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Physics

The Marsh Observatory

The Facility

Image showing the outside view and entrance to the Marsh Observatory. The image shows a new build with wooden siding and a flat roof (the terrace of the observatory). Part of the dome can also be seen from the ground view perspective. There is also a large glass door and some narrow windows on the side, and some lights on the outside of the building
Outside view and entrance to the Marsh Observatory
image depicting the view from inside the dome and the telescope. The dome can be seen towards the top right of the image, with the orange wiring and the grey curved dome. Underneath is the telescope which is placed on a mount. On the left, 2 people are working on a laptop near the telescope.
View from inside the dome and the telescope

Training Astronomers of the Future

The University of Warwick has opened its doors to the new Marsh Observatory – which will train astronomers of the future. The on-campus telescope facility was opened on 7 November 2023 by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967 and was awarded the prestigious Royal Astronomical Society gold medal.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The observatory features:

  • A 0.4m Schmidt-Cassegrain Meade telescope;
  • A state-of-the-art digital sCMOS imager with a field-of-view of 30'x20';
  • An automated 5m diameter Ash Dome.

These facilities allow students and researchers to observe Solar System objects, stars, exoplanet transits, star clusters and galaxies. The telescope is part of a network of research telescopes operated by the University of Warwick, including telescopes in La Palma, Chile, and Australia.

In addition we are currently installing a heliostat that will be used for undergraduate solar spectra experiments.

Educational and Research Opportunities

The Marsh Observatory is integral to:

  • The Univeristy of Warwick’s Physics with Astrophysics degree program;
  • Undergraduate final year research projects;
  • Providing hands-on experience to train undergradutate and postgraduate students to operate telescopes and instrumentation.

Public Engagement and Community Outreach

The observatory will host public engagement events for schools and clubs, inspiring the next generation of young scientists. Features include:

  • Observing nights for the Warwick Astronomical Society;
  • Public outreach to schools and community groups.
  • A rooftop terrace for small telescopes
  • Space for the University’s mobile planetarium

The Marsh Observatory supports the University’s mission to make physics and astronomy accessible to all. Academics and researchers visit local schools, teaching students about the night sky with tools like the mobile planetarium and an interactive table displaying the life-cycles of stars.

In Memory of Professor Tom Marsh

The observatory is named after Professor Tom Marsh, who founded astronomy and astrophysics research at Warwick in 2003 and passed away in 2022. Tom authored around 800 scientific papers and was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Herschel Medal in 2018 for his outstanding merit in observational astrophysics.