Norman Lockyer Observatory Visit - Saturday 27th June 2026
- Amy Scammell
- Jun 27
- 8 min read
By Amy Scammell, with contributions from Ed Fosbrook, Tej Dyal, Miyuki Shigeno and Bobby Manoo.
As we made our way to the Norman Lockyer Observatory for our visit to its annual AstroFair, I think a number of us wondered whether we had made a good decision. It was one of the hottest days of the year and, between us, we faced sweltering cars, motorway delays and cancelled trains. Was it worth it? It most certainly was!
The Norman Lockyer Observatory is located just outside Sidmouth in Devon. It was established by one of the most influential British scientists of the late Victorian era - Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer - in 1912, after his retirement from the Solar Physics Observatory in London. Originally known as the Hill Observatory, it was renamed the Norman Lockyer Observatory after his death in 1920.
Today, the observatory site is owned by East Devon District Council, which became its owner and trustee in 1984, while the Norman Lockyer Observatory Society (NLOS) is responsible for its operation, maintenance and development. NLOS preserves and operates the observatory while promoting astronomy, science education and public engagement. It is entirely volunteer-led and has around 300 members.
Our visit was facilitated by David Strange, Chair of NLOS. Fourteen FAS members made the trip down to beautiful Devon.
On arrival, David treated us to a short talk about the history of the observatory and its founder. Norman Lockyer is perhaps best known for identifying helium in the Sun’s spectrum in 1868, independently of French astronomer Jules Janssen, nearly three decades before helium was identified on Earth. He was born in 1836 into a family that encouraged curiosity and learning. Although he did not come from the wealthy background enjoyed by many other scientists of the era, after leaving school he pursued his scientific interests alongside an initial career as a civil servant at the War Office.
As a self-taught amateur astronomer, Lockyer developed his own observational and spectroscopic techniques. His abilities became so widely recognised that he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1869, despite lacking a university degree. He became Professor of Astronomical Physics at the Royal College of Science in South Kensington, now part of Imperial College London, and helped establish astrophysics as a new academic discipline, teaching students and training a generation of astronomers through his work at the Solar Physics Observatory.
He also led no fewer than eight eclipse expeditions, with significant entourages of up to 200 people. He was particularly interested in archaeoastronomy - a passion he shared with his second wife, Mary. As if these achievements were not enough, he founded the renowned journal Nature. He was knighted in 1897 in recognition of his scientific achievements.
Leadership of NLO passed to Lockyer’s son, Dr James Lockyer, after his father’s death. James continued the programme of stellar spectroscopy developed by his father and expanded the observatory’s facilities with the addition of the Mond Astrograph and its dome. Following James Lockyer’s death, leadership passed to Donald Edwards, who managed NLO during the years surrounding the Second World War. During a period of constrained finances, Edwards preserved and sustained NLO until responsibility passed to the University of Exeter in 1948.
The University operated the site, but the telescopes eventually fell into disuse until the Sidmouth & District Astronomy Society (SIDDAS) began using the facilities. East Devon District Council acquired the observatory in 1984 and gradually expanded public access. In 1995, SIDDAS merged with the Sidmouth Amateur Radio Society to form the Norman Lockyer Observatory Society, entering into a lease to operate, maintain and develop the site for public engagement.
Discussions are currently under way for the council to transfer full ownership to NLOS. Since its revival, NLOS has restored historic telescopes, added new domes, built a planetarium and lecture theatre, and re-established the library and spectral plate archive.
The NLO has five principal domes, and after our talk we were given a tour of each.
The Kensington Dome houses the Kensington Telescope - a refractor and one of the two original telescope domes established by Norman Lockyer in 1912.
The McClean Dome houses the McClean Telescope - the second original telescope installed on the site in 1912. The McClean comprises a 12-inch photographic refractor and a 10-inch observing refractor mounted together. The instrument was donated by astronomer and philanthropist Frank McClean. It supported spectroscopic observations and represents some of the most advanced astronomical instrumentation of the late Victorian era.
Tours of the telescope domes. Pictures by Paul May.
These were the two principal instruments transferred from the Solar Physics Observatory in South Kensington when Norman Lockyer retired to Sidmouth and established the new observatory. Their primary role was the photographic and spectroscopic study of stars, continuing the astrophysical work begun in London. The longevity of the instruments and their precision craftsmanship were apparent to all. Our members were even able to move the Kensington Telescope easily by hand.
The Mond Dome was added in 1935 to house an astrographic camera supporting the observatory’s research. It later housed the NLO planetarium for a time, before the recovered and restored historic Lockyer Telescope was installed there. The Lockyer Telescope remains there to this day. It is a fantastic instrument - a 6¼-inch refracting telescope built in 1871 and associated with Norman Lockyer’s solar research.
The original Victoria Dome was built in 1999 and equipped with a 12-inch Newtonian telescope. It has recently been replaced by a new Pulsar dome designed for automated observing and live-streaming, providing further opportunities for public engagement and practical astronomy.
The Connaught Dome was begun in 2011 and opened in 2012, housing a 20-inch reflecting telescope and incorporating the Lockyer Technology Centre. It provides a modern scientific and educational centre for radio astronomy, meteor detection, space-weather monitoring and other technology projects at NLO. Its monitoring systems include meteor cameras, weather monitoring, aurora detection, magnetometers, solar flare monitoring and weather-satellite reception.
NLO delivers a varied programme of outreach and engagement, including regular public viewing sessions. AstroFair is an annual event that attracts up to 500 people and offers members of the public an opportunity to learn about astronomy. NLO also supports active observing and contributions to professional research across a range of disciplines.
Not only were we able to visit the domes and talk with volunteers about the instruments, but AstroFair also provided:
A trade fair offering an opportunity to purchase equipment, clothing and even meteorites, as well as subscribe to specialist publications. A number of FAS members took advantage of the discounted shopping!
An opportunity to view NLO volunteers’ own telescopes and take part in some solar viewing.
A programme of planetarium shows.
Four talks led by expert speakers.
Between us, we managed to hear all the talks:
Mark Westmoquette opened the talks with “Stardust Embodied: Finding the Universe in Your Own Anatomy”. Mark outlined his journey from completing a PhD in astrophysics to a career in yoga, mindfulness and Zen, in which he is now a senior teacher. He explained that astronomy can often be seen as the study of things “out there”, but the matter in our bodies is also part of the story of the cosmos. In a reflective session, Mark mapped the history of the Universe to our own physical experience using techniques of mindfulness and introspection. Members who attended found the embodied approach so impactful that several fell into a relaxing slumber! Not only did we learn about astronomy, but we also focused on our wellbeing. More information about Mark and his work can be found at: https://markwestmoquette.co.uk/
Abby Moule spoke next on “Between Earth and Stars”, outlining approaches to astro-landscape photography. Abby is clearly very talented and committed, undertaking detailed research to identify new sites and compositions. She is also clearly very patient - something many of our FAS members will appreciate - sometimes waiting years for the perfect combination of clear skies, moonlight, tides and access to enable the perfect shot! Abby explained that she manages to do this on three nights a month, with her search often feeling like a quest and involving hours of driving to reach specific locations. She outlined the essentials of planning - from timing and location to understanding celestial movement - along with processing techniques that uncover depth, colour and detail often unseen by the naked eye. Abby’s work can be found online at: https://www.astroabbyphotography.co.uk/
Professor Tim Naylor - appropriately the Norman Lockyer Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Exeter - spoke about the search for exoplanets in a lecture entitled “The Terra Hunting Experiment’s Search for Earth-mass Planets: How and Why?” The lecture covered the latest thinking on the use of high-precision spectroscopy to discover Earth-like planets. The programme is relatively new and employs the HARPS3 spectrograph to detect tiny “wobbles” in stars caused by orbiting planets. Further development of these techniques is needed because true Earth analogues remain extremely difficult to detect securely using previous survey methods. The Terra Hunting Experiment is a worldwide collaboration, and more information can be found at: https://www.terrahunting.org/
Professor Mike Lockwood, who works in space environment physics at the University of Reading, closed the formal talks programme with a fantastic session on “Great Auroral Events”. Mike explained that May 2024 gave us the most extensive aurora seen in modern times and then discussed the history of auroral observation, including how those identified as “reporters” of aurorae have changed as society has evolved. He also outlined how media coverage of events has developed, and how light pollution and AI-generated images now pose major challenges in this field. Mike also covered the physics of the Earth’s magnetic field and explained how it has changed over time. These changes influence the aurorae produced and where they occur.
We also managed to sample the planetarium, and FAS members were particularly delighted to learn that its projector had been given to NLO by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in 2005. One of the shows began with an introduction to the essential elements of navigating the night sky, covering:
Celestial coordinate systems: right ascension, declination, altitude and azimuth
The celestial equator, ecliptic, and north and south celestial poles
The zodiac constellations, the solar analemma, and the solstices and equinoxes
The session concluded with a guided tour of the night sky using the planetarium system and a demonstration of how the coordinate systems work in practice. Participants received handouts summarising the key concepts covered.
We also spoke to a number of local people who described how much they get involved in NLOS activities and how much they appreciate the time and energy that its volunteers put into events. The annual AstroFair is clearly well-loved in the region.
As the day drew to a close, we had the opportunity to head to the beach and explore the local area for a couple of hours before some of us returned to the NLO site for a barbecue hosted by NLOS. In true FAS fashion, we ate, drank and were merry! There was even some disco dancing!
We had a brilliant day and would thoroughly recommend that FAS members visit the annual AstroFair. We cannot commend NLOS and its volunteers highly enough. To continue our association with NLOS, we are hosting a return visit to the Royal Observatory Greenwich later in August. We look forward to developing our relationship further and supporting NLOS with future activities. Who knows? We may even wish to develop an AstroFair of our own!
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