Merlette observatory

Merlette Observatory is a small astronomical station set high in the French Alps, at roughly 1,828 metres above sea level -- an altitude that gives it dark, steady skies far above the valley floor.

About Merlette Observatory

The site is registered with the Minor Planet Center under observatory code 472, placing it among the worldwide network of stations that submit positional measurements of asteroids and comets. Beyond this registration, little else about the facility's history or instruments has been published.

Location & getting there

Merlette lies in mountainous southeastern France, in the country's Alpine interior. Its elevation puts it well above the light pollution and haze that affect lower-lying towns, which is typical of small observing stations built at altitude for clearer sightlines.

See your named star from here

A telescope pointed at the right coordinates can find any star from almost anywhere with a clear, dark sky -- including a high-altitude site like this one. If you name a star with Star Register, you receive the exact coordinates needed to locate it; browse the star catalogue to see how that works in practice.