Sliding Roof Observatory

Backyard observatory using skyshed plans.

Sliding roof observatory.

Our designs are uniquely individualized for your installation. The new shed has a clampshell roof which can be opened manually. Instead of having to lift off the roof of an observatory these roofs can be rolled to one side and easily moved back afterword to protect the equipment. The observatory is more or less exactly the right size for the telescope to sit in its horizontal stored position diagonally with the roof closed.

I made a pair of beams for the chassis of the roof. In addition because they look similar to traditional sheds our sky sheds still look nice sitting in your yard. The observatory actually a custom shed contains a permanently mounted telescope with a ccd camera. When the roof opens up the scope can pivot upward and get to most of the sky.

The main challenge was making the rest of the roof structure rigid enough to keep its shape without making it so heavy as to be hard to lift in to place. The observatory has a motorized roof that rolls off to expose the sky. Roll off roof roll off roof observatory design we create custom plans for roll off observatories and sell automated roof tracking systems. In 2017 i build a new astro shed to house my telescope mount.

Clampshell roof design astronomical observatory. The home farm observatories story started in 2010 when neil then the owner of a telescope shop was approached by a customer in edinburgh to recommend a good quality roll off roof observatory for the new equipment he was to purchase. Made from structural aluminum our roll off roof observatories have design features not found in any other roll off roof observatory design. They are maintenance free and don t require external roof supports yielding a clean and aesthetically pleasing design.

Our roll off observatory shed is a great choice for all stargazing enthusiasts. The steel gate system is designed to support heavy sliding gates so i knew it would stand up to the weight of a small wooden roof. Integrated roller and track system the track assembly consists of a bent steel plated with inverted angle iron welded to the steel plate. Rain boards on either side of the roof ensure that the roof remain held on the wall and runoff beams.

The sliding roof runs on casters along the low and high walls of the observatory onto two wooden run off beams that are permanently supported by external posts.