Marina Towers Observatory, Maritime Quarter, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, UK
Posted by: 
Ddraig Ddu
N 51° 36.844 W 003° 56.200
30U E 435146 N 5718530
An truly bizarre looking observatory on the edge of the maritime quarter overlooking the Bristol Channel.
Waymark Code: WMC7P9
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/05/2011
Views: 9
An observatory on the edge of the maritime quarter overlooking the Bristol Channel. The building looks to the untrained eye like a misplaced grain silo, or a pad off NASA mission control, but its all in the style of the build.
The Marina Towers Observatory (also known as the Swansea Observatory and Tower of the Ecliptic) is located in the Maritime Quarter of Swansea, on the coast of southern Wales. It is home to Wales's largest optical astronomical telescope.
The building was designed by Robin Campbell in 1989 and consists of two towers, it was built with part funding from a European Heritage Grant. From 1993 to Feb 2010 it was loaned to the Swansea Astronomical Society but it is now back in the hands of Swansea City Council.
The top of the tower has a stained glass feature designed by David Pearl. Observational facilities include a 20-inch Shafer-Maksutov telescope - the second largest of its kind in the world.