Peterberg Observatory
| Peterberg Observatory | |
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| Opened: | September 6, 1997 |
| Coordinates: | 49 ° 34 ' N , 7 ° 0' E |
| Height: | 575.6 meters |
| Visitors: | 28,712 (1997 to 2015) |
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Association of Amateur Astronomers of the Saarland e. V. |
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| Founded: | 1977 |
| Members: | 158 (2015) |
| Address: | P.O. Box 100090 66652 Merzig |
The Peterberg observatory is a club and public observatory on the Peterberg in northern Saarland . It is located in the municipality of Nohfelden near the border with Nonnweiler in the St. Wendel district . It is operated by its owner, the Association of Amateur Astronomers of the Saarland e. V., and its active members. The observatory serves as a meeting point for the members of the association and as a technically well-equipped observation point, far away from disturbing light. In addition, the voluntary members offer public specialist lectures, children's lectures, group appointments and other special events for interested laypeople.
Construction of the observatory
As early as 1977 when the association was founded, a very special goal was anchored in the statutes, the construction of an observatory. After many years of saving and exploring astronomically suitable building sites, the choice fell on the summit of the Peterberg near Eiweiler (district of Nohfelden), Braunshausen and Primstal (both Nonnweiler). This means that the location is far away from larger cities and is only affected by low light pollution .
The groundbreaking took place on May 5, 1993. Four years later, in the summer of 1997, the observatory was ready for occupancy and was officially opened on September 6, 1997. Due to lack of space, an extension was quickly considered. On April 29, 2003, work began on the extension to the south-east, which since its completion in 2005 has housed a club room and a second dome.
building
The building was constructed in two phases: the original ring-shaped construction and the south-eastern extension.
The original building consists of a central, two-story tower with two circular segment-shaped parts of the building attached to the north and south. In the northern segment there is a lecture room with modern multimedia technology, in the southern segment an exhibition and cash desk room. A rotating dome with a diameter of 5.5 meters is mounted on the central tower .
The south-eastern extension houses a club room with storage space and a second dome with a diameter of 3 meters.
Optical instruments
The Peterberger Half-Meter Telescope (PHT), a Planewave CDK20 reflecting telescope corrected according to Dall-Kirkham, has been installed in the northern dome since April 17, 2010 . With a primary mirror diameter of 508 mm (20 inches) and a focal length of 3454 mm, the aperture ratio is 6.8. An Astrophysics Starfire refractor with 152 mm aperture (6 inches) and 1300 mm focal length (f8.5) serves u. a. as a guide scope for long exposures. A button K100 mount (weight 250 kg, maximum load 150 kg) in combination with an FS2 control ensures precise tracking of the instruments.
In the southern dome, observations can be made with several lens telescopes, sometimes alternately. The main device is a Lichtenknecker refractor (127 mm = 5 inch aperture, 900 mm focal length, f7). A Coronado Solarmax solar telescope with a 60 mm opening can be attached as required. These devices are mounted on a Gemini 40.
Astronomical projects
The Peterberg observatory and its equipment are available to all members of the VAS e. V. available for astronomical projects. In addition to visual astronomy , the v. a. the astrophotography of deep-sky objects and objects of the solar system ( moon , planets etc.). Individual members practice astrometry and spectroscopy .
In this context, two special events in recent years are worth mentioning:
- The northern totality limit ran approx. 1.5 km north of the location of the observatory, so that a totality of 41 seconds could be observed. The sky was almost completely cloudy that day. Since the members of the association spread out over a large area to observe the solar eclipse, photographs could still be taken in spite of the unfavorable weather conditions.
- Venus transit on June 8, 2004
- After extensive preparation and a few test runs, the team from the Peterberg observatory was able to document the transit of Venus in bright sunshine with three cameras. Since every recording was given a radio-controlled time stamp, an evaluation accurate to the second was possible. The results were contributed to the ESO project "VT2004".
public events
On the first Saturday of the month there is a public lecture or a children's lecture. This is followed by a guided tour of the observatory and - in the dark and a cloudless sky - a joint astronomical observation. Groups can visit the Peterberg observatory by special arrangement.
Furthermore, special events (e.g. observatory festival or a special astronomical event) are organized. Since 2003, the Peterberg observatory has also participated in the nationwide Astronomy Day .
