Arran Civic Trust members enjoyed a visit the Coats Observatory and museum in Paisley on Wednesday, September 14.
Built in 1883, Coats Observatory is the oldest public observatory in the country. As well as the astronomical work, daily weather readings are taken and the observatory had also served as a seismic recording centre monitoring earthquakes worldwide, which included the famous 1906 San Francisco quake.
The stunning building holds a vast range of telescopes for year-round stargazing on clear nights, and a state-of-the-art digital planetarium. The Arran party were introduced first to the planetarium where the curator explained constellations, distant galaxies, nebulae, star galaxies and the light years distances using the impressive facilities to hand. Climbing to the top of the building, the group viewed the original Victorian telescopes and also the view over Paisley.