Maidbronn observatory

Maidbronn observatory was a private balcony observatory in Bavaria, Germany, run by amateur astronomer Bernhard Häusler under the designation B82. In its short life it notched up a genuine discovery: the asteroid (410928) Maidbronn.

About Maidbronn observatory

Registered as B82, Maidbronn was a private balcony observatory equipped with a Meade LX200 12-inch telescope and an SBIG ST-10XME CCD camera, run by amateur astronomer Bernhard Häusler in Bavaria.

History

On 28 September 2009, observations from Maidbronn led to the discovery of the asteroid (410928) Maidbronn. The site later had a rougher moment when its telescope was blown over during a thunderstorm - famously landing upside down before being found still balanced on its tripod. The equipment was eventually retired, and Häusler moved his observing setup to the K87 Dettelbach Vineyard Observatory.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's instruments - a 12-inch Meade LX200 telescope paired with an SBIG ST-10XME CCD camera - were used for asteroid discovery and follow-up work, most notably resulting in the naming of (410928) Maidbronn.

Location & getting there

Maidbronn observatory was located in Bavaria, in southern Germany, run as a private amateur setup rather than a public-facing facility.

Visiting Maidbronn observatory

As a private balcony observatory, Maidbronn was never a public visitor site, and its equipment has since moved to a successor observatory in Dettelbach. There's no public visiting programme to check for this location.

See your named star from here

Maidbronn's story is a reminder that even a modest amateur setup can make a lasting mark on the sky - an asteroid named after it. In the same spirit, naming a star with Star Register gives it fixed coordinates that any suitably equipped telescope can find; browse the catalogue to see how it's recorded.