Mühlenturm

The Mühlenturm is a 15th-century tower in Rees, Germany, on the Lower Rhine, that doubles as a rare "horizontal observatory" tracking the sun's path across the sky.

About Mühlenturm

Mühlenturm is a round tower in Rees, Germany, built in 1470 with a base of basalt stone reused from Burg Aspel. Historically it served several purposes: a lye mill for producing tanning agents, a defensive fortification equipped with cannons, and an ice pressure bulwark protecting the town from the Rhine's winter ice floes. At the top of the tower is what is described as a horizontal observatory, a feature that marks the sun's path at an angle corresponding to the tower's latitude of roughly 51.758°N, rather than a telescope-based facility for viewing stars.

History

Built in 1470, the Mühlenturm predates almost all telescope-based astronomy, since the telescope itself was not invented until the early 17th century. Its "observatory" element is instead tied to solar tracking and orientation, a much older tradition of marking the sun's movement using a fixed structure.

Location & getting there

The tower stands in Rees, in Germany's Lower Rhine region, part of Europe. Its riverside setting has made it a landmark for the town for over five centuries.

Visiting Mühlenturm

Visitors can climb the Mühlenturm free of charge, and the top offers views over the surrounding Rhine landscape.

See your named star from here

Mühlenturm's own "observatory" tracks the sun rather than the stars, but the Rhine views from its top make Rees a pleasant place to look up at night too. Any star named through Star Register comes with precise right ascension and declination, so it can be located from Rees or anywhere else with a suitable telescope. Browse the catalogue to find a star, or choose a naming package to get started.