The Philip Wetton Telescope (PWT), the first new telescope in Oxford for 30 years, was installed in December 1995 in the South Tower dome of the former University Observatory and until last year provided a facility for graduates and undergraduates in the Sub-Department of Astrophysics.

The telescope, a 0.4m (16in) aperture Schmidt-Cassegrain by Meade Corporation of California, was presented to the University by Philip Wetton CMG FRAS. Mr Wetton, a graduate of Christ Church was, before retirement, Her Majesty's Consul General in Milan. The telescope was donated to enable students of astrophysics at Oxford to make and interpret observatons of the night sky in much the same way as a professional astronomer would do. Mr Wetton also endowed the position of Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics, the post currently held by Professor Roger Davies who has recently also become the Chairman of the Department of Physics.

Following loss of viewing due to encroaching buildings and with a lack of proximity to the Sub-Department in the Denys Wilkinson Building (DWB), it was decided to move the telescope to a new and purpose built observatory on the roof of DWB on Keble Road. This project was overseen by Dr Ian Lewis (who will Direct the use of the PWT) and a team in Astrophysics. The Observatory was completed in September 2005 and the telescope moved in October. In December 2005 the first new Observatory in Oxford for over a century was opened by Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Jon Dellandrea with Philip Wetton and Roger Davies in attendance. The telescope will have much more potential on its new, high, site with its clear southern horizon and its proximity to the Department. Undergraduate and graduate teaching will be able to utilise the facility to a greater extent.

The PWT will also provide a focus for an expanded outreach role whereby local school pupils and teachers will also be able to be introduced to the excitement of hands-on astronomy. There will also be the potential for public access and this will be tied into events planned at Green College, the site of the old Radcliffe Observatory.