Cherryvalley Observatory

Cherryvalley Observatory is a private amateur observatory in Rathmolyon, County Meath, Ireland, built by astronomer Mike Foylan to carry out real scientific measurements from a backyard setting.

About Cherryvalley Observatory

Founded in 2010, Cherryvalley Observatory was assigned the official IAU/Minor Planet Center observatory code I83 in 2011, putting it on the global map of stations that contribute usable astrometric data. It shows that dedicated amateurs, not just professional institutions, can produce work that astronomers rely on.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's work centres on astrometry and photometry of minor planets and asteroids, with measurements submitted for peer-reviewed publication in the Minor Planet Bulletin and other journals. Cherryvalley is also affiliated with NEMETODE, a network of stations that track and analyse meteors over Ireland and the UK.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in the countryside of County Meath in eastern Ireland, part of the wider Europe region on Star Register's map. Its rural setting away from Dublin's brightest lights supports the kind of precise measurements its asteroid work depends on.

Visiting Cherryvalley Observatory

As a private research observatory rather than a public visitor centre, Cherryvalley is not generally open for drop-in tours. Anyone hoping to see it or attend a talk from its founder should check listings from Irish astronomy societies, which have hosted lectures on the observatory's work.

See your named star from here

Every star named through Star Register comes with precise right ascension and declination coordinates, the same kind of data Cherryvalley's astrometrists work with daily. If you'd like a real star of your own to point a telescope at, name one here or browse existing entries in the star catalogue.