Stefanik’s Observatory

Stefanik’s Observatory

Stefanik’s Observatory is an observatory on Petřín hill, in the center of Prague, founded in 1928 and named after Slovak astronomer Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Stefanik’s Observatory

Nowadays the observatory specializes above all in popularization of astronomy and related natural sciences.

The Stefanik´s observatory has three domes and one observation lodge. The domes are named according to their approximate position in the building (Western, Main and Eastern).

In the Western Dome, the Maksutov – Cassegrain mirror telescope has been in place since 1976. The diameter of the main mirror is 370 mm. Its magnification power for observation varies from approx. 80 to 330 times. The total weight of the telescope is 2.5 tons.

The Main Dome hosts a double Zeiss astrograph, named after the Viennese selenographer Koenig. It was built in the years 1905 – 07 for this baron, who used it mainly for Moon mapping and sky photography. After Koenig’s death in 1929 it was bought and placed here. The total weight of the telescope is 5.5 tons and the pillar of this instrument is 15 meters high, of which 7.5 meters are sunk in the ground.

Stefanik´s observatory

more information> http://www.observatory.cz/english.html

Contact

Adress: Štefánikova hvězdárna, Petřín 205, 118 46 Prague 1, Czech Republic
Phone number: +420 257 320 540
E-mail: informace@observatory.cz