Mount Tarana Observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
Mount Tarana Observatory sits near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia, on Mount Tarana in the Great Dividing Range, at a site chosen specifically to keep it away from city light pollution.
About Mount Tarana Observatory
The observatory is operated by Colin Bembrick and is a Designated Observatory of the Astronomical Society of Australia, a status that was renewed in June 2010. It is also registered with the Minor Planet Center under station code 432, meaning its astrometric observations feed into the international tracking of asteroids and comets.
Location & getting there
At around 1,289 metres elevation near Napoleon Reef and Walang, close to Bathurst, the observatory sits well up in the Great Dividing Range, giving it darker skies than sites closer to the coastal cities.
Visiting Mount Tarana Observatory
As a private facility run to protect its dark-sky conditions, it isn't set up as a general public attraction. Anyone interested in visiting should reach out in advance rather than dropping by unannounced.
See your named star from here
A registered Minor Planet Center site like this one works with precise sky coordinates every day, which makes it a natural match for a symbolically named star's own recorded position. Name a star and find its coordinates in the star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.