Kuffner observatory

Kuffner Observatory stands on the slopes of the Gallitzinberg in Vienna's Ottakring district, one of two telescope-equipped public observatories in Austria's capital.

About Kuffner Observatory

The observatory was built between 1884 and 1886 and extended between 1890 and 1892, funded by brewery owner and patron Moriz Edler von Kuffner. Its first director was Norbert Herz. Originally a private research institution, the observatory was converted into an educational astronomy facility after World War II as encroaching buildings and city lights had begun to hamper scientific night-sky observation.

History

Kuffner's first observations date to 1886. The observatory closed between 1915 and 1947 before reopening after the war. The Vienna city council acquired the site in 1987 and refurbished it between 1989 and 1995; it now operates as the Volkssternwarte public observatory under the Ottakring Folk High School. Notably, astronomer Karl Schwarzschild conducted photometry research at Kuffner, contributing to star catalogues and stellar distance measurements.

Telescopes & research

The observatory preserves several historically significant instruments, including a noted heliometer, a large meridian circle, and a vertical circle, housed in a complex covering some 1,150 square metres.

Location & getting there

Kuffner Observatory is located at 302 metres elevation in the Ottakring district in the west of Vienna, Austria.

Visiting Kuffner Observatory

As a public education facility, Kuffner Observatory welcomes visitors for astronomy programmes. Check the official website for current opening hours and events.

See your named star from here

This is a place where the historic pursuit of measuring stars is still practised today. Name your own star with Star Register and find it in our star catalogue.