Volkssternwarte Würzburg

Volkssternwarte Würzburg, based at the Johannes-Kepler-Schule in Würzburg's Keesburg district, Germany, has offered public access to the night sky since the mid-1960s, first as a university facility and later as an independent association.

About Volkssternwarte Würzburg

Today the observatory is run by an independent association, offering lectures, tours and sky observations to the public from its site at the Johannes-Kepler-Schule.

History

The University Association planned the observatory in 1960, and construction of its tower and dome finished in 1965; it was formally handed to the university's rector on 5 May 1966 and initially operated by the University of Würzburg. The current association was founded on 10 June 1985 and took over full operation in 2000, when the university withdrew. In 2011 the association created a Planetenweg, a planetary walk, in the city's Frauenland district.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's telescopes were updated in 2016 with a Meade 16-inch ACF reflector and a 160/1600mm apochromatic refractor, both fitted with GoTo computerised control for precise pointing.

Location & getting there

Volkssternwarte Würzburg is located at the Johannes-Kepler-Schule in the Keesburg district of Würzburg, Germany, at an elevation of about 268 metres.

Visiting Volkssternwarte Würzburg

The association holds public lectures, tours and sky observations. Check the current schedule on the observatory's website before travelling.

See your named star from here

With GoTo-equipped telescopes able to slew straight to precise coordinates, Würzburg's team can point at exactly where a star named through star-register.eu sits in the sky. Name a star as a gift, or browse the catalogue of named stars.