Roll-off Roof Observatory
In 2008, having spent many hours setting up and polar aligning for a single imaging session, I decided to build an observatory shed.
Not wanting the observatory to dominate the garden, I went for quite a small shed (8' x 7'). Whilst I find this large enough to house and operate my equipment, another foot in each direction would be nice. If one has the room, the ideal size is probably 10’ x 8’.
The observatory is constructed from an almost standard shed purchased from B&K Timber. I asked them to make the triangular gable sections separate to facilitate the roll-off roof, but apart from that it is a standard shed. I must say that B&K Timber made an excellent job when they manufactured the shed. All the wall panels were perfectly square, which helped enormously when constructing the roll-off roof. The rollers for the roof are stainless steel and were supplied by my friend Martin Farmer.
The benefits of having an observatory are obvious. For me, the main benefit is the saving in time due to the fact that I can be observing or imaging within a matter of minutes.