Gahberg Observatory

Gahberg Observatory, known locally as Sternwarte Gahberg, sits on the Gahberg mountain near the Attersee lake in Weyregg, Upper Austria, at 860 metres elevation.

About Gahberg Observatory

The observatory is run by the Astronomischer Arbeitskreis Salzkammergut, an astronomy association founded in 1980 that now counts around 470 members. It sits within the Attersee-Traunsee Star Park, an area recognised for its efforts to preserve dark skies.

History

Gahberg Observatory was founded in 1988, built up over roughly 3,000 volunteer hours during construction in 1987 and 1988. The facility was later extended in 2003 and again in 2012/2013, reflecting the association's continued investment in the site.

Telescopes & research

Its main instrument is a Fraunhofer-type refractor lens telescope with a 200 mm aperture and 2,600 mm focal length, housed in the observatory's dome.

Location & getting there

The observatory overlooks the Attersee, one of the Salzkammergut region's scenic lakes in Upper Austria, at an elevation that lifts it above the valley haze for clearer night viewing.

Visiting Gahberg Observatory

The observatory offers guided tours, weather permitting, as part of the Astronomischer Arbeitskreis Salzkammergut's public programme. Check the association's official website, astronomie.at, for current tour schedules before visiting.

See your named star from here

Nearly forty years after volunteers first built this dome above the Attersee, the observatory's Fraunhofer refractor is still capable of finding a fixed point in the sky, exactly what a named star's coordinates provide. Name a star and check its position in our catalogue ahead of a visit here.