Hel Magnetic Observatory

Hel Magnetic Observatory sits on the Hel Peninsula in Poland, where it has tracked Earth's geomagnetic field for astronomers and geophysicists since 1932.

About Hel Magnetic Observatory

Hel Magnetic Observatory is operated by the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Rather than a telescope-based astronomical observatory, it is a geophysical station dedicated to continuously monitoring changes in Earth's magnetic field, including those driven by the solar wind.

History

The observatory began magnetic observations in 1932. Operations were interrupted between 1939 and 1954, largely as a result of the Second World War, before continuous monitoring resumed in 1954 and has continued ever since.

Telescopes & research

Since 1998, Hel Magnetic Observatory has been part of INTERMAGNET, the international network of geomagnetic observatories, transmitting daily data to collection centres in Edinburgh and Paris. The station sits on about 4.5 hectares of mixed pine and birch forest within the Seaside Landscape Park (Nadmorski Park Krajobrazowy).

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on the Hel Peninsula in Poland, in the Europe region, within the Seaside Landscape Park - a narrow, forested strip of coastline on the Baltic Sea.

Visiting Hel Magnetic Observatory

As a scientific monitoring station rather than a public visitor centre, the observatory is not generally set up for tours. Check with the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences for any current visiting information.

See your named star from here

Hel Magnetic Observatory's instruments are tuned to Earth's magnetic field rather than the night sky, but its remote spot on the Baltic coast sits under reasonably dark skies. Wherever you view them from, the coordinates on a Star Register certificate stay the same - name a star or browse the star catalogue to find one already named.