Archenhold Observatory

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the Archenhold Observatory. This is the oldest and largest public observatory in Germany, and home to the longest moveable refracting telescope on earth (21 metres). The Archenhold observatory is a place of distinction. In addition to the impressive 130-tonne historical telescope nicknamed the 'sky canon', the observatory also has a number of other observation devices. From astrographs for taking photos of the sky to the 500-millimetre reflecting telescope that allows you to view planets, binary stars and the moon. In the Solar Physics exhibition room you can observe the prismatic colours of sunlight and active solar zones with the help of the 'Jensch coelostat', which captures light from the sun.

Look at the stars and meet the planets

In the small Zeiss planetarium visitors can sit in comfortable chairs under an 8-metre dome onto which the complete northern or southern hemisphere skies are projected. The Archenhold observatory also offers a rich and varied programme for all ages: guided tours on various topics, lectures and telescope observation sessions. Younger children, for example, will enjoy learning about the phases of the moon in the "How the moon came to the tailor." The children's programme "Visit to the House of Stars", kids ages five years and up will learn about constellations, the rotation of the Earth and meteorites. In addition, there is a museum with temporary exhibitions relating to astronomy.