Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station

Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station stands on the remote west coast of Ireland, one of the longest continuously running atmospheric monitoring sites in the world.

About Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station

The station holds dual status as a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch station and a European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) supersite. It is also one of the longest-running mercury recording stations anywhere, with decades of continuous atmospheric data.

Telescopes & research

Research at Mace Head focuses on the climate and composition of the atmosphere, with particular emphasis on aerosol-cloud interactions and long-term mercury readings. The station's findings feed into international efforts to understand atmospheric conditions across the Northern Hemisphere and Europe.

Location & getting there

Mace Head sits on Ireland's Atlantic coast, deliberately far from cities and industry so that its instruments can record background atmospheric conditions undisturbed by local pollution — a setting that also makes for wide, unobstructed skies.

Visiting Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station

As a working scientific monitoring station rather than a public observatory, Mace Head does not appear to run general visitor tours. Check the station's official website for current access information before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

Coastal, low-light sites like Mace Head are often the kind of dark, open locations where a telescope could be turned toward the coordinates of a Star Register name. Name a star and find it in our catalogue.