The Observatori Astronòmic organises visits to its observation station in Aras de los Olmos. This station is located in the Alto Turia region, one of the scarce reserves of dark sky still remaining in the Valencian Community. A visit to the Aras de los Olmos Observatory is a unique experience to contemplate and enjoy the dark sky, one of nature’s elements that is increasingly difficult to find. Here, you can discover the grandeur of the Milky Way, the brilliance of thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, the arrangement of constellations, and their connections to history and culture.
We offer sessions from June to September, and the registration fee is €15 for adults and €5 for those under 12 years old. Sessions start before sunset, so the general schedule will be as follows:
- June: 09:00 p.m.
- July: 09:00 p.m.
- August: 08:30 p.m.
- September: 08:00 p.m.
The visit begins with a brief presentation of the activities of the Observatori Astronòmic de la Universitat de València and a tour of the telescope facilities. At sunset, a guided tour of the night sky takes place, during which constellations are described, and how to identify them, techniques for night time orientation using the stars explained, and mythological figures and classic legends associated with groups of constellations and their movements in the sky are discussed. Afterward, the observation session starts with one of the telescopes, which includes visible planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.
Each session lasts approximately two and a half hours. Due to limited capacity, a maximum of 25 people is admitted per session, and a minimum of 15 is required to proceed. Throughout the morning of the day on which the session is scheduled, we will confirm if it can take place, considering the weather conditions. If not, we will arrange a new appointment on another Friday. If you have been fortunate enough to book a session with us, you will find the instructions to reach the OAO in this PDF file.
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