Sohland/Spree observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
In Sohland an der Spree, in Saxony's Bautzen district, a community-built observatory carries the name of Bruno H. Bürgel, an astronomer known for popularising the science among ordinary working people.
About Sohland/Spree Observatory
The Sohland/Spree Observatory sits at 335 metres elevation and is run today by the volunteer association Volks- u. Schulsternwarte "Bruno-H.-Bürgel" Sohland e.V. It began, fittingly, as a grassroots effort.
History
Construction started in 1953, when local residents Friedrich Uhmann, Edmund Grundert and Heinz Klötzke built a Newton reflecting telescope by hand. The observatory's dome building, with an original 3.15-metre diameter dome, was completed a decade later and formally inaugurated on 13 October 1963.
Telescopes & research
Today the observatory's instruments include Newton telescopes, refractors, binoculars, a computer-controlled Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and an Alluna Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, a considerable expansion from its hand-built beginnings.
Location & getting there
The observatory is located in Sohland an der Spree in Saxony, Germany, at 335 metres above sea level.
Visiting Sohland/Spree Observatory
The observatory can be reached by phone for enquiries, and current visiting details are posted on its official website; check there before planning a visit.
See your named star from here
A telescope like the observatory's Ritchey-Chrétien can be pointed at any set of sky coordinates, including those of a named star. If you've named a star with us, its position is ready to find, or browse the star catalogue to see what's already been named.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.
