Stuttgart Observatory (german: Sternwarte Stuttgart;
025) is an
astronomical
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxi ...
observatory owned and operated by the association
Schwäbische Sternwarte e.V. It is located on the
Uhlandshöhe
The Uhlandshöhe is a hill in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The Uhlandshöhe in Stuttgart is a hill on the eastern edge of the city centre. The name of the hill was originally the ''Ameisenberg'' ("Ant Hill"), but in 1862 the name of a park was ...
in
Stuttgart,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Public tours have been held since 1920 and the observatory claims to be one of the oldest in Germany.
History
On the Initiative of the astronomer and author Robert Henseling, the astronomic association Schwäbische Sternwarte e.V. was founded in 1919. The purposes for the newfound association were, and still are, to spread and explain astronomical knowledge to a broad public and to provide support for th
Planetarium Stuttgart
To gather enough monetary funds for the construction of the Observatory at the site it still is today, even such famous guest speakers as
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
followed the invitation to give a speech about astronomy and donate the revenue to the Schwäbische Sternwarte e.V.. The construction of the observatory, designed by Wilhelm Jost, took place in 1921. Already in early January 1922 the association started operations at the new observatory. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, all activities at the observatory were suspended, only to be resumed in September 1947.
Instruments
The observatory is equipped with six telescopes, four of which are permanently mounted. The two others may be assembled if necessary.
Inside the bigger of the observatory's two astrodomes, the oldest of the six telescopes is attached to a
mount reaching down to the bottom of the tower. This device is a 7-inch
Zeiss telescope with 2.59-metre focal-length from 1911, one of the last still existent.
Another 7-inch
refractor
A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and a ...
of newer design, a special
H-alpha telescope and a 16-inch
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope, also called the Newtonian reflector or just a Newtonian, is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton, using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newto ...
are located in separate sheds on the terrace between the two astrodomes.
The latter telescope is frequently used by the members of the association for their scientific research – predominantly the observation of
star occultations by
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''mino ...
s. The results are sent to a Japanese institute. For observations made by the Stuttgart Observatory concerning occultations, the
observatory code
This is a list of observatory codes (IAU codes or MPC codes) published by the Minor Planet Center. For a detailed description, ''see observations of small Solar System bodies''.
List
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Observat ...
given by the
Minor Planet Center is 025.
See also
*
List of astronomical observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
References
External links
Stuttgart Observatory
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories in Germany
Buildings and structures in Stuttgart
Tourist attractions in Stuttgart