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List of All Observatories in the World

Every observatory in one list - 3,270 entries across 113 countries, from the great research telescopes to public stargazing domes. Sort by distance, filter by type, then learn how to see your named star through a telescope.

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The complete observatory list, explained

This directory aims to be the most complete list of astronomical observatories anywhere: professional research facilities such as Mauna Kea, Paranal and Roque de los Muchachos, historic university observatories, public observatories and planetariums, plus radio, solar and space-tracking sites and hundreds of IAU Minor Planet Center–registered amateur stations. Right now it covers 3,270 observatories in 113 countries: Europe (1,587) · North America (838) · Asia (467) · Oceania (156) · South America (134) · Africa (55) · Antarctica (3).

What each listing includes

Every observatory page shows the exact location on a map with coordinates and elevation, founding year, photos, a researched write-up of its history and telescopes, opening hours and wheelchair accessibility where recorded, a link to the official website, and the closest other observatories - so you can plan a whole stargazing trip from one page.

How the list stays accurate

The records are merged from several open datasets and then cleaned by hand: we de-duplicate transliteration variants and renamed institutions, fold Minor Planet Center code stubs into their real observatories, and verify questionable pairs against Wikidata, Wikipedia and each observatory's own site. New photos, visiting details and guides are added continuously.

Good to know

Observatory questions, answered

There is no single official register, but this continuously maintained list currently counts 3,270 observatories in 113 countries - from flagship research facilities like Mauna Kea and Paranal to university, public and amateur observatories registered with the IAU Minor Planet Center.
By concentration of telescopes, the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii - over a dozen major telescopes at 4,200 m. The largest single optical telescope currently operating is the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias at Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma, and the 39 m Extremely Large Telescope is under construction at Cerro Armazones in Chile.
Many are. Use the “Open to public” and “Public” filters above to find visitor-friendly sites; large research observatories often run visitor centres, day tours or public observing evenings. Opening hours vary with the seasons, so always check the official website linked on each observatory's page before you travel.
Click “Use my location” at the top of the list. Your browser will ask for permission, and the whole directory is then sorted by distance from you, starting with the nearest - you can still narrow by type, capabilities, country or region.
An observatory points real telescopes at the actual night sky; a planetarium projects a simulated sky onto a dome. Many public astronomy centres combine both - use the “Planetarium” filter to find them in this list.
Purpose-built ancient observing sites go back well over a millennium - Cheomseongdae in Korea dates to the 7th century. Among modern institutions, the Paris Observatory (1667) and the Royal Observatory Greenwich (1675) are the oldest still standing; founding years are shown on the cards and pages throughout this list.
Usually yes, if it's visible from their latitude that night. Bring your certificate with the star's Right Ascension and Declination - most telescopes slew straight to entered coordinates. The guide below the list covers exactly what to bring and what to ask.
Your visit

What to ask at the observatory

Observatory staff can aim a telescope at any point in the sky - they just need the right details from your certificate. Here's exactly what to bring and say.

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What to bring

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    Your certificateIt lists your star's coordinates and registration number.
  • ✦
    The coordinates (RA & Dec)Right Ascension and Declination - the sky's "latitude & longitude".
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    The Night Sky appEnter your registration number for an augmented-reality pointer.
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What to say

  1. "Could you point the telescope to Right Ascension [your RA] and Declination [your Dec]?" Most modern telescopes have a Go-To system that slews straight to those numbers.
  2. "My star is in the constellation [your constellation]." This helps staff confirm the aim.
  3. "When is [the constellation] highest in the sky?" Ask for the best date and time - a star is easiest to see when its constellation is well above the horizon.
  4. "What magnitude can this telescope show?" Named stars are often around magnitude 6–9, so a telescope (not the naked eye) is usually needed.
  5. "Could we take a photo through the eyepiece?" Many observatories are happy to help you capture the moment.
Look up your star's coordinates →

Data sources

This list is compiled and cross-checked from open, citable datasets, and every observatory page links back to the primary sources used for that entry:

  • Wikidata - the base register of observatories: names, coordinates, founding years and official-website links (CC0).
  • Wikipedia - history and description extracts (CC BY-SA), with photographs from Wikimedia Commons credited on each page.
  • OpenStreetMap - opening hours, wheelchair accessibility, operator, admission and contact details where mapped (ODbL), plus the location maps.
  • IAU Minor Planet Center - the official observatory-code list, used to identify registered stations and to verify and de-duplicate entries.
  • Official observatory websites - visiting information, corrections and enrichment for the researched guides.
  • Satellite imagery for location previews: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics.

Spotted an error or a missing observatory? Data is reviewed continuously - corrections from observatory staff are especially welcome via the contact details in the footer.

Looking for the full A-Z list?

Every one of the 3,270 observatories, grouped by region and linked to its own guide page, lives on one page: browse the complete observatory list. Prefer skies to telescopes? Explore the best stargazing places in the world - certified dark-sky parks, reserves and sanctuaries.

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List of All Observatories in the World (3,200+) | Star-Register.eu