Building A Small Observatory

Building a small observatory

1. Site

These are the steps that I am taking for my next project to build from a garden shed a small amateur astronomical observatory, the located near Manilva town, in an area known as the "Duquesa Hills".

It will be in an urban observatory opposite a golf course, with some light pollution limitations from nearby town and lights in the neighbourhood. The idea is to have a shelter that isolates me some light pollution mainly from  a nearby street lamps and two neighbours at each side of the house. For astrophotograhy, I will place a fixed base (pier) that will house the Takahashi CCA250 telescope. Having the observatory will allow me to spend more time imaging than if I had to setup each time without it in the garden. 

I have the good fortune to live in a single house with a pretty good garden,  My garden sky has a 360 degrees view at 60 degree altitude, just a tree nearby  towards the East and with very few obstacles, I live in front of a golf course with zero light from the North to the South.

After much thinking and searching the net about the shed size, material and weight,  I eventually decide to go a prefabricated shed, whereby the shelter's roof would be modified to slid open converting it to a roll-off roof.

Garden Area

2. The Shed

My original idea was to assemble and modify a prefabricated a wooded garden shed,Taking into account the available surface, and a certain degree of security I decided on a metal shed and in particular the  MALMÖ by Wolder. The surface area cover is 5,29 m2  with a wall thickness of 0.25mm is light enough to modify it. It dimensions are 1.87 H x  2.57  W x 2.06  L, The shed reference  is 16766050.

The structure will be modified mainly on the roof, the concept is to cut the roof length equal to the floor size,to be able for the roof to slid (open/close) I will build a railing at roof high which will be supported by a wood beam (shown here as a red vertical line).

3. Calculating the Distances

Having the real measures of the shed, a first approximation to the design is taking into consideration the height of the walls without the roof  to be at least 1,60m,  At this point I see light from the street lamp so a bit higher is ideal. I will build the Pier with the mount  to be higher then the 1.6m, the angle of the telescope at position 3 parked will overcome  the shed roof . 

Insert of showing images , I prefer to show a set of videos how the shed was converted into a rolling roof observatory