The Morges Observatory: an evening under the stars for families

Head in the stars, in Morges

In Morges, at the Marcelin school site, the observatory run by the ASTRAC association opens its dome to the public one evening a month. Guided by enthusiasts, you observe the Moon, the planets, star clusters or galaxies through the telescope, depending on the season and the weather. The sessions are free and need no booking. A lovely chance to introduce children to astronomy, in the magical darkness of the dome.

What your children will discover

Children put their eye to the telescope and discover the craters of the Moon, the rings of Saturn or a star cluster: wonder every time. The volunteers answer questions and tell the story of the sky. It's an outing that sparks scientific curiosity and a taste for looking up at night.

What you do and the atmosphere on site

You turn up on the evening of the public session (the first Tuesday of the month), climb up to the dome and take turns observing through the telescope. The atmosphere is friendly and passionate. In bad weather the evening still goes ahead: the volunteers run indoor activities.

Before you go

• Recommended age: as a family from age 6-7 (able to look through the telescope)
• When: the first Tuesday of the month (from 7.30pm in winter, 8.30pm in summer, 9pm in June-July-August)
• Price: free
• What to bring: warm clothes (you observe in the dome, often with windows open)
• Getting there: avenue de Marcelin 33, 1110 Morges (Marcelin school site)
• Best season: all year round, under a clear sky

Parents' tips

• Dress the children warmly: you observe in the cool.
• Under a cloudy sky the evening still takes place, with indoor activities; a weather link on astrac.ch helps you decide before setting off.
• The school door is closed in the evening: a posted number lets you have it opened.
• Ideal from age 6-7, the age when children can aim through the eyepiece.
• A free and original outing, after dark.

Useful information

• Location: ASTRAC observatory, avenue de Marcelin 33, 1110 Morges (Marcelin school site)
• Official website: astrac.ch
• When: public session on the first Tuesday of the month (time depending on the season)
• Price: free, no booking
• Getting there: parking in front of the cirque Coquino; the school door is closed in the evening, a posted number lets you have it opened

Why we recommend it

Because it's a rare and free outing: observing the Moon and the planets through a telescope, in a real dome, one evening a month in Morges. Enough to amaze the children and awaken their curiosity about the sky.

In a nutshell

The ASTRAC observatory in Morges opens its dome to the public on the first Tuesday of the month, free of charge, for an evening of stargazing through the telescope, as a family.