List of observatories

This page lists the 127 pre-defined sites in airmass.org. The list was based originally on some data from astropy, in which I have subsequently fixed many errors and added many new sites.

Light pollution data is taken from the World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness 2020, and the naked-eye limiting magnitude at the zenith is estimated from the light pollution data using equations from Schaefer 1990 (PASP, 102, 212). In practice, the age, acuity and experience of the observer, and local geography at the observing site, can yield significantly different limiting magnitudes.

ID	Name	Country	Latitude (°)	Longitude (°)	Elevation (m)	Light pollution	Limiting magnitude
aao	Australian Astronomical Observatory	Australia	31° 16' 31.38" S	149° 04' 02.03" E	1136	negligible	6.8
aip	Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam	Germany	52° 24' 17.87" N	13° 06' 15.38" E	67	very bad	5.5
ali	Ali Observatory	China	32° 19' 34.72" N	80° 01' 32.88" E	5035	very low	6.7
alma	Atacama Large Millimeter Array	Chile	23° 01' 44.40" S	67° 45' 18.00" W	5035	negligible	6.8
apex	Atacama Pathfinder Experiment	Chile	23° 00' 41.32" S	67° 46' 42.97" W	5058	negligible	6.8
apo	Apache Point Observatory	United States	32° 46' 48.00" N	105° 49' 12.00" W	2798	low	6.7
apoa	Anton Pannekoek Observatory	Netherlands	52° 21' 15.66" N	04° 57' 17.84" E	0	extreme	4.6
arecibo	Arecibo Observatory	Puerto Rico	18° 20' 39.12" N	66° 45' 09.72" W	238	bad	6.1
armagh	Armagh Observatory	United Kingdom	54° 21' 07.63" N	06° 38' 54.47" W	52	bad	5.8
asiago	Osservatorio Astrofisico di Asiago	Italy	45° 51' 59.41" N	11° 31' 35.22" E	1034	bad	5.8
atca	Australia Telescope Compact Array	Australia	30° 18' 46.08" S	149° 33' 54.00" E	209	very low	6.8
bao	Beijing XingLong Observatory	China	40° 23' 44.52" N	117° 34' 33.24" E	950	moderate	6.5
biruni	Biruni Observatory	Iran	29° 39' 00.95" N	52° 30' 16.34" E	1705	extreme	4.2
calan	Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de Chile	Chile	33° 23' 43.80" S	70° 32' 11.23" W	859	extreme	4.2
calaralto	Calar Alto	Spain	37° 13' 25.00" N	02° 32' 46.00" W	2158	moderate	6.6
cao	Crimean Astrophysical Observatory	Ukraine	44° 43' 27.96" N	34° 00' 35.64" E	578	moderate	6.5
casleo	Leoncito Astronomical Complex	Argentina	31° 47' 55.02" S	69° 17' 44.24" W	2482	very low	6.7
cfht	Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope	United States	19° 49' 30.96" N	155° 28' 07.67" W	4215	very low	6.8
ctio	Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory	Chile	30° 10' 08.40" S	70° 48' 22.32" W	2215	low	6.7
dao	Dominion Astrophysical Observatory	Canada	48° 31' 11.31" N	123° 25' 06.00" W	229	bad	5.8
dct	Discovery Channel Telescope	United States	34° 44' 39.50" N	111° 25' 21.05" W	2337	very low	6.7
drao	Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory	Canada	49° 19' 17.57" N	119° 37' 11.99" W	546	moderate	6.6
dwingeloo	Dwingeloo Radio Observatory	Netherlands	52° 48' 43.55" N	06° 23' 47.02" E	14	bad	6.3
effelsberg	Effelsberg 100m telescope	Germany	50° 31' 30.36" N	06° 52' 59.16" E	328	bad	6.1
ekar	Mount Ekar 182 cm. Telescope	Italy	45° 50' 54.73" N	11° 34' 08.51" E	1413	bad	5.8
elt	European Extremely Large Telescope	Chile	24° 35' 21.48" S	70° 11' 29.76" W	3060	negligible	6.8
fast	500m-aperture Spherical Telescope	China	25° 39' 10.44" N	106° 51' 23.80" E	853	very low	6.7
flwo	Whipple Observatory	United States	31° 40' 51.57" N	110° 52' 42.04" W	2320	low	6.7
gbo	Green Bank Observatory	United States	38° 25' 59.52" N	79° 50' 22.92" W	806	moderate	6.6
gemn	Gemini North	United States	19° 49' 25.69" N	155° 28' 08.57" W	4213	very low	6.8
gems	Gemini South	Chile	30° 14' 26.67" S	70° 44' 12.06" W	2750	very low	6.7
griffith	Griffith Observatory	United States	34° 07' 08.11" N	118° 18' 01.51" W	346	extreme	3.7
haleakala	Haleakala Observatories	United States	20° 42' 29.32" N	156° 15' 24.22" W	3048	low	6.7
halley	Halley's Mount	Saint Helena	15° 57' 44.82" S	05° 41' 58.06" W	659	very low	6.8
hanford	LIGO (Hanford)	United States	46° 27' 18.52" N	119° 24' 27.56" W	162	bad	6.3
iao	Indian Astronomical Observatory	India	32° 46' 45.98" N	78° 57' 51.00" E	4486	negligible	6.8
icao	INAF Catania Astrophysical Observatory	Italy	37° 41' 35.18" N	14° 58' 28.00" E	1733	bad	5.8
igo	IUCAA Girawali Observatory	India	19° 04' 22.55" N	73° 50' 41.09" E	981	bad	6.3
ilmt	International Liquid Mirror Telescope	India	29° 21' 39.39" N	79° 41' 03.69" E	2398	moderate	6.6
ino	Iranian National Observatory	Iran	33° 40' 26.25" N	51° 19' 06.58" E	3572	moderate	6.6
iram	IRAM 30m telescope	Spain	37° 03' 59.04" N	03° 23' 32.64" W	2843	bad	6.3
irtf	NASA Infrared Telescope Facility	United States	19° 49' 34.39" N	155° 28' 19.20" W	4168	very low	6.8
ishigaki	Ishigaki Astronomical Observatory	Japan	24° 22' 23.92" N	124° 08' 21.18" E	182	moderate	6.5
jcmt	James Clerk Maxwell Telescope	United States	19° 49' 22.15" N	155° 28' 37.06" W	4072	very low	6.8
jena	Jena Observatory	Germany	50° 55' 30.96" N	11° 34' 58.51" E	155	bad	5.8
jodrell	Jodrell Bank Observatory	United Kingdom	53° 14' 12.48" N	02° 18' 30.60" W	89	bad	5.8
keck	W. M. Keck Observatory	United States	19° 49' 34.67" N	155° 28' 27.95" W	4160	very low	6.8
kiso	Kiso Observatory	Japan	35° 47' 50.00" N	137° 37' 31.50" E	1122	moderate	6.6
kpno	Kitt Peak National Observatory	United States	31° 57' 48.00" N	111° 35' 60.00" W	2120	low	6.7
lapalma	Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma	Spain	28° 45' 38.31" N	17° 52' 54.41" W	2327	low	6.7
lasilla	La Silla Observatory (ESO)	Chile	29° 15' 32.40" S	70° 44' 01.68" W	2347	very low	6.8
lbt	Large Binocular Telescope	United States	32° 42' 05.76" N	109° 53' 19.32" W	2902	low	6.7
lco	Las Campanas Observatory	Chile	29° 00' 51.12" S	70° 41' 33.00" W	2282	very low	6.8
lhk	Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl	Germany	49° 23' 53.32" N	08° 43' 29.58" E	561	very bad	5.5
lick	Lick Observatory	United States	37° 20' 36.00" N	121° 38' 12.00" W	1290	bad	6.1
livingston	LIGO (Livingston)	United States	30° 33' 46.42" N	90° 46' 27.27" W	18	bad	5.8
lmt	Large Millimeter Telescope	Mexico	18° 59' 10.32" N	97° 18' 53.28" W	4563	moderate	6.5
loiano	Loiano Observatory	Italy	44° 15' 32.95" N	11° 20' 03.98" E	753	bad	6.1
lowell	Lowell Observatory	United States	35° 05' 48.00" N	111° 32' 06.00" W	2198	low	6.7
mcdonald	McDonald Observatory	United States	30° 40' 18.00" N	104° 01' 18.00" W	2075	very low	6.7
mdm	Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Observatory	United States	31° 57' 11.87" N	111° 36' 53.65" W	1938	low	6.7
medicina	Medicina Radio Telescope	Italy	44° 31' 13.80" N	11° 38' 48.84" E	25	bad	5.8
metsahovi	Metsähovi Radio Observatory	Finland	60° 13' 04.13" N	24° 23' 35.27" E	51	bad	6.1
midi	Observatoire du Pic du Midi	France	42° 56' 11.93" N	00° 08' 29.29" E	2829	moderate	6.6
miro	Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory	India	24° 39' 11.15" N	72° 46' 47.43" E	1680	moderate	6.6
mmt	Multiple Mirror Telescope	United States	31° 41' 18.00" N	110° 53' 06.00" W	2608	low	6.7
molonglo	Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope	Australia	35° 22' 14.78" S	149° 25' 41.50" E	736	moderate	6.6
mrao	Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory	Australia	26° 41' 49.30" S	116° 37' 51.82" E	374	negligible	6.8
mro	Manastash Ridge Observatory	United States	46° 57' 03.95" N	120° 43' 28.33" W	1198	moderate	6.6
mso	Mt. Stromlo Observatory	Australia	35° 19' 08.87" S	149° 00' 31.89" E	767	bad	5.8
mtbigelow	Catalina Observatory: 61 inch telescope	United States	32° 25' 00.00" N	110° 43' 54.00" W	2510	bad	6.3
mullard	Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory	United Kingdom	52° 10' 02.36" N	00° 01' 57.88" E	21	bad	5.8
mwo	Mount Wilson Observatory	United States	34° 13' 33.24" N	118° 03' 25.20" W	1742	very bad	5.1
ngts	Next-Generation Transit Survey	Chile	24° 36' 57.85" S	70° 23' 25.97" W	2440	negligible	6.8
nhao	Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory	Japan	35° 01' 31.14" N	134° 20' 07.53" E	432	moderate	6.5
nobeyama	Nobeyama 45m Telescope	Japan	35° 56' 40.27" N	138° 28' 20.71" E	1347	moderate	6.5
noto	Noto Radio Telescope	Italy	36° 52' 33.06" N	14° 59' 20.04" E	30	bad	5.8
nov	National Observatory of Venezuela	Venezuela	08° 47' 14.60" N	70° 52' 12.54" W	3610	moderate	6.6
oaj	Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre	Spain	40° 02' 31.24" N	01° 00' 58.27" W	1954	moderate	6.6
oanc	Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de Colombia	Colombia	04° 38' 22.90" N	74° 04' 59.99" W	2555	extreme	3.7
oao	Okayama Astrophysical Observatory	Japan	34° 34' 37.69" N	133° 35' 37.85" E	371	bad	6.1
oavda	Val d'Aosta Observatory	Italy	45° 47' 23.18" N	07° 28' 42.19" E	1673	bad	6.3
oca	Observatoire de de la Côte d’Azur	France	43° 43' 38.17" N	07° 17' 56.80" E	349	extreme	4.6
ohp	Observatoire de Haute Provence	France	43° 55' 51.00" N	05° 42' 48.00" E	650	moderate	6.5
olin	Olin Science Center	United States	41° 22' 44.65" N	72° 06' 16.57" W	65	very bad	5.1
oliver	Oliver Observing Station	United States	36° 18' 21.34" N	121° 34' 00.33" W	1518	low	6.7
onsala	Onsala Space Observatory	Sweden	57° 23' 35.00" N	11° 55' 03.79" E	18	bad	6.3
palomar	Palomar Observatory	United States	33° 21' 21.60" N	116° 51' 46.80" W	1706	bad	6.3
paranal	Paranal Observatory (ESO)	Chile	24° 37' 39.00" S	70° 24' 16.20" W	2635	negligible	6.8
parkes	Parkes 64m Telescope	Australia	32° 59' 52.01" S	148° 15' 46.51" E	378	very low	6.7
pdb	Plateau de Bure Interferometer	France	44° 38' 03.12" N	05° 54' 28.80" E	2551	moderate	6.5
pddo	Observatório Pico dos Dias	Brazil	22° 32' 05.39" S	45° 34' 58.90" W	1847	moderate	6.5
peyton	Peyton Observatory	United States	40° 20' 47.75" N	74° 39' 06.12" W	45	very bad	5.1
pulkovo	Pulkovo Observatory	Russia	59° 46' 18.48" N	30° 19' 34.25" E	81	extreme	4.2
roanjase	Los Nogales de Roan Jase	Chile	33° 43' 00.92" S	70° 19' 50.66" W	1070	bad	6.1
roe	Royal Observatory, Edinburgh	United Kingdom	55° 55' 23.66" N	03° 11' 16.35" W	128	very bad	5.1
rog	Royal Observatory Greenwich	United Kingdom	51° 28' 40.12" N	00° 00' 05.31" W	46	extreme	4.2
rozhen	Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory	Bulgaria	41° 41' 35.26" N	24° 44' 19.81" E	1732	moderate	6.6
salt	Southern African Large Telescope	South Africa	32° 22' 32.96" S	20° 48' 38.91" E	1798	negligible	6.8
sao	Seoul National University Astronomical Observatory		37° 27' 25.68" N	126° 57' 15.80" E	159	extreme	4.2
saoras	Special Astrophysical Observatory	Russia	43° 38' 48.60" N	41° 26' 25.60" E	2064	low	6.7
sirene	Observatoire Sirene	France	44° 00' 00.00" N	05° 29' 13.00" E	1100	moderate	6.5
ska	Square Kilometre Array	South Africa	30° 43' 17.61" S	21° 24' 38.60" E	1054	very low	6.8
skinakas	Skinakas Observatory	Greece	35° 12' 42.43" N	24° 53' 56.70" E	1732	moderate	6.6
sma	Submillimeter Array	United States	19° 49' 28.12" N	155° 28' 43.03" W	4073	very low	6.8
soo	Sharjah Optical Observatory	United Arab Emirates	25° 16' 57.20" N	55° 27' 43.20" E	17	extreme	3.7
southam	Gordon Southam Observatory	Canada	49° 16' 31.55" N	123° 08' 36.98" W	10	extreme	4.2
spm	Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, San Pedro Martir	Mexico	31° 02' 39.60" N	115° 27' 49.50" W	2830	very low	6.8
spt	South Pole Telescope	-	90° 00' 00.00" S	180° 00' 00.00" E	2800	negligible	6.8
srt	Sardinia Radio Telescope	Italy	39° 29' 34.94" N	09° 14' 42.58" E	650	bad	6.3
subaru	Subaru Telescope	United States	19° 49' 32.00" N	155° 28' 34.00" W	4139	very low	6.8
teide	Teide Observatory	Spain	28° 18' 03.96" N	16° 30' 38.52" W	2390	bad	6.3
tno	Thai National Observatory	Thailand	18° 34' 25.79" N	98° 28' 56.26" E	2449	moderate	6.6
tona	Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, Tonantzintla	Mexico	19° 01' 53.61" N	98° 18' 56.34" W	2174	extreme	4.6
uclo	University College London Observatory	United Kingdom	51° 36' 48.06" N	00° 14' 32.12" W	77	extreme	4.6
ucmjo	University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory	New Zealand	43° 59' 07.19" S	170° 27' 53.70" E	1028	very low	6.7
ufrj	Observatório do Valongo	Brazil	22° 53' 54.82" S	43° 11' 11.97" W	23	extreme	4.2
usuda	Usuda Deep Space Center	Japan	36° 07' 56.51" N	138° 21' 46.37" E	1458	moderate	6.6
vbo	Vainu Bappu Observatory	India	12° 34' 29.56" N	78° 49' 13.24" E	725	moderate	6.6
venus	Pointe Vénus	French Polynesia	17° 29' 39.44" S	149° 29' 39.67" W	0	moderate	6.5
vidojevica	Astronomical Station Vidojevica	Serbia	43° 08' 28.30" N	21° 33' 20.80" E	1145	moderate	6.5
vienna	Vienna Observatory	Austria	48° 13' 55.00" N	16° 20' 03.00" E	229	extreme	4.6
vista	VISTA	Chile	24° 36' 57.08" S	70° 23' 51.23" W	2503	negligible	6.8
vla	Very Large Array	United States	34° 04' 43.50" N	107° 37' 05.82" W	2124	very low	6.8
wendelstein	Wendelstein Observatory	Germany	47° 42' 13.53" N	12° 00' 44.09" E	1784	moderate	6.5
wise	Wise Observatory	Israel	30° 35' 50.26" N	34° 45' 43.94" E	863	bad	6.3
wright	Wright's Tower	United Kingdom	54° 40' 26.94" N	01° 37' 44.48" W	198	bad	5.8