Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory () is a historic
astronomical observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed.
Th ...
located near the summit of the
Königstuhl hill in the city of
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It is operated by the ''Center for Astronomy (ZAH)'' at the
University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...
.
The predecessor of the current observatory was originally opened in 1774 in the nearby city of
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
but degradation of observational conditions there resulted in a relocation to the Königstuhl in 1898.
The Observatory facility have little value for current astronomical research of ZAH; research is done with the
Gama Ray H.E.S.S in Namibia and
ESO facilitys in Chile.
Andreas Quirrenbach is the observatory's director since 2005.
History
The instrumentation of the observatory originated from the
Mannheim Observatory, founded in 1774. In 1880, the observatory was provisionally moved to
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
because the astronomical/atmospherical
seeing conditions worsened. In subsequent years, three other locations were considered, with Heidelberg-
Königstuhl finally being chosen.
On 20 June 1898, the "Großherzogliche Bergsternwarte" was ceremonially inaugurated by
Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden. The astronomical institute comprised two complementary departments, the astrophysical, led by
Max Wolf
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-K� ...
, and the
astrometrical led by
Karl Wilhelm Valentiner. Valentiner was director of the Mannheim observatory and initiated the move to Karlsruhe. After Valentiner's retirement in 1909, both departments were placed under the administration of Max Wolf.
While the new observatory complex was still under construction
Max Wolf
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-K� ...
obtained a grant of $10,000 from the American philanthropist
Catherine Wolfe Bruce for the acquisition of a powerful new dual
refractor telescope
A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens (optics), lens as its objective (optics), objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptrics, dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope d ...
, the ''Bruce double
astrograph
An astrograph (or astrographic camera) is a telescope designed for the sole purpose of astrophotography. Astrographs are mostly used in wide-field astronomical surveys of the sky and for detection of objects such as asteroids, meteors, an ...
''. For many years this telescope was the observatory's main research instrument. He later obtained a grant to build the observatory's a
reflector telescope, the observatory's first.
The main field of activity of the observatory was the investigation of
nebula
A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...
e and the search for
asteroids
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
. Wolf, his staff and his successors discovered over 800 asteroids, including the first
trojan asteroid
In astronomy, a trojan is a small celestial body (mostly asteroids) that shares the orbit of a larger body, remaining in a stable orbit approximately 60° ahead of or behind the main body near one of its Lagrangian points and . Trojans can shar ...
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...
in 1906.
Between 1912 and 1957,
Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth discovered almost 400
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
s from the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory.
The observatory ceased to be run by the German federal government in 2005 when it was joined with the
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics and
Astronomical Calculation Institute to make up the
Center of Astronomy of the
University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...
.
See also
*
List of astronomical observatories
This is a partial 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 lon ...
References
External links
Official observatory website(German/English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Konigstuhl
Astronomical observatories in Germany
Heidelberg University
Astronomy institutes and departments
Buildings and structures in Heidelberg