Karl Schwarzschild Observatory

In the forested hills near Jena, Thuringia, the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory has carried out astronomical research from the village of Tautenburg since 1960, named in honour of one of the twentieth century's most influential physicists.

About Karl Schwarzschild Observatory

Officially the Thuringia State Observatory Tautenburg (Thüringer Landessternwarte, TLS), the observatory is owned and operated under public law by the State of Thuringia. It takes its popular name from Karl Schwarzschild (1873–1916), the astronomer and physicist whose work on general relativity produced the first exact solution to Einstein's field equations.

History

The observatory was founded in 1960 as an affiliated institute of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin, then part of East Germany. In 1992, following German reunification, it was re-established as the Thuringian State Observatory (TLS), the identity it holds today.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in Tautenburg, near Jena in Thuringia, Germany, at an elevation of 341 metres. Its wooded, elevated setting away from major city lights has long made it a favourable site for astronomical work in central Germany.

Visiting Karl Schwarzschild Observatory

Opening hours and public tour arrangements can change, so check the observatory's official website before planning a trip to Tautenburg.

See your named star from here

Karl Schwarzschild's own work was about describing the universe in precise mathematical terms - not unlike the exact coordinates behind a Star Register star name. Name a star and find its position in our star catalogue, then look for it in the skies above Thuringia or wherever you happen to be.