Sternwarte Mirasteilas

In the Romansh-speaking village of Falera, in Switzerland's canton of Grisons, Sternwarte Mirasteilas takes its name - Romansh for "stargazer" - seriously: it is the largest publicly accessible observatory in the country.

About Sternwarte Mirasteilas

Sternwarte Mirasteilas is an astronomical observatory in Falera whose name comes from the Romansh word for stargazer. It holds the distinction of being the largest publicly accessible observatory in Switzerland, built around a 90-centimetre Cassegrain reflector telescope.

History

The municipality of Falera approved a 690,000 Swiss franc loan for the project on 5 December 2005, and the observatory opened its doors on 22 June 2007. It is run by the Astronomical Society of Graubünden (AGG), whose roughly 30 trained volunteer demonstrators guide public sessions.

Telescopes & research

The main instrument is a 90-centimetre Cassegrain reflector, giving Sternwarte Mirasteilas serious observing power for an amateur-facing site; it has been used to track asteroids, comets and satellites in addition to public stargazing.

Location & getting there

Falera lies in the Grisons region of eastern Switzerland, in the Alps. Use the map and directions on this page to find your way to the village and the observatory.

Visiting Sternwarte Mirasteilas

Public tours run on Friday and Saturday evenings, or by appointment for groups; given its Alpine setting, it is worth checking the weather and the official schedule before you travel.

See your named star from here

Every star named through Star Register comes with precise coordinates, and the trained demonstrators at an observatory like Sternwarte Mirasteilas can point its 90-centimetre telescope towards them on a clear night. Browse the star catalogue or start a naming through our packages before you go.