Hazel McGee’s observatory

West Clandon, Surrey

Although my observatory is painted dark green rather than the usual white, I do not find too much difficulty with equalising telescope temperature in the evening, although it is always a good idea to open the dome for a couple of hours around sunset. A greater problem is caused by heat retained in the brickwork below, despite massive amounts of insulation. I am not a planetary observer, and so the quality of the seeing, although important, is not absolutely critical. My main observing interest is variable stars, although I also enjoy watching for stellar occultations by minor planets. My 12-inch LX200 telescope is altazimuth mounted, and is driven from one object to the next using a computer program.

E-mail : hazelmcgee@btinternet.com