Brno Observatory and Planetarium

Brno Observatory and Planetarium sits on Kraví hora (Cow Mountain), a hill just northwest of the city centre of Brno, Czech Republic, and has introduced generations of visitors to the night sky.

About Brno Observatory and Planetarium

Established by the City of Brno at an elevation of 305 metres, the institution combines an astronomical observatory with a planetarium, offering lectures, night sky observations, educational programmes and events for children alongside its exhibitions.

History

The observatory was inaugurated on 16 October 1954, originally with two seven-metre domes housing telescopes for night sky and solar observation. A small planetarium followed in 1960, replaced by a larger one in 1991. In 2018, the site opened a stereoscopic planetarium with 25-million-pixel resolution projected onto a 17-metre hemispherical screen, one of only a handful of its kind in Europe.

Telescopes & research

The original twin domes remain dedicated to night sky and solar observation, while the modern stereoscopic planetarium extends the site's reach with high-resolution, immersive presentations rare among European planetariums.

Location & getting there

Brno Observatory and Planetarium is located on Kraví hora, about 2 kilometres northwest of Brno's city centre, in the Czech Republic, within the Europe region. It's accessible by tram lines 3, 4, 5 and 6, as well as local buses.

Visiting Brno Observatory and Planetarium

The site welcomes the public with a digitarium, exploratorium and observation deck alongside its regular programme of lectures and night sky observations; check the official website for current show times and tickets before visiting.

See your named star from here

With twin observation domes and one of Europe's most advanced planetarium screens, Brno is a natural place to think about a named star and see exactly where it sits. Browse the star catalogue to find yours.