Leura observatory

Leura observatory, known today as the Blue Mountains Observatory, sits in the town of Leura, New South Wales, around 100 kilometres west of Sydney, Australia.

About Leura observatory

Now operating as the Blue Mountains Observatory, the facility was founded in 1996 in Leura, New South Wales. It sits at an elevation of roughly 1,000 metres, high enough for notably clear, transparent skies.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's research programme spans asteroid photometry and astrometry, variable star photometry, supernova follow-up observations, and monitoring of comets and other transient phenomena. Its main instrument is a Planewave CDK telescope of 24 inches on a fork mount, backed by an additional weather-protected roll-off-roof observatory.

Location & getting there

Leura sits in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, about 100 km west of Sydney, high country known for dark, clear night skies well away from the city's glow.

Visiting Leura observatory

The Blue Mountains Observatory welcomes visitors for nighttime viewing sessions through its telescope and offers on-site accommodation for overnight stargazing trips. Check the observatory's official website for current sessions and prices before you go.

See your named star from here

With a 24-inch research telescope and dark Blue Mountains skies, Leura observatory is well equipped to actually locate a star you've named through star-register.eu. Browse our star-naming packages or search the full catalogue to get your star's coordinates.