François-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory

François-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory (Observatoire François-Xavier Bagnoud) is an astronomical observatory located above the village of Saint-Luc in Valais, Switzerland, close to the top of the funicular, at a height of 2,200 m (7, 200 ft). It is a non-profit organisation funded by Association François-Xavier Bagnoud and named after a Swiss rescue pilot. Opened in 1995, the observatory was established to promote astronomy education and public engagement. Its facilities are accessible to schools, amateur astronomers, and visitors, supporting both hands-on learning and public demonstrations in daytime and nighttime conditions. Unlike most mountain observatories equipped with professional instruments, it is not reserved solely for scientists but is open to the public. The observatory has 60 cm (24 in) and 15 cm (5.9 in) telescopes, as well as a heliostat, a weather station, a planetarium, and a planet trail between the observatory and the funicular. In 2007, it contributed to the detection of Gliese 436 b, a Neptune-sized exoplanet composed largely of hot ice.

Observatory data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).