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The François-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory is located over the village of Saint-Luc in the Alpes, near “Sierre”, at 2200 meters of altitude. The Observatory is directed by a non-profit organization. Its existence is primairily thanks to the generosity of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Foundation. To access the Observatory, take the motorway exit “Sierre-Est”. At the round-a-bout, take the exit “Val d’Anniviers”. You will have to drive for twenty minutes before arriving at Vissoie where you need to turn left, following the direction “Saint-Luc”. Approximately ten minutes later, once you have arrive at Saint-Luc, follow the signs “funiculaire” (with a picture of a funicular). You will have to take the funicular up to “Tignousa”. Once arrived at Tignousa, the Observatory can be seen at a distance…and soon, the stars too! You can also locate the Observatory with this map on map.google. The coordinates of the Observatory are 46.228318, 7.612633.
In a location with the reputation of tranquility within its atmophere, the Observatory is ideal for the amateur astronomer, eager to work with professional material, as well as the general and schools. With many astronomical instruments (60 cm telescope with CCD camera, 15 cm scope, heliostat), it can be used during during the night, and during the day. The main building had an auditorium with about thirty seats with audio-visual equipment at hand. Other installations are included in the Observatory, such as a small library, an internet-linked work station, a workshop, a photo lab, a kitchen, and a bedroom with six beds.
Programme and news
At night, we open the Observatory to the public on certain days according to the programme of astronomical evenings, and sometimes, during the days, sun observations, according to the programme of sun observations. We also organize 3D activities when the sky is covered.
This is the December programme. Please remember that you need to make a reservation for the astronomical evenings by phoning 0041 27 475 14 12.
| Astronomy evenings at 21:00 | 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 |
| Sun observations at 11:15 | 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 |
We also open the Observatory to groups which book ahead of time and to students working on various astronomy projects. In fact, Martin Praz, college student, came to the OFXB to take photos for his project: Photo of a galaxy. His first photo of Andromeda is not too bad if we consider that the moon was full. Two other photos were taken in parallel to the L152 telescope, and at its focal spot.
