Volkssternwarte Urania Jena
Image: Wikimedia Commons
In the heart of Jena, Germany, Volkssternwarte Urania Jena traces its roots to 1909, when the astronomy-focused cooperative Urania e.G.m.b.H. first brought public stargazing to the city.
About Volkssternwarte Urania Jena
The observatory takes its name from Urania, the muse of astronomy, and today offers public sky observations, lectures and courses for both children and adults from its site on Schillergäßchen in central Jena.
History
Urania e.G.m.b.H. was founded in 1909 as a cooperative, with the Carl Zeiss company providing its first observatory, a wooded site about three kilometres outside Jena. The cooperative dissolved in 1924 and reorganised as the registered association Volkssternwarte Urania Jena e.V. Observations resumed in September 1936, and the observatory was restored in 1947 with support from VEB Carl Zeiss Jena, keeping public astronomy alive in the city through a turbulent century.
Location & getting there
Volkssternwarte Urania Jena sits on Schillergäßchen in Jena's city centre, Germany, at an elevation of about 345 metres.
Visiting Volkssternwarte Urania Jena
The observatory holds public sky observations along with lectures and courses for children and adults. As with any volunteer-supported programme, check the current schedule online before visiting.
See your named star from here
With more than a century of public stargazing behind it, Urania Jena's team can point a telescope at precise sky coordinates, including those of a star named through star-register.eu. Name a star as a gift, or browse the catalogue of named stars.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
