G.O. Jones Building

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has some outstanding facilities, many of which were fitted as part of a £12m refurbishment. These include:

• the Observatory – an interesting and relatively unknown feature at the Mile End campus. It is located on the roof of the G.O. Jones building and provides the ideal location for undertaking astronomical observations within central London. The primary purpose of the observatory is for teaching undergraduate students studying for a BSc or MSci degree in astrophysics, but is also used as a key resource for the School’s outreach activities. The Obervatory was upgraded in October 2022 to enable remote access to the telescopes for staff and students, allowing them to conduct observations from the comfort of their own home. 
• teaching labs – Built for undergraduate students to use in practical modules and project work, the teaching lab features a host of modern physics equipment including X-ray sources, spectral emission tubes, radioactive sources and detectors and open source electronics hardware.
• research labs – primarily used for academic research, the School's professional lab facilities can also be used by some undergraduate students for their final year research projects. Facilities include materials and wet chemistry labs for use in material physics research, laser lab, x-ray diffraction/crystallography facilities, and a muon physics lab.
• a lecture theatre – the department has its own lecture theatre, providing a convenient teaching space for physics and astronomy students.
• the Physics Museum – at the heart of the Department of Physics and Astronomy is the "Physics Museum", a shared social and study space where academic staff and students of all levels can chat, study or eat their lunch. The space is used for social events run by the physics society, PsiStar, as well Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) sessions. The museum also houses some exhibits from each of the department’s four research groups.