Observatoire de Saint-Véran

Perched at 2,930 metres on the Pic de Château Renard in the French Alps, the Observatoire de Saint-Véran is one of the highest astronomical observatories in Europe, second only to the Sphinx Observatory.

About Observatoire de Saint-Véran

The observatory is run by AstroQueyras, an amateur astronomy association granted use of the site's 62 cm Cassegrain telescope in 1990. Its high-altitude setting, above the village of Saint-Véran in the Hautes-Alpes, gives it exceptionally clear, stable skies for observation.

History

Built in 1974 as a branch of the Paris Observatory, the site was handed over for amateur use in 1990. It has a genuine discovery to its name: the main-belt asteroid 48159 Saint-Véran was found here and named for the observatory and its host village, reportedly the first discovery made at the site, on 16 April 2001.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's main instrument is a 62 cm Cassegrain telescope, used by AstroQueyras members and visiting amateurs for deep-sky observation and imaging from one of the highest points accessible to the public in the Alps.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits atop the Pic de Château Renard, above the village of Saint-Véran in the Hautes-Alpes, part of the Europe region as classified here, in one of the highest inhabited communes in Europe.

Visiting Observatoire de Saint-Véran

AstroQueyras runs public observing sessions and stays at the observatory; current programmes, dates, and booking information are published on its official website.

See your named star from here

Few places offer clearer skies to search for a named star than a 2,930-metre summit built for exactly that purpose. A Star Register package comes with the precise coordinates of your star, ready for the observatory's telescope or any other. Browse the star catalogue to choose one.