Bilbao Observatory

On the rooftop of the School of Engineering at the University of the Basque Country, Bilbao Observatory, officially named Aula EspaZio Gela, puts real research-grade astronomy in the heart of the city.

About Bilbao Observatory

The observatory's main instrument is a fully robotized 50 cm aperture Dall-Kirkham telescope on an equatorial mount, fitted with CCD cameras for imaging. It was built primarily to support teaching and public astronomy outreach linked to the university's Space Science and Technology Master's programme.

Telescopes & research

Students use the robotic 50 cm telescope for hands-on data acquisition and image analysis, with a research focus on planetary observation, including atmospheric studies and cloud-motion analysis used to derive wind patterns on other planets.

Location & getting there

Bilbao Observatory sits above the city in the Basque Country of northern Spain, on the campus of the Universidad del País Vasco, easily reached within Bilbao itself.

Visiting Bilbao Observatory

As a university teaching facility, access is generally tied to courses and organised outreach events rather than casual drop-in visits, so check with the university before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

A robotic telescope like the one atop Bilbao Observatory is exactly the kind of instrument that can be pointed at the precise coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Explore the star catalogue to name a star of your own.