Bacau Observatory

Bacau Observatory, formally the Victor Anestin Astronomical Observatory, occupies a converted water castle in Bacau, Romania, and pairs public telescope viewing with one of the country's largest astronomy exhibitions.

About Bacau Observatory

The observatory is a subunit of the Natural Sciences Museum Complex "Ion Borcea" in Bacau. It hosts the largest astronomy exhibition in Romania, expanded in 1991 by astronomer Matei Alexescu, alongside a working planetarium and telescope domes open to the public.

History

The building itself dates to 1910–1911, originally constructed as a water castle. The astronomical observatory was established on 30 November 1976 inside the Museum of Natural Sciences, then moved into the water castle building in April 1978. A Zeiss ZKP2 planetarium projector was installed in July 1980, and a fulldome digital planetarium was inaugurated on 4 May 1984.

Telescopes & research

The site holds three 63/840 mm telescopes sourced from Germany, an astronomical observation point with a high-performance telescope under a mobile dome, and a rooftop terrace fitted with two binoculars for naked-eye and binocular observing sessions.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in Bacau County in eastern Romania. Use the map and directions on this page to plan your route into the city.

Visiting Bacau Observatory

The observatory offers guided tours and planetarium shows to the public. Check the museum complex's current schedule before travelling, as programme times can change with the seasons.

See your named star from here

Staff at Bacau Observatory can point a telescope toward any set of sky coordinates, including those of a star named through star-register.eu. Name a star and check the catalogue for its exact position before your visit.