Who we are

Imaging Pod is a product designed and manufactured by Pulsar Observatories in the UK. Pulsar has been producing observatory domes for amateur astronomers and educational institutions for over 25 years and the Imaging Pod is the latest product in our line-up.

Pulsar Observatories History

From little acorns big oaks grow.

When Gary Walker began searching for an observatory dome in the late 1990s, he was unable to find a suitable manufacturer in the UK. As a carpenter by trade, he designed and handcrafted the patterns to create his own 2.1-metre dome. He took them to a local GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) specialist for tooling, and the first Pulsar observatory was born. It was soon evident that his design could fill a gap in the market, so he decided to go into production and added a 2.7-metre version a few years later.

Success!

Pulsar observatories are now in use worldwide, and can be found as far afield as Chile, Singapore, and the USA. One of their proudest achievements was when Bresser GmbH, known for its high selectivity, offered to distribute Pulsar Observatories across Europe.

New & Improved

Over the years, Pulsar Observatories utilised modern CAD and precision CNC-manufactured moulds to enhance their designs. The Pulsar observatories available today offer the highest quality finish of any commercial observatory and exceptional accuracy on both their 2.2-metre and 2.7-metre models. Channel 5's Gadget Show described their observatory as “... such a fantastic and simple use of technology”.

Automation

Pulsar Observatories offers several accessories for their observatories, including floors, unique wall kits, motorised shutters, and automation systems. Their motorised, easy-to-use and robust shutter and rotation systems are designed and manufactured entirely in-house. 

Fully ASCOM-compliant and compatible with most astronomy control software, Pulsar’s drive systems utilise stepper motors with encoder technology, wireless Bluetooth connection to control the shutter and the rotation drive, cutting-edge wireless battery charging (so you don’t need to run any cables outside), and a diagnostic admin screen interface on the shutter drive buttons.

Additionally, the system is backwards compatible, enabling it to be used on both new and older observatories. 

The people

Gary Walker

Gary founded Pulsar Observatories in 2000. In addition to designing and building observatories, he has also constructed several custom-designed Newtonian telescopes with apertures of up to 61cm (24 inches), and a unique 48cm (19-inch) telescope that was used for a time at Kielder Observatory.

Steve Collingwood

Before joining Pulsar Observatories, Steve served for many years as Head Engineer at Broadhurst Clarkson and Fuller/Telescope House, where he managed the Meade UK service department. He also owned SC Telescopes, which specialised in repairing and servicing astronomy telescopes for other retailers, and he owns Broadhurst, Clarkson and Fuller Ltd, with a trading history dating back to 1785.

First Light Optics

Gary and Steve worked closely with First Light Optics Ltd for many years, so when Gary decided it was time for him to step back, FLO purchased the intellectual property of Pulsar Observatories Ltd. Today, Pulsar Observatories is a new company managed by Steve Collingwood. Gary also continues as a consultant, with a special focus on product development.

Bresser GmbH continues to distribute Pulsar Observatories throughout Europe, and Lynx Astro Ltd handles distribution in the UK.