Observing
Exploring planets, the Moon, deep-sky objects and the changing night sky.
ASTRONOMY FROM LINCOLNSHIRE
Look up.
There is always something happening in the sky.
Billingborough Observatory is a private astronomical observatory exploring the night sky through visual astronomy, astrophotography, automated meteor detection and citizen science.
THE OBSERVATORY
A modern observatory in an old astronomical village
From deep-sky imaging and planetary astronomy to automated all-sky cameras, Billingborough Observatory combines traditional amateur astronomy with modern technology.
Astrophotography
Imaging the night sky and building a growing visual record of the universe from Lincolnshire.
Meteor Detection
Automated cameras monitor meteors and contribute observations to international citizen-science networks.
METEOR DETECTION
Watching the sky, night after night
The observatory operates automated meteor cameras that record activity throughout the night. These observations help build a wider picture of meteor activity and the Earth's interaction with the Solar System.
Results, timelapse videos and selected observations will be published here as the project develops.
24/7
automated sky monitoring
UK
meteor observation station
∞
things still to discover
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HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Billingborough's astronomical past
Historical photographs and archival material relating to Edward Iszatt Essam's observatory are currently being researched.
ASTRONOMICAL HERITAGE
Astronomy has returned to Billingborough
In the late nineteenth century, Edward Iszatt Essam was an astronomer associated with Billingborough. He operated the village Post Office and drug store and was also involved in astronomical observation and telescope making.
Historical records indicate that Essam's observatory was active in Billingborough around the turn of the twentieth century and appears to have ceased operation around 1907. Its precise location is still being investigated.
More than a century later, astronomical observation has returned to the village.
Explore the history →