Byurakan astrophysic observatory

Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is a working research institution on the southern slope of Mount Aragats, on the edge of Byurakan village at 1,490 meters elevation, and it's home to some of the largest optical telescopes in Europe. It belongs to and is operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences.

Its main instrument, the ZTA telescope, carries a sitall (glass-ceramic) mirror and ranks among Europe's largest reflectors. The observatory's Schmidt camera is the second-largest of its kind in Europe; when it went into service, it was the third-largest in the world.

In 2015 the observatory was given status as a regional astronomical center, and its building complex is registered as an architectural monument. It's counted among the significant astronomical institutions of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The observatory is in Aragatsotn region, on the edge of Byurakan village, about 27 km northwest of Yerevan in a straight line.