Riesa observatory
The observatory Riesa is one of the city Riesa (Saxony) and the star friends Riesa operated observatory . It is located in a former school building in the Riesa district of Weida.
history
The Riesa observatory was built in 1969/1970 as a school observatory on top of the building that had already been built. The original set of instruments at the Riesa observatory was a 6-inch mirror telescope from Carl Zeiss Jena on a ZEISS 1B mount in the observatory dome and several Zeiss telementors . In 1989/90 the observatory was saved from deterioration by committed citizens. In 1996, the observatory received a modern 30 cm Schmidt-Cassegrain mirror telescope, which was initially financed privately and later became municipal.
Since then, the observatory has been mainly operated by volunteer amateur astronomers in the region and some of it has also been used as a guest observatory .
With the founding of the "Sternwarte Riesa eV" association, the observatory was able to open a new, active chapter and become even more actively involved in cultural work in the city.
School classes , groups of children, families and tourists in particular use the wide range of offers at the observatory and are happy to book guided tours , lectures and observations. So-called "astronomy weeks" have been organized regularly since 2006, during which the observatory is open 24 hours a day. In addition to the guided tours and observations, workshops and lectures will also take place.
The observatory has had regular opening times since 2009 and can therefore be visited at any time.
The main work interests of the Riesa observatory are above all astrophotography , planets, the moon, solar activity , deep sky objects (galaxies, gas nebulae, star clusters), atmospheric and weather phenomena, comets , solar and lunar eclipses. The satellites and space stations in the evening and night sky are also documented. If you are not observing yourself, the observatory is primarily dedicated to public relations in the cultural, tourist and, above all, school areas. But internal projects and workshops are also carried out.
The Riesa observatory is a member of the " Vereinigung der Sternfreunde " VdS. This has been organizing the Germany-wide Astronomy Day since 2003, in which the Riesa observatory has been involved as an organizer from the start. Other regular projects include: B. the shooting star nights in spring, summer and winter, lecture evenings, the week of the sun, children's parties on June 1st, observation evenings with the Strehla youth hostel in the Strehla school observatory, travel reports of solar eclipses and space events and also regular "open days".
In 2006 the observatory founded the "STT - Saxon Telescope Meeting ", which is also becoming increasingly popular under the name "Summer Night Telescope Meeting". Every year in June the organizers call on the Saxon and all interested clubs, observatories and private individuals to come to this meeting. Exchange, conviviality, news and joint activities have characterized this meeting since then. More and more participants follow the call and enjoy the unique flaire in the heart of Saxony in a summery atmosphere. In addition to observations, club and technology presentations, lectures and workshops will also take place at this meeting. All participants are also called upon to actively contribute to these cultural events. The aim is that the scene can get to know each other better and at all at the meeting. Exchange and development are thus decisively promoted.
Since the summer of 2009, the Riesa observatory has also been involved in the organization of the “Riesa Children's University”. The project founded in 2006 at the “Management Akademie Riesa” threatened to be dissolved and disappear forever. The “Sternwarte Riesa eV” designed a new concept for this and started the first lectures a short time later. Different topics are presented in an interesting and child-friendly way and the participants are certified with a small diploma. Even prominent lecturers, such as B. the German astronaut Ernst Messerschmid were guests at the Riesa Children's University.
The education of children and young people is very important to the operators of the Riesa observatory and you can feel that in the offers for young and old alike. Visitors to the observatory are approached with great attention to detail and the content and take them on a journey to the endless expanses of the stars.
society
The “Riesa Observatory eV” association is located at the Riesa observatory and operates the observatory with the help of voluntary members. The association was officially founded on October 28, 2007 with 18 members. But the work of the association began long before it was founded and registered in the mid-1990s.
The "Sternwarte Riesa eV" has been a recognized non-profit organization in the city of Riesa since it was founded.
By 2009 the association had over 60 members of all ages and heterogeneous. Anyone can become a member, because there is both the possibility of joining as a supporting member and as an active member. So everyone can support the work for astronomy according to their possibilities: financially, ideally and personally.
Before the association was founded, committed citizens took care of this facility out of pure private budget and helped to stop the decline. Since the beginning of the 1990s, regular public events have been organized by a school group “Astronomy and Space Travel” and the observatory directors. When the high school left the building in 2007, a new legal platform was needed: an association.
The unregistered association "Star Friends Riesa" has existed in parallel since then. This is an association of citizens of the region who use their private observation technology to plan and carry out events and astronomical observations outside the association. This enables the association unimagined mobility and flexibility in all offers.
Web links
- Website of the Riesa observatory
- Website of the Star Friends Riesa
- Website of the Riesa Children's University
Coordinates: 51 ° 17 '59 " N , 13 ° 15' 26.7" E