Surlari Magnetic Observatory

Surlari Magnetic Observatory sits in the Surlari forest, about 35 km northeast of Bucharest, Romania, at an elevation of 84 metres.

About Surlari Magnetic Observatory

Formally the Observatorul Geomagnetic Național Surlari "Liviu Constantinescu," the site was founded in 1943 as a research unit of the Geological Institute of Romania. It spans 3.56 hectares and includes seven surface and underground buildings.

History

The observatory has continuously recorded the intensity and direction of Earth's magnetic field since 1948, making it one of the longer-running geomagnetic monitoring stations in the region.

Telescopes & research

Rather than astronomical telescopes, Surlari's instruments measure geomagnetic prospecting data and feed into national geomagnetic maps. Since 2009 it has cooperated internationally with GFZ, participates in the INTERMAGNET network, and contributes data toward the periodic reevaluation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in wooded countryside northeast of Bucharest, in southern Romania, a low-lying setting chosen partly to keep magnetic readings free of interference. Use the map and directions button on this page for the route.

Visiting Surlari Magnetic Observatory

As a working scientific research station, we don't have confirmed public visiting hours or tour information for this site. Check with the Geological Institute of Romania for any current access details before travelling.

See your named star from here

Surlari's instruments read Earth's own magnetic field rather than the night sky, so it isn't a place to view a named star directly. The right ascension and declination on a Star Register certificate can instead be located with a telescope at an optical observatory elsewhere in our network. Name a star or browse the full catalogue of named stars.