La Vara observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
In the rural parish of La Vara, in the municipality of Valdés on Spain's northern Asturias coast, an amateur observatory contributes real scientific data to the search for exploding stars.
About La Vara observatory
La Vara observatory is part of the Observadores de Supernovas (ObSN) network, a collaborative group of observers who monitor the sky for supernovae. Its observations have contributed early-time photometric data used in peer-reviewed astronomical research.
Telescopes & research
As part of the ObSN network, the observatory's role is to catch supernovae in their earliest, most scientifically valuable hours - data that professional researchers rely on amateur networks like this one to supply.
Location & getting there
Asturias' rugged, green coastline in northern Spain gives La Vara observatory a rural, relatively dark setting away from major cities, in the Valdés municipality.
Visiting La Vara observatory
No official public visiting hours are listed for this site; as a supernova-monitoring facility, it's best to check locally or search online for current access information before planning a visit.
See your named star from here
The same coordinates that let La Vara's observers pinpoint a distant supernova can be used to find a named star. Name a star for someone special, or look through the catalogue of stars already named.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
