Contern Observatory

Contern Observatory is an amateur astronomical observatory southeast of Luxembourg City in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, carrying the Minor Planet Center observatory code K26.

About Contern Observatory

The observatory is built around a Planewave 14-inch CDK reflector telescope on a 10micron GM2000HPS mount with absolute encoders on both axes, controllable by handpad or computer. Imaging is done with a Baader-modified Canon 500D camera.

History

The observatory's roll-off roof structure was prefabricated and installed by a commercial manufacturer, with the build and commissioning well documented across 2013 and 2014.

Telescopes & research

Its 14-inch CDK reflector and precision mount deliver notably tight tracking, with accumulated error kept below 2 arcseconds and typically averaging around 0.3 arcseconds per minute during observations, the kind of precision needed for serious astrophotography and positional work.

Location & getting there

Contern Observatory is located southeast of Luxembourg City in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, within easy reach of the capital.

Visiting Contern Observatory

As an amateur-run facility, visiting arrangements are best confirmed directly through the observatory's documentation before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

With a precision mount capable of tracking to fractions of an arcsecond, an observatory like Contern is well equipped to locate faint targets by coordinates alone, including the exact position of a star named through Star Register. See other named stars in our catalogue.