The image below is a link to Google Street View, and depicts the view from the Lhoobs Road turn-off towards the Isle of Man Astronomical Society Observatory. The observatory dome is visible on the horizon, about 500 yards up the lane.
For a full screen view, click the square in the top right of the image.   

You'll find this location on Google Maps, by clicking on the above arrow.
Clicking on the top left of the small box that appears will open Google Maps in a larger window, revealing the Observatory at the top right of the map. For a short video of the journey up the lane, click here.

  

          

Unit Description	Longitude, Latitude
Decimal Degrees	54.1786°N, -004.6265°W
Degrees and decimal Minutes	54°10.660'N, -004°37.588'W
Degrees Minutes Seconds	54°10'39.6"N, -004°37'35.3"W

Get Google Earth if you don't already have it, and you can download any of three different approach routes to the Observatory (zipped .kmz files), as follows:

   From Douglas and the east of the Island... Cooil Road/New Castletown Road roundabout    From the south of the Island... Ballamodha, on the Ballamodha Straight    From the north and the west of the Island... Ballacraine crossroads
For SatNav users, the nearest postcode reference point is IM4 3 which is around about half way along the Lhoobs Road. If you are travelling from Douglas, then you will need to proceed a further half mile to arrive at the lane that leads to the Observatory.


Ordnance Survey grid ref: SC 28680 78949

The Ordnance Survey location above is indicated by the point of the large blue arrow overprinted on the map alongside.

Access (overprinted in reverse on the map) to the Observatory is via the signposted track (see Google Street View image above) that leads to the arrow tip, and not via Ballamona Farm. Unfortunately, there is no convenient public transport available.

If you would like a hardcopy printout of the adjacent map, simply click upon the map. This will open a new window for you, with the map and a "Print this map" button. Click the button accordingly.

Space travellers

The Isle of Man has been visited by three of the twelve astronauts that walked on the Moon along with one that orbited it. Almost 2% of all those humans that have been into space have visited the Isle of Man Astronomical Society Observatory. With this in mind, we felt it appropriate to offer a direct approach route for those in a hurry.

For queries with regard to this page, the website administrator.