PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easy-to-use observation device which includes an autofocus mechanism for achieving automatic and highly accurate focusing on a corneal surface to thereby allow the conditions of the corneal surface including the lacrimal fluid layer to be observed without the need for using a mechanism to move the device.SOLUTION: The observation device includes an optical system for observing a corneal surface of an eye, comprising: an illumination unit for illuminating the eye； a focusing unit for focusing the optical system on a virtual image formed by illumination light of the illumination unit being reflected off the corneal surface, which serves as a convex mirror； and a control unit for controlling the focusing unit to move the focusing position of the optical system toward the optical system from a position at which the optical system is focused on the virtual image by a distance based on the curvature of cornea.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1【課題】オートフォーカス機構を搭載し、角膜表面に自動かつ高精度に合焦（フォーカシング）することが可能な構成とすることで、装置の移動機構の必要なく涙液油層の状態など角膜表面の観察を行える簡便な観察装置を提供する。【解決手段】眼の角膜表面を観察する光学系を備える観察装置であって、眼を照明する照明部と、照明部の照明光が角膜表面を凸面鏡として反射されることにより生じる虚像に光学系を合焦させる合焦部と、光学系が虚像に合焦した位置から、光学系の合焦位置を角膜の曲率に基づく距離だけ光学系側へ移動させるように合焦部を制御する制御部と、を備えることを特徴とする。【選択図】図１
