Melle public observatory
There are two observatories in Melle that are open to the public. Due to the rural location in Lower Saxony's Wiehen Mountains and the associated low light pollution , the location offers very good observation conditions.
On the Oldendorfer Berg, the astronomical working group in the Natural Science Association Osnabrück (NVO) has been operating a public observatory since 1986 . The main instrument is a Cassegrain telescope with a mirror diameter of 60 cm and a focal length of 7.20 , which is housed in a dome with a diameter of 6.5 m. Until the EXPO telescope was built, it was the largest telescope in Lower Saxony. The geographic location in Bessel coordinates is 52 ° 15'14.7 "north latitude and 8 ° 19'27.7" east longitude (or 52 ° 15 ′ 9.7 ″ N , 8 ° 19 ′ 24.1 ″ E in WGS84 ), 219 m above sea level. NN .
In addition to the astronomical work of the association, public tours are offered on a regular basis. The observatory is also the destination of the Planet Trail, which begins in Gröneberger Park.