Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is a facility of the Armenian Academy of Sciences, founded in 1946 through the efforts of Viktor Ambartsumian. Located at an altitude of 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) on Mount Aragatz, 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the north of Yerevan (in sight of Mount Ararat), its main instrument is a 2.6-meter (100-inch) reflector.