Astronomical observatory Gabrovo

In the town of Gabrovo, Bulgaria, an astronomical observatory and planetarium has been introducing visitors to the night sky since 1984, combining hands-on telescope viewing with a full planetarium programme.

About the observatory

The site's main instrument is an American Celestron 14 telescope housed in a dedicated observation pavilion, supported by smaller telescopes used for solar, lunar, planetary, and nebular observation. Its planetarium features an 8-metre diameter dome-shaped screen showing the stellar sky and planetary movement using a Planetarium ZKP-2 projector, in a stellar room seating 50 people.

History

The observatory was established in 1984 in Gabrovo, and has since built an educational and cultural mission around spreading knowledge of cosmonautics and the natural sciences.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in Gabrovo, a town in central Bulgaria known for its mountain setting in the Balkan range.

Visiting the observatory

Planetarium programmes are offered in Bulgarian, English, German, and Russian, making the site accessible to international visitors. Check the observatory's official website before travelling to confirm current show times and telescope observation sessions.

See your named star from here

The Celestron 14 used at Gabrovo is exactly the kind of instrument capable of locating a star by its coordinates. Name a star through Star Register and you'll receive its precise position in the sky — see how it's documented in the catalogue.