Štefánik's Observatory

Štefánik's Observatory from the South

The main instrument of Štefánik's Observatory, double refractor made by Zeiss in 1908

Statue of Milan Rastislav Štefánik in front of sundial

Štefánik's Observatory (Czech: Štefánikova hvězdárna) is an observatory on Petřín hill in the center of Prague founded 1928 and named after Slovak astronomer Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Nowadays the observatory specializes above all in popularization of astronomy and related natural sciences.

Technology

The main telescopes of the observatory are a double refractor by Zeiss after the Viennese selenographer König placed in the main dome (bought in 1928) and a Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope installed in the western dome in 1976. The eastern dome of the observatory is only being used for scientific observations and since 1999 equipped with a 40 cm mirror telescope by Meade.

External links

• Observatory and Planetarium of Prague Official Site

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Coordinates: 50°04′52.3″N 14°23′53.6″E / 50.081194°N 14.398222°E / 50.081194; 14.398222