The Observatory

The Observatory Gifted to the people of Paisley by Thomas Coats and designed by Glasgow Architect John Honeyman, Coats Observatory opened in 1883 and has been welcoming everyone with an interest in astronomy ever since. During the winter months, the observatory is open for night sky telescope viewing depending on the weather. These sessions are free and there is no need to book.

On clear nights, the telescope is trained on the moon, the planets and other interesting sights in the sky. If the weather is poor: telescope viewings, whether night sky or solar, need clear skies and low wind. If a scheduled telescope viewing can't go ahead for some reason, alternatives like planetarium shows will be arranged.

The Observatory has recently installed a state-of-the-art Planetarium, purchased by the Thomas Coats bequest, which allows visitors to enjoy the wonders of the night sky from the comfort of their chair. This new planetarium can project thousands of stars in an accurate representation of the night sky highlighting constellations and zooming in on objects too faint to be seen except through a powerful telescope.