The Whirlpool galaxy, M51, photographed with the William Herschel Telescope

La Palma, in the Canary Islands, has arguably the clearest night sky on the planet. It’s a wonderful place for astronomy, both professional and amateur.

This website aims to help you enjoy this amazing window onto the immensity of the universe.

The site’s owner and author, Sheila Crosby, came to La Palma with a six-month contract to work with the Isaac Newton Group of telescopes. That was twenty years ago, and she’s still on La Palma, although she’s moved on from the ING. She also writes a blog about the island, and she’s working on a guide to the observatory.

To contact Sheila:

The site's owner and author filling an instrument with liquid nitrogen at the Isaac Newton telescope