Black Birch Astrometric Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
High on Black Birch Ridge above Blenheim, in New Zealand's South Island, the Black Birch Astrometric Observatory once helped chart the precise positions of southern-sky stars.
About Black Birch Astrometric Observatory
Founded in 1984 by the United States Naval Observatory at an elevation of 1,366 metres, the station operated until 1996 with the specific job of measuring accurate positions of stars in the southern sky.
History
Its primary instrument, a 7-inch transit circle, was designed alongside a matching 6-inch circle in Washington, D.C., so the two could work together to produce a fundamental star catalogue and re-observe the Southern Reference Stars. The observatory's astrometric mission was eventually made obsolete by the European Space Agency's Hipparcos satellite, which could measure star positions from space far more efficiently.
Location & getting there
Black Birch Ridge sits at 1,366 metres elevation in the Marlborough region of New Zealand's South Island, near Blenheim.
Visiting Black Birch Astrometric Observatory
The observatory is no longer operational as an active research station, and the remote, high-altitude site has limited public access, so check locally before planning a visit.
See your named star from here
Black Birch's original mission was pinpointing exact star positions, much like the coordinates included with every star named through Star Register. Browse the star catalogue to name a star of your own.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
