NOAK Observatory

NOAK Observatory is a robotic amateur astronomical station in Stavraki, near Ioannina in northwestern Greece, run for the systematic tracking of asteroids, exoplanets and comets.

About NOAK Observatory

NOAK Observatory sits at around 520 metres elevation near the village of Stavraki, close to Ioannina in the Epirus region of Greece. It carries the Minor Planet Center designation L02 and is best known for a steady stream of professional-grade astrometric data submitted to international databases.

History

The observatory was founded in 2013 and has since built a track record as an active contributor to global asteroid and exoplanet monitoring efforts, despite being a comparatively small, robotically operated site.

Telescopes & research

Observations are made with a 0.25-metre (f/4.7) robotic Newtonian telescope fitted with an unfiltered ATIK 460EXM CCD camera. The setup is used for astrometric measurements of asteroids and near-Earth objects, monitoring of exoplanet transits as part of the Exoclock Project, timing of asteroid occultations, and photometry of comets. Results are regularly submitted to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in the hills near Stavraki, a short distance from the city of Ioannina in the Epirus region of northwestern Greece, at an elevation of around 520 metres above sea level.

Visiting NOAK Observatory

As a robotically operated research site, NOAK Observatory is not set up as a public visitor attraction. Anyone hoping to see the equipment or arrange a visit should check with the observatory directly before travelling.

See your named star from here

Facilities like NOAK Observatory work with precise sky coordinates every night, which is exactly what you receive when you name a star with star-register. Explore our star-naming packages or browse the star catalogue to find a star of your own.