Resources

Observation Guide

This document gives detailed instructions on how to use the telescopes. Please refer to it before and when you are using the telescopes.

Useful links

Stellarium: free open-source planetarium software useful for checking what you’ll be able to see on a given night and planning your observing sessions.

Sky and Telescope Observing News: find out about the latest bright comets and supernovae, storms on planets and other events that planetarium software probably won’t show you.

Heavens Above: find out when the International Space Station and Iridium satellite flares will be visible.

Clear Outside: weather forecast for Cambridge, including cloud cover (remember that no forecast is perfect!)

Institute of Astronomy all-sky camera: see what the weather is like right now at the observatory without having to go out and check.

Satellite cloud images: see which way the cloud is going and whether it’s breaking up or continuing to form (note that low cloud is not visible on infrared images).

Sidereal clock for the Thorrowgood telescope: information on the IoA telescopes and the clock in the Thorrowgood written by Steven Carey.

Astronomy Guide: useful links for getting started in astronomy, including details on buying telescopes