Wiesbaden Observatory

Wiesbaden Observatory occupies the rooftop of the Martin-Niemöller-Schule in Wiesbaden, Germany, where the volunteers of the Astronomische Gesellschaft Urania have been sharing the night sky with the public since the 1920s.

About Wiesbaden Observatory

The observatory is run by the Astronomische Gesellschaft Urania e.V. Wiesbaden, an amateur astronomy association, and sits at an elevation of 190 metres on Bierstadter Straße in the city.

History

Wiesbaden Observatory was founded in November 1925 by the astronomer Franz Kaiser, who discovered 21 asteroids during his career, together with a group of fellow amateur astronomers. The original observatory was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1954, before the society moved to its current rooftop location in 1974.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's instruments include an apochromatic refractor of 1600/206mm, a secondary 1800/120mm refractor, a portable 600/110mm refractor, a 1270/250mm Dobsonian reflector, large 2×125mm binoculars, and a 4800/300mm Maksutov reflector, along with solar filters and cameras for astrophotography and solar observation.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on the roof of the Martin-Niemöller-Schule at Bierstadter Straße 47 in Wiesbaden, western Germany, at an elevation of around 190 metres — an accessible, independently reachable public location within the city itself.

Visiting Wiesbaden Observatory

Wiesbaden Observatory is open to the public on Monday evenings and alternate Friday evenings from 20:00 to 22:00, with a dedicated solar observation session on the final Sunday of each month from 14:00 to 16:00. Admission costs between €1 and €3, and members of the society visit free.

See your named star from here

With regular public evenings and a range of telescopes from wide-field refractors to a 300mm Maksutov, Wiesbaden Observatory is a genuinely good place to try tracking down a star named through Star Register — bring the right ascension and declination from your certificate along on a visit. Browse the catalogue or visit our packages to name a star of your own.