Stuttgart Observatory (german: Sternwarte Stuttgart;
025
5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...
) is an
astronomical observatory owned and operated by the association
Schwäbische Sternwarte e.V. It is located on the
Uhlandshöhe in
Stuttgart,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. 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 theor ...
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, 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 of newer design, a special
H-alpha telescope and a 16-inch
Newtonian telescope 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 '' ...
s. The results are sent to a Japanese institute. For observations made by the Stuttgart Observatory concerning occultations, the
observatory code given by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
...
is 025.
See also
*
List of astronomical observatories
References
External links
Stuttgart Observatory
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories in Germany
Buildings and structures in Stuttgart
Tourist attractions in Stuttgart