Neumünster observatory
The vhs observatory is an institution of the Neumünster Adult Education Center and has existed since 1971.
The vhs observatory is looked after by the Astronomie AG of the vhs, whose members call themselves "Sternkieker". In their free time, they take care of the maintenance of the instruments, the expansion of the observatory and organize guided tours and lectures for school classes and visitor groups. The former main telescope of the Lübeck observatory with a 19 inch mirror diameter and f / 4 has been located under the dome since 2011 . For field observations, the astronomers use a Dobsonian reflecting telescope with a diameter of 16 inches and f / 5.
For training purposes, the members and course participants of the adult education center have small equipment that can also be borrowed. Astrophotography has been a focus in Neumünster since it was founded . In 2012, a youth observatory was also set up for children between the ages of 10 and 14.
In April 2019 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) renamed the previous minor planet 2008 RV26 to 342000 Neumünster. The IAU honors the city that has promoted astronomy since 1969 by operating an observatory.
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Coordinates: 54 ° 5 ′ 55.6 ″ N , 9 ° 56 ′ 48.4 ″ E