Mount Makmel, Lebanon’s highest peak at 3,093 meters, will host the country’s first astronomical observatory, equipped with a telescope gifted by Japan’s Kochi Prefecture to Notre Dame University–Louaize (NDU). The new site will complement NDU’s existing main observatory in Zouk Mosbeh, the largest of its kind in the Middle East.
The university signed a cooperation agreement with the Bsharri Municipality to develop the observatory, aiming to enhance astronomical research, educational opportunities, and public engagement. Efforts are also underway to declare Mount Makmel a Dark Sky Reserve to preserve its night sky from light pollution.
