TUBITAK National Observatory

High above southern Turkey, around 50km west-southwest of Antalya, TUBITAK National Observatory has been Turkey's flagship site for optical astronomy since 1991.

About TUBITAK National Observatory

Known in Turkish as TUBITAK Ulusal Gozlemevi (TUG), the observatory is operated by the TUG Institute of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). It sits on the mountain of Bakirtepe at an elevation of around 2,500 metres, chosen for its dark skies and stable atmosphere.

History

The observatory was established in 1991, and over the following decades it built up a suite of telescopes that now makes it one of the most capable astronomical research sites in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Telescopes & research

Five telescopes are installed at the site: the RTT150, a 1.5-metre Russian-Turkish telescope from 2001; T100, a 1.0-metre Ritchey-Chretien telescope from 2009; T60, a 0.6-metre Ritchey-Chretien telescope from 2008; YT40, a 0.4-metre Schmidt-Cassegrain from 2006; and ROTSE III D, a robotic telescope used for optical transient searches. Together they support work in photometry, spectroscopy and the detection of transient events.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located at Bakirtepe, roughly 50km west-southwest of Antalya in southern Turkey, at about 2,500 metres above sea level — well above the coastal haze that can affect lower-altitude sites nearby.

Visiting TUBITAK National Observatory

As a working research facility with five active telescopes, access is generally organised rather than casual. Check TUBITAK's own website for current visiting arrangements, tours, or outreach events before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

With five telescopes trained on the sky above Antalya, TUBITAK National Observatory is a serious place to think about your own corner of the night. Name a star with Star Register, find its coordinates in our star catalogue, and ask whether it's within reach of one of TUG's instruments.