Hakos Observatory

Hakos Observatory sits high in the Gamsberg Pass area of Namibia, roughly 135 kilometres west of Windhoek, at an elevation of 1,852 metres.

About Hakos Observatory

The site is run by IAS, the Internationale Amateursternwarte, and stands on ground first used by an observatory established by the German astrophotographer Hans Vehrenberg. Today's complex includes the Carsten Jacobs Observatory, home to an 80cm Newtonian telescope, one of the largest amateur instruments in southern Africa.

Telescopes & research

Beyond the 80cm Newtonian, Hakos hosts a 20-inch Cassegrain, a 20-inch Newtonian Astrograph, a 20-inch Ritchey-Chrétien housed in a 4.2-metre dome, a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, a Takahashi Epsilon 160 and a TMB Apochromat. The site benefits from around 220 usable observing nights a year, with seeing conditions compared to those at La Palma, Hawaii and the Chilean Atacama.

Location & getting there

Hakos lies in the highlands west of Windhoek, Namibia, one of the darkest and driest regions on the African continent for astronomy.

Visiting Hakos Observatory

The site includes guestfarm accommodation for visitors as an IAS member facility. Check the observatory's website for booking details and current visiting arrangements before travelling.

See your named star from here

With nearly 220 clear nights a year, Hakos is one of the best places on Earth to point a telescope at a star you've named through Star Register. Look up its coordinates in our star catalogue and plan your night beneath Namibia's dark skies.