Sternwarte Davidschlag
Image: Wikimedia Commons
About 30 kilometres north of Linz, in the small municipality of Kirchschlag bei Linz, Austria, Sternwarte Davidschlag has quietly built a serious record in asteroid and comet research.
About Sternwarte Davidschlag
Sternwarte Davidschlag is an amateur-founded observatory focused on asteroid and comet research, carrying the official IAU/Minor Planet Center observatory code 540. Despite sitting only 30 kilometres from Linz, its local topography keeps light pollution unusually low for the area.
History
The observatory was established in 1978 by amateur astronomers Erich Meyer and Erwin Obermair, both members of the Johannes Kepler Observatory in Linz. In 1993, precise position measurements made at Davidschlag contributed significantly to predicting the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter. Since 1996, Erich Meyer has discovered 21 asteroids at the site, with eight more found jointly by Meyer, Obermair and Herbert Raab.
Telescopes & research
The observatory's work centres on precise astrometric measurements used to track and characterise asteroids and comets, work recognised internationally through its Minor Planet Center observatory code.
Location & getting there
Sternwarte Davidschlag sits at around 820 metres elevation in Kirchschlag bei Linz, roughly 30 kilometres north of Linz, Austria.
Visiting Sternwarte Davidschlag
As a research-focused amateur observatory, visiting arrangements are not standardised for the general public; anyone interested should check with the affiliated astronomy groups in the Linz area before planning a trip.
See your named star from here
Davidschlag's asteroid hunters work entirely from precise coordinates — the same kind that come with a star named through Star Register. Look up your star's position in the star catalogue and see where it sits above the hills north of Linz.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
