Blessed with clear skies, almost no light pollution and lying close to the equator, the Southern Caribbean is an ideal spot for gazing at the stars of both the northern and southern hemispheres.

The astronomical observatory was designed in partnership with Doug Patterson as a 2-storey tower with an automated aluminium dome. The stone circular construction has a central column that goes undisturbed by vibrations to an independent foundation pad to hold the telescope above.

The final result is one of the most powerful observatories in the Caribbean, with cutting-edge hardware manufactured by some of the world’s leading astronomical specialists.

An internal staircase leads to the observatory’s control centre. It features a CDK (Corrected Dall-Kirkham) 20-inch reflecting telescope produced by PlaneWave, a Michigan-based company which has developed a revolutionary optical system designed not only for visual use but also for imaging on large format CCD cameras; an APM 130 refracting telescope; and a Lunt LS 100 refracting solar telescope through which the surface of the sun can be viewed safely during the day. Perfect imaging is achieved using the FLI ProLine 16803 camera and other digital cameras.

Astronomy management software TheSkyX installed on the observatory computer controls the dome and all features of the mount, telescopes, and cameras, enabling them to be operated remotely from anywhere in the world.