Alte Sternwarte
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Alte Sternwarte in Münster, Germany, is a former university observatory in the city's Gievenbeck district, now repurposed after decades of astronomical use.
About Alte Sternwarte
Built in 1968 at Horstmarer Landweg 248 for astronomy education, the observatory operated into the early 1980s before local light pollution — caused by a student residence hall built nearby between 1972 and 1974 — compromised its observing conditions.
History
By the early 1990s the building had been converted into an international guest house for the university's visiting scholars, ending its life as an active observing site.
Location & getting there
The building stands in the Gievenbeck district of Münster, Germany, within the university's campus area.
Visiting Alte Sternwarte
The building no longer functions as a public observatory; it now serves as a university guest house, so there is no public observing programme to book.
See your named star from here
Even without an active observatory on site, you can still use your named star's coordinates anywhere near Münster: after you name a star, any telescope can be pointed at its exact position. Explore the star catalogue to see more named stars.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
