Lulin Observatory

Perched at 2,862 metres on the summit of Mount Lulin in Taiwan's Nantou County, Lulin Observatory is Taiwan's principal astronomical research site and the place where a comet bearing the mountain's name was first spotted.

About Lulin Observatory

Lulin Observatory (obs. code D35) is operated by the Institute of Astronomy at National Central University and sits at the summit of Mount Lulin in Xinyi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, at an elevation of 2,862 metres.

History

The observatory was founded in 1999. Its flagship instrument, the Lulin 1-meter telescope, achieved first light in September 2002 after ten years of development. In 2007, observations from Lulin led to the discovery of Comet Lulin (C/2007 N3) — the first comet found by a Taiwanese researcher. On 11 July 2007, Lin Chi-Sheng photographed the object with the observatory's 0.41-metre telescope, and 19-year-old Ye Quanzhi identified it as a new object. The observatory has also discovered the minor planet 147918 Chiayi.

Telescopes & research

Alongside the 1-meter telescope, Lulin operates smaller instruments including the 0.41-metre telescope used in the Comet Lulin discovery, supporting both survey work and dedicated research programmes from the Institute of Astronomy at National Central University.

Location & getting there

At nearly 2,900 metres above sea level, Mount Lulin offers Lulin Observatory some of the darkest, clearest skies in Taiwan, in the Asia region. Check the map on this page for directions to the summit site.

Visiting Lulin Observatory

Visit details and any public tour arrangements are best confirmed with National Central University's Institute of Astronomy or the observatory's official website before travelling.

See your named star from here

A research telescope capable of catching a moving comet is equally capable of finding a fixed star at known coordinates. If you've named a star with Star Register, its right ascension and declination are listed in our catalogue — the same kind of data astronomers here use every clear night.