Robert-Mayer-Volks- und Schulsternwarte Heilbronn

The Robert-Mayer-Volks- und Schulsternwarte is a public and school observatory in Heilbronn, Germany, perched on the roof of one wing of the Robert-Mayer-Gymnasium at 174 m elevation.

About the observatory

The association behind the observatory was founded in February 1987 under the chairmanship of Holger Sturm, and it has grown into one of the more visited public observatories in the region, drawing over 4,000 visitors a year, many of them children and young people.

History

Since its founding in 1987, the observatory has built a reputation for public outreach, running regular Friday evening tours that combine a short lecture with telescope observation whenever the sky is clear.

Telescopes & research

The site is well equipped with telescopes for public viewing, and it also holds a striking historical piece: a two-metre hollow globe mounted on rollers, its surface pierced by around 170 holes marking stars, with each hole's diameter corresponding to that star's brightness.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits at 10 Bismarckstraße in Heilbronn, Germany, at an elevation of 174 metres, on the roof of the Robert-Mayer-Gymnasium school building.

Visiting the observatory

Friday evenings are the main way to visit: doors open for a brief lecture followed by telescope observation when the weather cooperates. Current opening times are listed on the observatory's own site, sternwarte.org.

See your named star from here

With over 4,000 visitors passing through its Friday tours each year, this is exactly the kind of public observatory where a named star's coordinates can be pointed out on a real telescope. Explore the naming packages or the catalogue of named stars.