Le Cres observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
In the town of Le Crès, near Montpellier in southern France, an astronomical observatory has spent over two decades contributing to an international effort to measure how asteroids spin.
About Le Crès Observatory
Le Crès Observatory is an astronomical observatory located at Rue des Écoles in Le Crès. Since 2002 it has carried out photometric observations of asteroids, measuring the small changes in brightness that reveal how these bodies rotate.
Telescopes & research
Le Crès Observatory has taken part in collaborative lightcurve studies of asteroids in the Flora family, working alongside observatories in Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, South Africa, Chile, Brazil, Spain, and Italy, pooling data from across four continents to build a fuller picture of these objects' rotation.
Location & getting there
The observatory is located in Le Crès, a town just outside Montpellier in the Occitanie region of southern France.
Visiting Le Crès Observatory
As a working research site focused on asteroid photometry, check locally in Le Crès or Montpellier for any public open days before planning a visit.
See your named star from here
Le Crès Observatory's asteroid work relies on precise sky coordinates, the same kind you get for your own star from Star Register. Name a star and you'll receive coordinates to find it with a telescope or stargazing app from anywhere near Montpellier. Browse our star-naming packages or search the star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
