Sphinx observatory
The Sphinx Observatory is a research station located on the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland . It is named after the Sphinx , on the top of which it stands ( 3571 m above sea level ).
History and function
With the concession to build the Jungfrau Railway in 1894, the founder, Adolf Guyer-Zeller , promised to build a research station on the Jungfraujoch. On July 4, 1931, the research station for meteorology , glaciology , radiation research , astronomy , physiology and medicine was moved to the Felsenheim for 13 researchers. The plans for these buildings came from the architecture office of the Pfister brothers . In 1937 the Sphinx Observatory with its 76 cm telescope was added. In 1950 the dome for astronomical observations was added to the observatory, which has since been repeatedly adapted to the most modern requirements of science. The weather station on the extreme ridge on the main meteorological divide of the Alps is not only one of the most modern equipped stations in the world, but also the highest permanently manned station in Europe. It has been connected to the ANETZ automatic measuring network of the Swiss Meteorological Institute since 1980 and sends the measured values of around 25 weather elements to the headquarters in Zurich every ten minutes . Despite the automation, two observers are still on duty today. These supplement the automatically measured values regularly from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every three hours with additional eye observations of clouds and weather characteristics. The station is open to researchers from all over the world.
The building, which is accessible with a 111.4 meter long elevator, is not only used by meteorologists, radiation researchers and astronomers for their research purposes. Since the viewing platform offers a view of the neighboring countries France, Germany and Italy as well as the Aletsch Glacier when the weather is nice , it attracts hundreds of visitors every day. Between 1993 and 1996 the observatory was built to equip it with the fastest lift system in Switzerland, the glazed viewing hall and the terraces running around the building. The research and weather station itself cannot be visited by visitors.
literature
- Heinz Schindler / Peter Wenger / Jungfraubahnen (Eds.): Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. Its buildings and facilities . Schlaefli & Maurer AG, Interlaken o. J.
Web links
Coordinates: 46 ° 32 ′ 51 " N , 7 ° 59 ′ 6" E ; CH1903: six hundred and forty-one thousand nine hundred and four / 155280