Iași Astronomical Observatory

On Copou Hill above Iași, Romania, the Iași Astronomical Observatory has watched the sky since 1912, making it the country's second-oldest astronomical institution after Bucharest's.

About Iași Astronomical Observatory

Formally the Astronomic Observatory of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, the Iași Astronomical Observatory sits on Copou Hill in Iași, Romania. It was founded as an astronomy laboratory for the university's Mathematics Faculty, complete with a research library and staff apartments, and remains part of the university today.

History

Founded in 1912, it was only the second dedicated astronomical observatory to be established in Romania, after Bucharest. Over the following decades its astronomers recorded solar and lunar eclipses, stellar occultations, and observations of comets and asteroids. Between 2020 and 2023 the observatory underwent a major refurbishment backed by around EUR 1.8 million in funding.

Telescopes & research

The renovated observatory now houses a modern research telescope beneath a working dome, alongside a planetarium for public shows. Its historic research programme focused on eclipses, occultations and solar system bodies, work that continues to inform its current teaching and outreach role.

Location & getting there

The observatory occupies a hilltop site on Copou Hill, one of Iași's landmark green spaces in northeastern Romania, within easy reach of the city centre.

Visiting Iași Astronomical Observatory

The observatory welcomes the public with free admission and presentations led by university volunteers. Check the university's observatory page for current opening times before visiting.

See your named star from here

With a working research telescope and a planetarium built for public viewing, this is exactly the kind of place that could help you find a named star's position in the sky. Name one through Star Register and look up its coordinates in the star catalogue.