Astronomical Observatory Dietrich Schiel

The Astronomical Observatory Dietrich Schiel is a public astronomy outreach facility on the USP Campus 1 in São Carlos, São Paulo state, Brazil.

About the Observatory

Implemented on 4 April 1986 and formally inaugurated six days later, on 10 April 1986, to coincide with the passage of Halley's Comet, the observatory is linked to the University of São Paulo's Center for Scientific and Cultural Dissemination (CDCC). It is a small-scale professional facility built specifically for public astronomy dissemination rather than pure research, and it also runs a Virtual Immersion Theater planetarium, open Saturdays and Sundays from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.

History

The timing of the observatory's 1986 opening, deliberately aligned with that year's return of Halley's Comet, tied its founding to one of the most widely watched astronomical events of the late 20th century.

Telescopes & research

Its main instrument is a Grubb 204/3000 refractor, an Irish-made telescope built before 1925, mounted on a German equatorial mount inside its own dedicated dome - a historic instrument still used for public viewing today.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits at USP Campus 1, Avenida Trabalhador são-carlense 400, in São Carlos, São Paulo state, Brazil, within easy reach as part of the university campus.

Visiting the Dietrich Schiel Observatory

School groups are received on weekdays, while spontaneous visitors are welcome on weekends, alongside planetarium shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Check the CDCC's website for current session times before visiting.

See your named star from here

With a historic refractor telescope dedicated to public astronomy education, the Dietrich Schiel Observatory is a natural place to seek out the coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Browse the star catalogue to see how naming and coordinates work together.