Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory

The Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory sits on Sapper Hill, about 2 km southwest of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, at an elevation of roughly 130 metres.

About Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory

This is an unmanned geomagnetic research station, installed by the British Geological Survey with financial support from a consortium of oil companies. It transmits its data remotely rather than being staffed on site, and it became a member of the international INTERMAGNET network in 2003.

History

The observatory became operational in February 1994, giving it several decades of continuous magnetic field records from the South Atlantic.

Telescopes & research

Rather than telescopes, the site runs triaxial fluxgate magnetometers and proton precession magnetometers, the latter upgraded in 2002. Its main scientific purpose is monitoring the South Atlantic magnetic anomaly and contributing global magnetic field data to researchers worldwide.

Location & getting there

Sapper Hill overlooks Port Stanley, the Falkland Islands' capital, in the South Atlantic. Use the map and directions on this page to see its exact position.

Visiting Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory

As an unmanned scientific facility, it is not set up for public visits or tours.

See your named star from here

Because Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory studies Earth's magnetic field rather than the night sky, it isn't a spot for telescope viewing. If you've named a star with Star Register, its coordinates can still be used from anywhere on the Falkland Islands with a clear sky - see our naming packages or browse the catalogue.