Iso-Heikkilä Observatory

In the Iso-Heikkilä district of Turku, Finland, the Iso-Heikkilä Observatory has quietly tracked asteroids and comets since the 1930s, earning its own Minor Planet Center code along the way.

About Iso-Heikkilä Observatory

The observatory sits at about 20 metres above sea level and is today run by Turun Ursa ry, an amateur astronomical association founded in 1928 by the astronomer Yrjö Väisälä. It is registered with the Minor Planet Center as Turku Observatory, code 062.

History

Väisälä designed and built the observatory in autumn 1937, and it was operated by the University of Turku from 1937 until 1972, when Turun Ursa ry took over. It is the site where several Finnish discoverers of minor planets made their observations.

Telescopes & research

Väisälä and his team used the observatory to discover roughly 807 minor planets and 7 comets. One notable early find was minor planet 1425 Tuorla, discovered here on 3 April 1937 by Kustaa Inkeri, just weeks after the observatory began operating.

Location & getting there

Iso-Heikkilä Observatory is in the Iso-Heikkilä district of Turku, on Finland's southwest coast, easily reached from the city centre.

Visiting Iso-Heikkilä Observatory

Turun Ursa ry runs public events and observing nights at the site; check the association's website for the current schedule before visiting.

See your named star from here

An observatory with this long a track record of finding new objects in the sky is a fitting place to look for one you have named yourself. Explore our star-naming packages or the catalogue to locate your star's coordinates for your next visit.