Kleť Observatory

Kleť Observatory (Hvězdárna Kleť) stands south of the summit of Mount Kleť in South Bohemia, near the town of České Budějovice in the Czech Republic, at an altitude of 1,070 metres.

About Kleť Observatory

Constructed in 1957, Kleť carries the Minor Planet Center observatory code 046 and benefits from around 150 clear nights a year, a favourable observing climate for a European site of its altitude.

History

Since its construction in 1957, Kleť Observatory has built a long-running research programme centred on asteroids and comets, becoming a recognised name in near-Earth object tracking over the following decades.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's research focuses on verifying near-Earth asteroid and comet discoveries and measuring precise positions of asteroids and comets. Its KLENOT project is dedicated specifically to tracking near-Earth objects, contributing follow-up observations that help refine the orbits of newly found asteroids and comets.

Location & getting there

Sitting at 1,070 metres in South Bohemia, close to České Budějovice, Kleť's elevation and roughly 150 clear nights a year make it one of the more reliably observable sites in the region.

Visiting Kleť Observatory

Check the official Kleť website for current opening times, tours, and any public observing evenings before you plan a visit.

See your named star from here

An observatory built for tracking precise asteroid positions is well equipped to find the exact coordinates of a named star too. Search the star catalogue to find your star's place in the sky above Kleť.