N.P. Wieth-Knudsen Observatory is next to Tisvilde Hegn, two hours away from
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the Øresund strait. The Øres ...
, at Margot Nyholms vej 19, 3220
Tisvildeleje
Tisvildeleje is a village and the coastal part of the town Tisvilde, located on the north coast of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark, 60 km/40miles north of Copenhagen in Region Hovedstaden.
To the west, Tisvildeleje is bordered ...
, on the outskirts of a small residential area in
Tisvilde
Tisvilde is a small town with a population of 1,385 (1 January 2024) lunar occultations, during which the moon passes in front of stars, the data from which is then used in the accurate determination of the lunar position. This became important during the 1969 Apollo Moon landings.
In 1999, Wieth-Knudsen's widow, Inger Wieth-Knudsen (1914–2004), presented the building as a gift to the Danish Astronomical Society. The observatory holds a 16-inch computer-controlled telescope. On the observatory grounds there are two
radio telescopes
A radio telescope is a specialized antenna (radio), antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the r ...
and a series of platforms for smaller telescopes, including a
solar telescope
A solar telescope or a solar observatory is a special-purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum. Obsolete names for Sun telescopes include helio ...
. The public is welcome to free star-gazing events held on the second and the last Saturdays of every month. Members of the Danish Astronomical Society use the observatory for their own observations on other nights.
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 ...