ATLAS · OBSERVATORIES · UNITED KINGDOM
Observatories in United Kingdom
United Kingdom has 192 observatories on the map. 173 watch the night sky. 19 watch something else — the Sun, the radio sky, particles, Earth’s field, or a volcano. The earliest was founded 1675. Below: how they split by what they watch, and the country’s notable sites. From Wikidata, snapshot 2026-06-23.
OBSERVATORIES192
OLDEST FOUNDED1675
NOT WATCHING STARS19
By what they watch
Astronomical173 · 90%
Radio astronomy1 · 1%
Geo & magnetic8 · 4%
Nature & bird9 · 5%
Volcano1 · 1%
Notable observatories in United Kingdom
A representative mix — the specialised sciences first, then the earliest sites by founding year.
Geo/magneticGreenwich Park magnetic observatory1890
NatureIsle of May Bird Observatory1934
NatureFair Isle Bird Observatory1948
NatureDungeness Bird Observatory1952
NatureBardsey Bird and Field Observatory1953
NatureHolme Bird Observatory1962
NatureNorth Ronaldsay Bird Observatory1987
Geo/magneticWeybourne Atmospheric Observatory1992
NatureFlamborough Bird Observatory
NatureFiley Bird Observatory
NatureCopeland Bird Observatory
Geo/magneticTristan da Cunha Magnetic Observatory