The Beacon Observatory is run by the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CAPS) at the University of Kent. It is used for undergraduate teaching, outreach events and research.

The main focus of the observatory is multi-wavelength monitoring of young star forming regions, as part of the citizen science project "Hunting Outbursting Young Stars with the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (HOYS-CAPS). We also observe Asteroids and Comets, as well as occasionally deep sky objects.