Palomar Observatory

Welcome to the website of the Palomar Observatory.

The Palomar Observatory is located in north San Diego County, California.  It is a world-class center of astronomical research that is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology.  The observatory is home to five telescopes that are nightly used for a wide variety of astronomical research programs. The research is conducted by Caltech's faculty, post-doctoral fellows and students, and by researchers at Caltech's collaborating institutions.

The Palomar Observatory is open to the public daily (except December 24 and 25) for daytime visits. Click here for our visiting hours. The observatory will be closed if travel conditions are hazardous. Whenever possible our Public Information Recording phone number- (760) 742-2119-will be updated to reflect any closures. Please see our Driving to Palomar Observatory page for directions and information on any possible road closures.

Explore the links below and on the right and have a nice visit.

Public Information Recording: (760) 742-2119

For more information on the Palomar Observatory, contact:

W. Scott Kardel, Public Affairs Coordinator
Email: wsk@astro.caltech.edu
Mail: P.O. Box 200, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060-0200
Phone (760) 742-2111