OWL-Net observatory, Oukaimeden
Image: Wikimedia Commons
At 2,785 metres in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, this OWL-Net station shares one of Africa's highest astronomical sites with the long-running Oukaïmeden Observatory.
About OWL-Net Observatory, Oukaïmeden
The station is part of the Oukaïmeden Observatory, about 80 kilometres south of Marrakech, and is operated remotely as one of five nodes in the OWL-Net satellite-tracking network run by Korea's KASI.
Telescopes & research
The site uses a 0.5-metre Ritchey-Chretien telescope with a field of view of about 1.54 degrees and a 4-kilopixel CCD camera offering roughly 0.98 arcseconds per pixel, running with minimal human intervention. Its work spans monitoring Korean satellites, cataloging transient events, tracking satellite re-entries, and following near-Earth objects.
Location & getting there
Oukaïmeden sits high in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, in Africa, at 2,785 metres elevation - an altitude that gives it exceptionally clear, dry skies. Use the map on this page for directions from Marrakech.
Visiting OWL-Net Observatory, Oukaïmeden
The wider Oukaïmeden area is a known destination for skiing and mountain tourism, but this OWL-Net station itself is an automated research installation; anyone interested in visiting should check with Cadi Ayyad University or the observatory's operators for current access.
See your named star from here
Few places on Earth offer skies as clear as this High Atlas summit, making it easy to picture searching here for a star you have named through Star Register. Find its exact coordinates in the star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
