Montserrat Volcano Observatory

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) sits in the village of Flemmings, near Salem, on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory. It is one of the few observatories in the world dedicated not to the stars but to a volcano on its own doorstep: the Soufrière Hills.

About Montserrat Volcano Observatory

MVO's staff describe their work in four words: monitoring, researching, educating and advising. Since the Soufrière Hills volcano began erupting in 1995, the observatory has tracked seismic activity, gas emissions and ground deformation to reduce the risk the volcano poses to islanders and visitors.

History

The observatory was formally established by an act of the Government of Montserrat in 1999, several years into the Soufrière Hills eruption that had already forced the evacuation of the island's former capital, Plymouth. The volcano erupted intermittently until 2010, with a further episode in 2013; activity has been low and gradually declining since around 2012, though MVO continues round-the-clock monitoring.

Location & getting there

MVO's building is in the parish of St Peter, in the quieter, safer northern half of Montserrat, away from the exclusion zone that still covers the volcano's southern flank. The island itself sits in the eastern Caribbean, reachable by ferry or short flight from Antigua.

Visiting Montserrat Volcano Observatory

MVO shares updates on the volcano's status with residents through radio broadcasts, public meetings and educational outreach rather than running a conventional visitor centre, so anyone hoping to see the facility or its work up close should check the official website before travelling to confirm current access and any scheduled talks.

Montserrat's night skies

MVO's instruments are built to listen to the ground, not the sky, so it isn't a stargazing venue in the way most observatories on Star Register are. But Montserrat's dark, low-light-pollution nights are a fine place to look up on any clear evening. If you've named a star with us, you can look up its exact coordinates in our catalogue and see what else is on offer via our packages.