Public Observatory Mercury

On the edge of the De Dordtse Biesbosch nature area, Public Observatory Mercury gives visitors in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, a chance to look through a telescope that has been pointed at the sky for over a century.

About Public Observatory Mercury

The observatory's centrepiece is a 1922 Carl Zeiss telescope housed in a dome, used for both daytime solar observation and nighttime views of planets, stars and galaxies. Volunteers have run public programmes here since at least 1998.

Telescopes & research

Alongside the historic Zeiss telescope, the site includes a small museum with exhibits on astronomy, meteorology and space exploration, and it regularly hosts presentations for schools and groups covering the solar system and other astronomical themes.

Location & getting there

Public Observatory Mercury sits at the edge of the De Dordtse Biesbosch nature reserve near Dordrecht in the Netherlands, a setting that keeps the immediate surroundings relatively dark for a site so close to a city.

Visiting Public Observatory Mercury

Knowledgeable volunteers lead English-language tours, and the observatory holds regular evening observations whenever skies are clear. Group and school visits can be arranged separately from the public evenings.

See your named star from here

A century-old telescope and a team used to guiding visitors through the night sky make Public Observatory Mercury a fitting place to seek out a star named through Star Register. Name a star or check its coordinates in the catalogue.