Royal Observatory of Madrid

By kkeps

(2026-07-15)

The Royal Observatory of Madrid is a historic observatory on a small hill next to the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid. It was founded in 1790 and has been engaged in continuous scientific activity since then. It's currently the seat of the Spanish National Observatory and an active research group in geophysics, both belonging to the National Geographic Institute.

In addition to its architectural value, the Observatory treasures an important collection of historical instruments, as well as bibliographic and documentary collections. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Ufa Planetarium

By Fab

(2026-07-15)

Deep Space Products

By jbottero

(2025-11-18)

Deep Space Products builds large terrestrial telescopes for both private users and government. Stargazers with a little cash can book time at this facility to gaze into the sky.

McMath–Pierce Solar Telescope

By jbottero

(2025-11-13)

McMath–Pierce solar telescope is a 1.6 m f/54 reflecting solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, United States. Built in 1962, the building was designed by American architect Myron Goldsmith and Bangladeshi-American structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan. It was the largest solar telescope and the largest unobstructed aperture optical telescope in the world. It is named after the astronomers Robert Raynolds McMath and Keith Pierce.

Planetário do Rio

By KingSilva

(2025-10-31)

The Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, commonly known as the Planetário do Rio, is one of Latin America’s most important institutions dedicated to astronomy, science education, and public outreach. Located in the leafy Gávea neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, the Planetarium is a municipal public foundation linked to the city’s government. Its mission is to popularize astronomy and related sciences through immersive experiences, education, and cultural engagement.
Founded on November 19, 1970, the Planetário opened its doors under the name “Planetário do Rio” and later became officially known as the “Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro” in 1993. From its inception, it has served as a cultural and scientific hub where visitors can explore the mysteries of the universe in an accessible and inspiring way. Its location in Gávea, surrounded by trees and hills, makes it a perfect place to contemplate both the natural and cosmic worlds.
The complex features two main domes: the larger Carl Sagan Dome, with a 23-meter diameter and seating for about 260 visitors, and the smaller Galileu Galilei Dome, which measures 12.5 meters in diameter and accommodates around 90 people. Both domes offer immersive projections that simulate the sky from any point on Earth and at any time in history, providing a vivid and accurate representation of celestial phenomena.
In addition to the domes, the Planetário houses the Museu do Universo, an interactive science museum with over 60 exhibits designed to engage visitors of all ages. Other facilities include the Giordano Bruno Library, with more than 2,000 volumes focused on astronomy and science; the Écio Salles Library, dedicated to the city of Rio de Janeiro; the Telescope Plaza, where public observation sessions are held; the Sérgio Menge Auditorium; and the Espaço Galileu, a dedicated area for children’s educational activities.
The Planetário is a major center for science communication, hosting thousands of students and visitors every year. It offers daily planetarium sessions for the public and special educational programs for schools. Over the decades, the institution has become a beloved symbol of Rio’s commitment to education, culture, and environmental awareness. Its architecture and facilities combine modern technology with sustainable design, reflecting the institution’s concern for the environment and energy efficiency.
For visitors, the Planetário offers an experience that blends knowledge and wonder. It provides a gateway to understanding the universe through immersive shows, hands-on exhibits, and open-air observation sessions. Set against the backdrop of the Gávea hills, the Planetário is a peaceful and inspiring destination that connects the beauty of Rio’s landscape with the infinite vastness of the cosmos.
The Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro stands today as a testament to the city’s cultural vitality and scientific curiosity. It continues to inspire generations of visitors, inviting them to look up, question, and dream among the stars.

KAT-7 Telescope

By hhgygy

(2025-10-23)

KAT-7 is a radio telescope commissioned in the Meerkat National Park in 2012.

Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array

By hhgygy

(2025-10-23)

The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) is a radio telescope dedicated to observing large scale structure during and prior to the epoch of reionization. HERA is a Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursor instrument, intended to observe the early universe and to assist in the design of the full SKA.

MeerKAT Telescope Array

By hhgygy

(2025-10-23)

MeerKAT, originally the Karoo Array Telescope, is a radio telescope consisting of 64 antennas in the Meerkat National Park. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency).

Neumünster public observatory

By Fab

(2025-06-16)

LIGO Livingston Observatory

By jbottero

(2025-05-09)

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. This is used to observe gravitational waves, and determine how they deform space-time. Each of the "legs" is a 2.5 mile long vacuum chamber. This is one of two LIGO detectors - the other is in Hanford, WA.

Pine Mountain

By jbottero

(2025-05-07)

Pine Mountain is a rhyolitic mountain east of Bend and south of U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in eastern Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the site of an astronomical observatory called the Pine Mountain Observatory.

Pine Mountain Observatory

By jbottero

(2025-05-07)

The Pine Mountain Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Oregon Department of Physics under a special use permit from the Deschutes National Forest. The facility is located 26 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon, near the summit of Pine Mountain.

Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope

By hhgygy

(2025-05-02)

First light that is first use of the telescope is expected in 2026.

Extremely Large Telescope (in construction)

By hhgygy

(2025-04-14)

'First light' that is first use of the telescope is planned for March 2029

Chuhuiv Observational Station

By Fab

(2025-02-05)

Very Large Telescope (VLT) in use

By tallturtle82

(2025-02-04)

This is one of four telescopes that make up the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The VLT uses visible and Infrared to detect celestial objects.

Radio telescope TNA-1500 of Kalyazin radio astronomy observatory

By Fab

(2023-12-25)

McCormick Observatory

By Fab

(2023-05-10)

Kokino

By kkeps

(2022-10-25)

Kokino (Кокино) is a Bronze Age archaeological site about 30 km from the town of Kumanovo and about 6 km from the Serbian border, in the Staro Nagoričane Municipality. It is situated between about 1010 and 1030 m above sea level on the Tatićev Kamen summit and covers an area of about 90 x 50 m, overlooking the eponymous hamlet of Kokino.

Mina Dome

By Fab

(2022-01-30)

Delaware Aero Space Education

By pak555

(2022-01-05)

NASA Bermuda Tracking Station

By Fab

(2022-01-02)

Olsztyn Observatory (former water tower)

By pak555

(2021-12-25)

Lowell Discovery Telescope

By tallturtle82

(2021-07-08)

The Lowell Discovery Telescope is the fifth largest telescope in the continental United States and cost 53 million dollars. Research includes the Kuiper belt, and exploring distant stars and galaxies.

SpaceX South Texas launch site

By Fab

(2021-03-12)

Northern Light Planetarium

By kkeps

(2019-11-05)

World's northernmost planetarium, also the largest planetarium in Norway

Demmin Planetarium

By Fab

(2019-03-09)

Hamburg Planetarium

By Fab

(2019-01-08)

Frankfurt Planetarium

By Fab

(2018-10-15)

Meyer-Womble Observatory

By kkeps

(2017-04-19)

Cheomseongdae

By kkeps

(2017-03-10)

Cheomseongdae (Korean: 첨성대; Hanja: 瞻星臺, lit. 'star-gazing tower') is an astronomical observatory in Gyeongju. It's the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia, and possibly the world. It was constructed in the 600s in the kingdom of Silla, whose capital was Seorabeol, present-day Gyeongju. Cheomseongdae was designated as the country's 31st national treasure on 12/201962. Modeled on Baekje's Jeomseongdae, which now exists only in historical records, the observatory influenced the construction of the Japanese Senseidai (占星台) observatory in 675, and Duke Zhou's observatory in China in 723.

William Brydone Jack Observatory

By kkeps

(2017-02-16)

Indian Astronomical Observatory

By Mike1989

(2017-01-16)

The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), has one of the world's highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes

Vassar College Observatory

By kkeps

(2016-12-01)

Holmdel Horn Antenna

By kkeps

(2016-11-12)

Planetario Distrital de Bogotá

By fin

(2016-09-16)

BP Koirala Memorial Planetarium Observatory and Science Museum

By fin

(2016-08-22)

National Astronomical Observatory of Chile

By kkeps

(2016-05-15)

University of Illinois Astronomical Observatory

By kkeps

(2016-03-31)

Parque Explora

By kkeps

(2016-03-15)

Direct Link

Planetario de la Universidad de Costa Rica

By kkeps

(2016-03-13)

Direct Link

Taipei Astronomical Museum

By kkeps

(2016-01-18)

Direct Link

Bosscha Observatory

By kkeps

(2015-12-27)

Indonesia's oldest observatory

Sphinx Observatory

By kkeps

(2015-12-13)

Beijing Ancient Observatory

By Mike1989

(2015-07-08)

The observatory was built in 1442 during the Ming dynasty, and expanded during the Qing.

Owens Valley Radio Observatory

By kjfitz

(2015-05-22)

Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) is the largest university-operated radio observatory. It was established in 1958, and is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

In the 1996 film The Arrival, Zane Zaminsky (Charlie Sheen) and Calvin (Richard Schiff) work at Owens Valley for the SETI Project

In Contact (1997), Eleanor Arroway (Jodie Foster) did her thesis work on the Owens Valley 40-meter telescope.

Beijing Planetarium by AmphibianArc

By fin

(2015-05-22)

Telescope Array Project (Central Laser Facility)

By kjfitz

(2015-05-12)

The Telescope Array project is an international collaboration. The experiment is designed to observe air showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic ray using a combination of ground array and air-fluorescence techniques.

Each FD telescope consists of a primary mirror (made up of 18 smaller hexagonal mirror segments) and a camera. The cameras are made up of 256 PMTs (photomultiplier tubes) which are sensitive to the ultra violet light generated by a cosmic ray air shower.

Telescope Array Project (Middle Drum)

By kjfitz

(2015-05-12)

The Telescope Array project is an international collaboration. The experiment is designed to observe air showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic ray using a combination of ground array and air-fluorescence techniques.

Each FD telescope consists of a primary mirror (made up of 18 smaller hexagonal mirror segments) and a camera. The cameras are made up of 256 PMTs (photomultiplier tubes) which are sensitive to the ultra violet light generated by a cosmic ray air shower.

Telescope Array Project (Long Ridge)

By kjfitz

(2015-05-12)

The Telescope Array project is an international collaboration. The experiment is designed to observe air showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic ray using a combination of ground array and air-fluorescence techniques.

Each FD telescope consists of a primary mirror (made up of 18 smaller hexagonal mirror segments) and a camera. The cameras are made up of 256 PMTs (photomultiplier tubes) which are sensitive to the ultra violet light generated by a cosmic ray air shower.

Telescope Array Project (Black Rock Mesa)

By kjfitz

(2015-05-12)

The Telescope Array project is an international collaboration. The experiment is designed to observe air showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic ray using a combination of ground array and air-fluorescence techniques.

Each FD telescope consists of a primary mirror (made up of 18 smaller hexagonal mirror segments) and a camera. The cameras are made up of 256 PMTs (photomultiplier tubes) which are sensitive to the ultra violet light generated by a cosmic ray air shower.

Peter Harrison Planetarium

By chaswatson

(2015-01-15)

This is now London's only planetarium. The Peter Harrison Planetarium is part of the Royal Observatory complex in Greenwich Park at the top of the hill and just south of the Observatory.

Bayfordbury Observatory

By kkeps

(2014-11-24)

Cima Ekar astronomical observatory

By giove

(2014-11-21)

Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (in construction)

By hhgygy

(2014-08-21)

With a diameter of 500 meter, it is going to be much larger than the current record holder at the Arecibo observatory

Atacama Large Millimeter Array - Radio Telescopes

By mlc1us

(2014-08-01)

a.k.a. ALMA

Former Royal Greenwich Observatory

By hhgygy

(2014-05-26)

MGG Sonnenuhr

By ossewa

(2014-04-13)

MGG Sonnenuhr is a sundial, 10 meters in diameter, created by students of the Martin Gerbert Gymnasium (MMG).

Behlen Observatory

By kkeps

(2014-04-10)

ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF)

By ossewa

(2014-04-09)

The ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF) is the center of all scientific activities related to the daily operation of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

Johannesburg Observatory

By ossewa

(2014-04-09)

The Observarory was first established in 1903 and was then known as Transvaal Meteorological Department.

It went through a number of name changes until it was closed down in 1972:
Transvaal Observatory 1909 – 1912
Union Observatory 1912 – 1961
Republic Observatory 1961 – 1971

The Observatory’s first piece of astronomical equipment was the Reunert Telescope. It was with this telescope that Robert Innes, founding director of the Observatory, discovered Proxima-centauri (the star closest to our sun) in 1915.

When the observatory was closed down in 1972, the Reunert Telescope was donated to UNISA, where it was installed in the roof-top observatory on the Theo van Wyk building in Pretoria.

SAASTA, acquired the observatory in 2003 and started refurbishing this site to accommodate a multifaceted interactive science awareness facility with a specific focus on astronomy and engineering.

The Reunert Telescope at UNISA was dismantled at the end of 2008 and moved back to the Observatory in Johannesburg. The telescope was re-conditioned and minor upgrades made to its controls.

The telescope was reopened in July 2009 and is currently used by school groups and the general public.

Large Radio Telescope

By KRL

(2014-03-06)

Large Radio Telescope (Alushta): 22 meter diameter; according to attached reference. Unable to find listing of this site on main references to radio telescopes.

Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope

By LancelotLink

(2014-02-22)

Jantar Mantar

By LancelotLink

(2014-02-20)

The Jantar Mantar is a complex of structures that consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The site is one of five built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, from 1724 onwards, as he was given by Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah the task of revising the calendar and astronomical tables.

Volgograd Planetarium

By hhgygy

(2014-01-01)

Donated by the GDR to the city of Volgograd

Mallorca Planetarium

By Mike1989

(2013-11-06)

The Prime Meridian

By LancelotLink

(2013-07-14)

Urania observatory

By Xeba73

(2013-04-16)

Urania Sternwarte is a public observatory in the Lindenhof quarter of Zurich, Switzerland. Its name Urania refers to the muse of astronomy in Greek mythology.

GEODSS site, Diego Garcia

By WacoKidd110

(2013-03-19)

Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance, or GEODSS, is an optical system that uses telescopes, low-light level TV cameras, and computers. It replaced an older system of six 20 inch (half meter) Baker-Nunn cameras using photographic film.

GEODSS tracks objects in deep space, or from about 3,000 mi (4,800 km) out to beyond geosynchronous altitudes. GEODSS requires nighttime and clear weather tracking because of the inherent limitations of an optical system. Each site has three telescopes. The telescopes have a 40-inch (1.02 m) aperture and a two-degree field of view. The telescopes are able to "see" objects 10,000 times dimmer than the human eye can detect. This sensitivity, and sky background during daytime that masks satellites reflected light, dictates that the system operate at night.

GEODSS site, Maui

By WacoKidd110

(2013-03-19)

Part of the Haleakala Observatory

Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance, or GEODSS, is an optical system that uses telescopes, low-light level TV cameras, and computers. It replaced an older system of six 20 inch (half meter) Baker-Nunn cameras using photographic film.

GEODSS tracks objects in deep space, or from about 3,000 mi (4,800 km) out to beyond geosynchronous altitudes. GEODSS requires nighttime and clear weather tracking because of the inherent limitations of an optical system. Each site has three telescopes. The telescopes have a 40-inch (1.02 m) aperture and a two-degree field of view. The telescopes are able to "see" objects 10,000 times dimmer than the human eye can detect. This sensitivity, and sky background during daytime that masks satellites reflected light, dictates that the system operate at night.

Byurakan observatory

By hhgygy

(2013-03-05)

Harriman Observatory

By skyeye

(2013-03-02)

Columbia University's Harriman Observatory

Calar Alto Observatory

By Mike1989

(2013-02-16)

The Calar Alto Observatory (Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán or Deutsch-Spanisches Astronomisches Zentrum, respectively "German-Spanish Astronomical Centre" and "Spanish-German Astronomical Centre") is an astronomical observatory owned and operated jointly by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia) in Granada, Spain. It is located in Almería province in Spain on Calar Alto, a 2,168-meter (7,113 ft) high mountain in Sierra de Los Filabres.

Royal Observatory Greenwich, Octagon Room

By daggerwell

(2013-02-06)

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/royal-observatory/

Molėtai Astronomical Observatory

By Mike1989

(2013-02-01)

The Molėtai Astronomical Observatory (MAO; Molėtų astronomijos observatorija in Lithuanian) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy of Lithuania. It is located on the Kaldiniai hill next to Kulionys, Lithuania, 10 km from the town of Molėtai.

Bird watching tower and observatory in the middle of a meteorite crater

By Hinkkanen

(2012-11-11)

Bird watching tower and observatory in the middle of the Söderfjärden meteorite crater. The observatory, Meteoriihi, is maintained by Vasa Andromeda, a local amateur astronomy association located in Vaasa. Around the observatory there is a large area of arable land. The nearest forest, buildings and light sources are about 3 km away.

VLBI Dish station

By Tyco

(2012-10-24)

Klagenfurt Observatory

By hhgygy

(2012-10-12)

Hyde Memorial Observatory

By neotrix

(2012-09-03)

Hyde Memorial Observatory is a community astronomical observatory located in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA) surrounded Holmes lake. It is run totally by volunteers, furnished through public donations, and devoted purely to public viewing. It is named after a donation given by Leicester Hyde in honor of her late husband and opened in 1977.

Isaac Newton Telescope

By adrbr

(2012-07-21)

The Isaac Newton Telescope or INT is a 2.54 m (100 in.) optical telescope run by the ING at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands since 1984.

VLBA Operations Center

By skyeye

(2012-07-17)

The Operations Center oversees the Very Large Baseline Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

South Pole Telescope

By Mike1989

(2012-07-17)

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10 metre (394 in) diameter telescope located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica. The telescope is designed for observations in the microwave, millimeter-wave, and submillimeter-wave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the particular design goal of measuring the faint, diffuse emission from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The first major survey with the SPT–designed to find distant, massive, clusters of galaxies through their interaction with the CMB, with the goal of constraining the Dark Energy equation of state–was completed in October, 2011. In early 2012, a new camera was installed on the SPT with even greater sensitivity and the capability to measure the polarization of incoming light. This camera is designed to measure the so-called "B-mode" or "curl" component of the polarized CMB, leading to constraints on the mass of the neutrino and the energy scale of inflation.

Ladd Observatory

By Mike1989

(2012-07-16)

The Ladd Observatory is an astronomical observatory of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. The observatory was dedicated in 1891 and is named for benefactor Herbert W. Ladd.

Smith College Observatory

By skyeye

(2012-06-22)

Smith College's Whately Observatory houses a 16-inch Boller and Chivens reflector.

Carr House

By hhgygy

(2012-06-08)

The alleged place where the first Venus transit observation was made by Jeremiah Horrocks

Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory

By hhgygy

(2012-06-05)

Named after the man who first observed the Venus transit

(bird-eye-view turned 180°)

Bangkok Planetarium

By WacoKidd110

(2012-03-28)

The Bangkok Planetarium is the oldest planetarium in Thailand. It is located on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok as part of the Science Center for Education, which is operated by the Department of Non-Formal Education of the Ministry of Education.

Karl Schwarzschild Observatory

By hhgygy

(2012-01-24)

Marina Towers Observatory

By LancelotLink

(2011-10-16)

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/swansea-observatory/view/?service=0

National Astronomical Observatory

By hhgygy

(2011-06-01)

Keck Observatory

By WacoKidd110

(2011-03-11)

The W. M. Keck Observatory consists of two ten-meter telescopes constructed and operated by Caltech and the University of California on top of Mauna Kea, an extinct volcano 13,800 feet high on the island of Hawaii.

VERA 20m radio telescope

By mlc1us

(2011-03-03)

VERA, or very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) exploration of radio astronomy, is a VLBI system which uses the relative VLBI method. It consists of four 20 m dual beam antennas that measure the coordinates and proper motion of galactic masers with 10-microarcsec level accuracy.

Pulkovo Observatory

By kjfitz

(2011-03-02)

The Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, the principal astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 19 km south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights.

It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST)

By kjfitz

(2011-03-02)

The Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (or SST) is a solar telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma in the Canary Islands. It is run by the Institute for Solar Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The primary element is a single fused silica lens, making it the second largest optical refracting telescope in use in the world. The 110-cm lens has a clear aperture diameter of 98 cm. The SST is most often used as a Schupmann telescope, thereby correcting the chromatic aberrations of the singlet primary.

The SST is a vacuum telescope - meaning that it is evacuated internally to avoid disruption of the image from air inside. This is a particular problem with solar telescopes because of the heating from the large amounts of light collected being passed on to any air causing image degradation. As of 2005 it has produced the highest resolution images on the Sun of any telescope, using its adaptive optics system.

The SST superseded the SVST - the Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope, which was 47.5 cm in diameter.

Paul and Jane Meyer Observatory

By WacoKidd110

(2011-03-02)

The Central Texas Astronomical Society owns and operates the Paul and Jane Meyer Observatory at the Turner Research Station near Clifton, Texas.

Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba

By adrbr

(2011-01-02)

Pierre Auger Observatory

By adrbr

(2011-01-02)

Observatório Astronômico de Brusque

By adrbr

(2011-01-02)

Observatório Municipal de Americana

By adrbr

(2011-01-02)

Observatório Municipal de Campinas Jean Nicolini

By adrbr

(2011-01-02)