Kuffner observatory
The Kuffner Observatory is a public observatory in Vienna - Ottakring . It was founded in 1884 as a well-equipped private observatory with an attached research institute .
It has been run by an association since 1982 and offers not only astronomical training and weekly star tours but also cultural programs. The heliometer stands out among the four main telescopes, and is still the largest instrument of its kind in the world today.
history
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The Kuffner observatory in the Ottakring district of Vienna , Johann Staud-Straße 10, was established between 1884 and 1886 as a private research institute according to plans by Franz Ritter von Neumann jun. built. Moriz von Kuffner , a brewer from the well-known Kuffner family from Lundenburg , financed the construction and operation of the observatory. The initiator and first director of the observatory was Norbert Herz. Thanks to Kuffner's investments in equipping the observatory, the Kuffner observatory became an internationally known astronomical institute within a quarter of a century and, after its expansion in 1889 and 1890, was considered one of the most important observatories of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy . The observatory still has the four main instruments that were purchased in 1896.
Well-known scientists such as Johannes Franz Hartmann , Carl Wilhelm Wirtz , Leo Anton Carl de Ball and, probably the most important astronomer, Karl Schwarzschild worked at the observatory . In Vienna, with the help of the observatory's refractor, he succeeded in significantly improving the description of photographic blackening by introducing the " Schwarzschild exponent " for the exposure time . This empirically determined exponent is of great importance in chemical astrophotography .
With the beginning of the First World War , the financial situation of the owners, the Kuffner family, deteriorated, so that in 1915 the observatory had to be closed. The inter-war period with the world economic crisis and the beginning of the Second World War ruined the resumption of operations several times.
Moriz Kuffner and his family - threatened because of their Jewish faith - hastily sold the brewery in 1938 and emigrated to Switzerland, where Moriz Kuffner died in 1939. The observatory was expropriated by the National Socialists and used for party political purposes.
After the turmoil of the world wars, the observatory was reopened as an institute for popular education in 1947. In 1950 the observatory was transferred back to the Kuffner family, who sold it to a building cooperative. In 1977 the building was placed under monument protection. Until 1987, the observatory belonged to the HEIM building cooperative. She then sold this to the City of Vienna, which she completely renovated from 1989 to 1995. In October 1995 the new management and educational company began under the direction of the Ottakring Adult Education Center .
The observatory today
In addition to the classic star tours, an extensive educational and cultural program is being worked on. The program essentially consists of three sub-areas: Museum and restoration, projects in astronomy, and teaching and adult education.
Instruments and museum
The observatory houses four important astronomical instruments from the 19th century. The instruments were manufactured by the companies “ Repsold and Sons” in Hamburg and “ Steinheil ” in Munich and were purchased between 1886 and 1893 for the observatory. Both companies were known worldwide for their quality and precision in the manufacture of astronomical telescopes and lenses .
The four main instruments are the great refractor , the meridian circle , the vertical circle and the heliometer . The heliometer is still the largest instrument of its kind in the world today and the meridian circle was the largest meridian-passage instrument of the monarchy in its time. In the zone company of the Astronomical Society, 8468 stars were measured on the meridian circle in the declination zone −6 ° to −10 ° and published in the observatory's publications. The large refractor is still the third largest lens telescope in Austria and was instrumental in helping the scientist Schwarzschild with his findings in astrophotography.
The instruments were restored in an extensive project in accordance with the latest findings of technical monument preservation and newly adapted for educational and museum operations. The telescopes can be viewed on special tours at the observatory.
Projects
The observatory is involved in various national and international projects. Some subject areas are:
- CCD astronomy at the historic refractor of the observatory. A project to illustrate the modern methods of observational astronomy.
- Operation of the INES database (astronomy in the UV range) as "National Host" in cooperation with the European Space Agency ESA in Villa Franca in Spain ,
- Scientific history of the observatory - processing the history of the observatory and its astronomically important research around 1900. Establishment of a museum on the history of the observatory and its founder Moriz von Kuffner,
- Restoration of the astronomical instruments in the observatory - in cooperation with specialist restorers and the Federal Monuments Office in Vienna.
In addition, the observatory looks after the Austria section of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), an international organization that is dedicated to the fight against light pollution and designates light protection areas. This is how the starlight oasis Großmugl is supported.
Teaching and training
One of the most important tasks of the Kuffner Observatory is teaching natural science in the fields of astronomy , astrophysics and space sciences . There are numerous star and special tours to the large refractor and the other telescopes. The lectures convey both the basics and the latest results of modern astronomy. The lecture is followed by a short tour of the historical observatory and, if the weather is fine, an observation of the current celestial objects with the large telescope from 1886.
Special demonstrations and projects are carried out for schools, in which the students can actively help shape the program. The Kuffner observatory also organizes seminars, lectures, courses and lectures for the interested public. In addition, advanced training seminars for teachers of secondary schools as well as seminars and workshops for students are held at the observatory.
The Kuffner Observatory Association
The Kuffner Observatory Association was founded in 1982 to save the Kuffner Observatory from deterioration and to continue to operate it as a public observatory . This goal was achieved in over 100,000 hours of voluntary work. Up to 7,000 visitors in up to 400 guided tours and events per year convinced the responsible authorities of the municipality of Vienna to acquire and restore the historically unique observatory.
After achieving this goal, the Kuffner Observatory Association sees its main goal in deepening and disseminating astronomical knowledge for everyone. This is to be achieved through guided tours, lectures, courses, seminars and special events that are not limited to the Kuffner observatory, in cooperation with the Ottakring Adult Education Center, but also extend far beyond the borders of Vienna in cooperation with domestic and foreign astronomical organizations should extend beyond.
Individual evidence
Web links
- Kuffner Observatory, Kuffner Observatory Association: http://kuffner-sternwarte.at
- Kuffner Observatory, The Vienna Adult Education Centers: http://www.planetarium-wien.at
- The history of the Kuffner observatory
- Entry on Kuffner observatory in the Austria Forum (in the Heimatlexikon)
Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 45 ″ N , 16 ° 17 ′ 29 ″ E