Schwerin observatory

Schwerin Observatory is a combined observatory and planetarium in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, that has been introducing local visitors to the night sky since the early 1960s.

About Schwerin Observatory

Set up as a school observatory, the facility pairs an observing station with an in-house planetarium, giving both students and the general public a place to look through a telescope and sit under a projected night sky.

History

The observatory opened in 1962 as a school-affiliated facility, and it has kept that educational focus ever since, running public sessions for decades.

Telescopes & research

The planetarium dome stands about seven metres high and seats roughly 50 visitors, used for shows about the stars, planets, and the wider universe alongside the observatory's own telescope viewings.

Location & getting there

The observatory is at Weinbergstraße 17, 19061 Schwerin, in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region of northern Germany. It's easy to reach as part of a visit to Schwerin, a city best known for its lakeside castle.

Visiting Schwerin Observatory

Public programmes run on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, plus Friday evenings when the weather cooperates. For current session times or to check ahead, contact the observatory directly at [email protected].

See your named star from here

Schwerin's telescope and planetarium make it a natural place to track down a star you've named for someone: staff can dial in the right ascension and declination from your certificate and show you exactly where it sits in the sky. Explore the star catalogue to see the full list of stars available to name.