OASO Observatorio Astronómico de Sopalmo
What we do ...
Our program starts on March 1, 2026.
We are a privately run science communication center. Our aim is to make knowledge accessible and engaging, dispelling the common perception of "learning" as a dusty, joyless chore. We are committed to objective, fact-based, and unbiased science communication.
Here's what we offer:
Sky observation
Planet trail
Physics park
Demonstrations
Lectures
Educational events, seminars, courses
Hikes
And among the highlights:
The "Smallest Desert in the World"
The Center of the Universe
Also:
Telescope time
Purchase advice
Custom orders
Who we are ...
We are Tom and Tina, two passionate friends of science. Tina is a kindergarten teacher by profession and primarily handles the organizational aspects of OASO's work. Tom is the "scholar" of the group. He's an engineer, a practicing physicist, a passionate astronomer, an author, and a journalist. He essentially holds the chair at OASO. If you visit us, you'll quickly recognize him: he's the one who talks the most.
Our program starts on March 1, 2026.
We are a privately run science communication center. Our aim is to make knowledge accessible and engaging, dispelling the common perception of "learning" as a dusty, joyless chore. We are committed to objective, fact-based, and unbiased science communication.
Here's what we offer:
Sky observation
Planet trail
Physics park
Demonstrations
Lectures
Educational events, seminars, courses
Hikes
And among the highlights:
The "Smallest Desert in the World"
The Center of the Universe
Also:
Telescope time
Purchase advice
Custom orders
Who we are ...
We are Tom and Tina, two passionate friends of science. Tina is a kindergarten teacher by profession and primarily handles the organizational aspects of OASO's work. Tom is the "scholar" of the group. He's an engineer, a practicing physicist, a passionate astronomer, an author, and a journalist. He essentially holds the chair at OASO. If you visit us, you'll quickly recognize him: he's the one who talks the most.
What we offer ...
Sky Observation
Weather permitting, we regularly offer stargazing sessions. These are scheduled three days a week, each in a different language: Tuesday (German), Thursday (English), and Saturday (Spanish). While the actual stargazing isn't tied to a specific language, it's worth to consider when combined with the planetary trail (or, if the sky is clouding over, a lecture).
Planet Trail
Our planetary trail offers a unique feature: from each planetary model, you can see the model of the sun. This is incredibly helpful for gaining an understanding of the scale of the solar system. The trail is approximately 2.5 km long and is guided, lasting about one and a half hours.
Physics Park
In our physics park, we have set up several desks, each demonstrating a different physics experiment. Currently, there are eight desks, and this number will be continuously expanded. The experiments are demonstrated to clarify the key concepts. Afterwards, visitors can also try the experiments themselves. Domonstrations
Special celestial events occur regularly. These include, for example, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, meteor showers, comets, and planetary alignments. We will regularly provide information to help observe and understand such events together. We see this as our responsibility as a publicly communicating observatory.
Lectures
Once a month, we offer an evening lecture. This is also available in three languages: in German in the afternoon, in English in the evening, and later in the evening in Spanish. We select interesting topics from astronomy, physics, and other scientific fields, which we present in a way that is accessible and easy to understand. Afterwards, we welcome a discussion on the topic.
Educational events, seminars, courses
Our program can also be booked as an educational activity for school trips. In addition, we are working on an interesting range of courses and seminars. These primarily include events on telescope use, general photography, and astrophotography. Detailed information and dates will be available in our program.
Hikes
The Sierra de Sopalmo is a small mountain range that stretches behind the OASO property. The area is ideal for short hikes, which we offer, naturally combined with educational insights. Besides full moon hikes in the evening, we also offer daytime forest and butterfly walks. Depending on the season, we may also offer mushroom walks.
The "Smallest Desert in the World"
While you're visiting us, feel free to take a look at a curious little patch of earth on our property. It's a barren, dry piece of wasteland inhabited by arid herbs and lizards. A small, wondrous ecosystem that we call the world's smallest desert. Who knows, maybe it really is?
The Centre of the Universe
Not far from the world's smallest desert lies the center of the universe. You've probably wanted to be there at least once, right? Here you can take some selfies to round off your visit and show the world that you've been to the center of our vast, ancient universe. A unique opportunity you won't want to miss.
Teleskope time
Spain offers fantastic opportunities for stargazing. Unfortunately, not near the coast, as these areas are heavily affected by light pollution due to their focus on mass tourism. We, on the other hand, are located about 1 to 1.5 hours inland by car, where the sky is significantly darker. If you are an amateur astronomer but don't have your equipment with you and still want to experience the starry sky, you can book telescope time with us.
Our three domes and five individual observation stations, equipped with tripods and mounts (pictured here as the "Space Daltons"), are available for your use. We have several telescopes available for you to mount. Alternatively, you can use your own telescopes, provided they have a standard GP dovetail rail. We have car parking spaces in front of the gate, and you can also park your self-sufficient camper van with us. Extensive information about our instruments can be found in this table:
Also available are: 2x Lacerta MGEN-2 Autoguider, 2x EOS M50, 2x EOS M100, 1x EOS RP astro-modified, ZWO ASI 120 MM, ASI 178 MC, VeLox 178 MM, ASI 183 MC Pro, ASI 1600 MM, ASI 071 MC Pro, as well as numerous eyepieces, Barlow lenses, zenith mirrors, etc.
Purchase advice
Have you caught the telescope bug? Has the magic touched you, and now you want your own? That's fantastic! But you've probably already noticed how many different options there are. Good, user-friendly instruments aren't exactly easy to find, so it would be ideal if your hard-earned money paid off the first time. Don't worry, that's what we're here for. With us, you can try out various telescopes, and we'll explain in detail what's important when making your personal choice. Because every telescope has its own unique sky.
Custom orders
There are many ready-made models available off the shelf, and yes, you can often find the necessary equipment in regular stores. Sometimes, however, you're looking for a specialized instrument with very specific capabilities. Or, as we've also encountered, someone with a disability who wants to get into astronomy. In such cases, it's possible to assemble an instrument that makes it easier to use for their specific needs. Whatever the case, we're happy to help.
