Sternwarte Kassel

In the heart of Kassel, Germany, a small rooftop observatory continues an astronomical tradition stretching back over four centuries. Run today by the city's Astronomical Working Circle, Sternwarte Kassel sits atop the Student Research Center and opens its dome to the public on Friday evenings.

About Sternwarte Kassel

Sternwarte Kassel is a public observatory in the city centre of Kassel, operated by the Astronomical Working Circle Kassel (Astronomische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kassel), an amateur astronomy association founded in 1972. The observatory sits on the rooftop of the Student Research Center, putting a working telescope within walking distance of the city rather than out in the countryside.

History

Kassel's astronomical story goes back much further than the current building: around 1560, Landgrave Wilhelm IV established one of the first purpose-built observatories in Central Europe here, a facility later destroyed in 1811. The modern Astronomical Working Circle Kassel picked up that thread in 1972, originally observing from a site about 20 kilometres outside the city in Calden before relocating in May 2012 to its present rooftop home on the Student Research Center.

Telescopes & research

The group observes with a Celestron C14 telescope paired with a full-frame CCD camera, a filter wheel and a spectrograph - equipment capable of visual observing as well as more detailed astrophotography and spectroscopy carried out by its members.

Location & getting there

Kassel lies in north-central Germany, in the state of Hesse, and the observatory is built directly into the city rather than on a remote hilltop, making it one of the more accessible sites on this list. Use the map and directions button on this page to plan your route.

Visiting Sternwarte Kassel

The Astronomical Working Circle Kassel opens the observatory to the public on Friday evenings at dusk, with sessions starting around 20:00 in winter; exact times shift with sunset through the year, so check the current schedule before you go.

See your named star from here

Because every star named through Star Register comes with exact right ascension and declination coordinates, the volunteers at an observatory like Sternwarte Kassel can point their Celestron C14 at your star on a clear Friday night. Browse the star catalogue or start a new naming through our packages before your visit.