Sternwarte Bülach

Near Bülach in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland, Sternwarte Bülach opens its roof terrace to the public every Friday evening, free of charge.

About Sternwarte Bülach

Sternwarte Bülach is a public astronomical observatory run by the Astronomische Gesellschaft Zürcher Unterland, offering guided tours, classes and astronomical meetings on a spacious roof terrace built around its centrepiece instrument.

Telescopes & research

At the heart of the observatory is a "twin telescope" with mirrors of 85 and 50 centimetres — a design unique in Switzerland. The 85-cm instrument is a pure Cassegrain with a 7.8-metre focal length, while the 50-cm telescope can be converted between Cassegrain (10–15 m focal length) and Newton (2.5 m) configurations.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits near the town of Bülach, in the Zürcher Unterland area of the canton of Zürich, an easy trip from Zürich itself.

Visiting Sternwarte Bülach

Sternwarte Bülach opens to the public on Friday evenings from 8:00 to 10:00 pm, with free admission. Check the observatory's website to confirm current opening times before you visit.

See your named star from here

With mirrors that size, Sternwarte Bülach's twin telescope can reach deep into the sky — including the exact coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Look up your star in the star catalogue and see where it falls above the Zürcher Unterland.