E. C. H. Espin in the early twentieth century, and it later became a teaching observatory for Newcastle University.

History

King's College Newcastle acquired the observatory in 1960, and it continued as part of Newcastle University. It closed in the mid-2000s, following the closure of the university's physics department.

Telescopes & research

Over the years the observatory housed a 4.5-inch refractor, a 12/17-inch Wright astronomical camera, a 12.5-inch photometric telescope with photon counting, a 10-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain and, most notably, a 24-inch Newtonian reflector that ranked among the largest telescopes in England. Espin used the 24-inch reflector for double-star research, and later the instruments supported practical work for Newcastle University's Astronomy and Astrophysics students.

Location & getting there

The observatory was located at Close House, Heddon-on-the-Wall, in Northumberland, in the north-east of England.

Visiting Newcastle-upon-Tyne Observatory

The observatory closed in the mid-2000s and is no longer open to the public; anyone interested in the site's remaining structures should check current local access before travelling.

See your named star from here

Although the Espin Observatory's telescopes are no longer active, the coordinates of any star you have named through Star Register can still be located from Northumberland with a modern telescope or a star-finding app. Browse our catalogue or see our star-naming packages to find or gift a star of your own.