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Montseny Astronomical Observatory

Protecting Montseny Dark Sky

Natural heritage

Montseny Astronomical Observatory

Protecting Montseny Dark Sky

Natural heritage

Montseny Astronomical Observatory

Protecting Montseny Dark Sky

Natural heritage

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Wild animals

M31 Andromeda galaxy at 2.5 M light-years

Welcome to B06 Montseny Observatory homepage,

I’m an astrophysicist specialized in planetary sciences, and astrobiology working as CSIC research scientist at the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC) and the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC). I doctorate in Physics, speciality in astrophysics by the Universitat de València on 2002. From 2003 to 2005 I worked as a postdoc researcher at the Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences Department (UCLA). In my return to Catalonia, I started pioneer research on Meteoritica and focused in teaching astronomy, astrobiology and planetary sciences.

My passion by science outreach started much earlier, since I was a Physics student. I worked thirteen years at the Planetari de Castelló and four at Universitat Jaume I. I started as amateur astronomer first, being fourteen years old, becoming really passionated about observational astronomy during comet 1P/Halley return. For that reason, I enjoy popularizing astronomy among the public and boosting professional carriers.

Now I’m a master professor leading the ICE-CSIC research group on Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites. Over the last 15 years I’ve directed five Ph.D. theses, and about twenty master theses. I have also participated in several space missions like e.g. Stardust and DART NASA missions and Hera (ESA).

Feel free to contact me if you have motivated children wishing to visit our observatory, just because they are passionated about the Universe. I’m also glad to give e-mail advice to students whising to do an astronomy carrier, and enterprises contributing to protect the night sky.

Be also aware that, in order to popularize astronomy, I’ve written fifteen books and I also periodically publish posts in outreach platforms like e.g. Conversation.es or Divulcat.

I’m also promoting astronomical observations, and leading several outreach projects like e.g. the group AstroKeda to organize astronomy outreach events. Concerning astrophotography I can give advice to amateur astronomers about the use of photographic and CCD cameras, and state-of-the-art techniques to strength your observational capabilities.

From an observational perspective, I’m a well-recognized expert in solar system minor bodies, being in charge of planning follow-up observations from the Joan Oró telescope at Montsec Observ., the largest telescope in Catalonia, belonging to IEEC.

M45 Pleyades open cluster at 445 light-years

The Montseny Astronomical Observatory is located in the middle of the nature, closeby to the Montseny Natural Park. Our visit includes observing solar system and deep sky objects through the LX200 telescope, plus a teaching about aligning telescope mountings, and using digital cameras and several types of telescopes to get astrophotographies, and accurate astrometric and photometric measurements

IMAGE GALLERY

DEEP SKY OBJECTS

M33 Triangle galaxy using our 10 cm Schmidt Right camera on Sony A6000

M33 Triangle galaxy at 2.73 million light-years using the LX200 + ST8 CCD

M64 dark eye galaxy

M81, M82 and NGC 3077 galaxy field through the Schmidt-Right camera

M42 Orion nebula through the Schmidt Right camera on Sony A6000

M42 nebula view through the LX200 + ST8 CCD

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), 4 min. with LX200 and Sony A6000 on March 25th, 2025

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), 2 min. with LX200 and Sony A6000 on March 25th, 2025

Supernova SN2023ixf in galaxy M101, using LX200 on ST8 CCD. 15 min. exposure on May 22th, 2023. On the left image before by A.J. Robles and after with the SN inset

M27 Dumbell planetary nebula imaged through the LX200 on ST8 CCD camera

M100 galaxy through the Schmidt-Right camera

SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

First Quarter Moon

Saturn and Jupiter stacked images using the LX200 on ZWO ASI 120MC-S

Mars (close to the view seen through the telescope)

Comet 2023 A· Tsuchinshan-ATLAS through the Schmidt-Right camera

Comet 12P/ Pons-Brooks

Clavius & Tycho region on the Moon with the LX200 (one shot, lucky imaging)

16th May 2022 Lunar eclipse

Waxing Gibbous Moon main features through the Schmidt-Right camera

The Third Quarter Moon features through the LX200 on March 22, 2025.

First Quarter Moon through the LX200 on December 7th, 2024.

Earthshine Light in First Quarter Moon