Sable Island Magnetic Observatory

Roughly 290 km southeast of Halifax, the Sable Island Magnetic Observatory sits on remote Sable Island, Nova Scotia, at just 5 metres above sea level.

About Sable Island Magnetic Observatory

The station has been operational since May 8, 1999, with its original installation funded by the British Geological Survey (BGS), Sperry-Sun Drilling Services, and Sable Offshore Energy. It is operated by the BGS and forms part of the international INTERMAGNET network, using HDZF-orientation instruments to continuously monitor Earth's magnetic field.

History

From 2011, operation continued under the BGS with support from Environment Canada (later Environment and Climate Change Canada), and Parks Canada took over responsibility for the island and observatory in late 2019.

Location & getting there

Sable Island is a narrow, isolated sandbar in the North Atlantic, accessible only by boat or aircraft, and the observatory's data feeds into monthly bulletins and the World Data Centre.

Visiting Sable Island Magnetic Observatory

Sable Island itself is a Canadian national park reserve with restricted, permit-based access; the magnetic observatory is an unstaffed scientific installation rather than a public visitor site. Check Parks Canada's website for current island access rules.

See your named star from here

While this station watches Earth's magnetic field rather than the stars, Sable Island's dark, isolated skies are a striking place to imagine the coordinates of a named star. Browse our catalogue to see stars named by people around the world.