Westfälische Volkssternwarte

Westfälische Volkssternwarte is a public observatory and planetarium at Stadtgarten 6 in Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, sitting at 110 metres above sea level.

About Westfälische Volkssternwarte

Westfälische Volkssternwarte (Westphalian People's Observatory) is a public observatory in Recklinghausen operated by the City of Recklinghausen. Its work spans astronomical education, archaeoastronomy and horizon astronomy, alongside serving the region's amateur astronomers.

History

Plans for the observatory took shape roughly a decade before it opened, though the project was interrupted by the Second World War. A precursor structure, the Urania Temple, was built in 1950 by Vinzenz Dahlkamp, and construction of the main building began in 1949 and finished in 1953, with an official opening on 13 October 1953. A planetarium was added in 1966 under Joachim Herrmann. The observatory faced possible closure in 1996 when Herrmann retired and funding grew tight, but it was saved by the support association Freunde der Volkssternwarte Recklinghausen, which continues to back it today.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits at Stadtgarten 6 in Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, at an elevation of 110 metres, within the city's Stadtgarten park.

Visiting Westfälische Volkssternwarte

The observatory can be reached by phone at +49 2361 23134, and its official website carries current programme and opening details. Its observation dome has been undergoing renovation work, so it's worth checking ahead for what's open before you visit.

See your named star from here

A public observatory with a planetarium and decades of amateur astronomy tradition is a fitting place to track down a named star. Bring the right ascension and declination from your Star Register certificate, or browse other named stars in our catalogue first.