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All Germany Munich Volkssternwarte München

Volkssternwarte München

A delightful but little-known public observatory and planetarium in Munich.

Munich, Germany

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Inside the observatory.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The 7-inch telescope.   H. Raab/cc by-sa 4.0
The planetarium.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The 7-inch telescope.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior of the observatory.   Maximilian Dörrbecker/cc by-sa 2.5
Entrance to the observatory.   Maximilian Dörrbecker/cc by-sa 2.5
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About

You won't simply stumble on this observatory while walking around Munich; you have to know where to look. Once you find it though, you're in for a treat. Although Munich is home to a large astronomy collection at the Deutsche Museum and the Supernova Planetarium at Garching, the Volkssternwarte is a unique place, and should not be passed up by space fans in the city.

The Volkssternwarte München (Bavarian Public Observatory Munich) includes a unique 1950s planetarium, four large telescopes, an exhibition with a sizable meteor collection, and an array of astronomical photos, including some incredibly details shots taken of the International Space Station. 

The planetarium is a special treat, and some might say the main attraction. This is because it's a ZKP1 Zeiss planetarium from the 1950s. That means no projectors, beamers, or movies—this thing is fully analog and controlled manually. The result is a much sharper projection of the sky, coupled with a lively show given by the operator. It shows both night and day, the planets, the Milky Way, meteorites, and more, and can change the location of the night sky. It's a must-see for anyone who enjoys the night sky.

On the roof, you'll find four permanently set-up telescopes and a series of smaller ones in tripods. The oldest one is a 7-inch refractor from 1971 and the largest is a 32-inch reflector from 2005. All the telescopes have different purposes and are set up for specific targets and observations, allowing visitors to see very different sights when moving between them.

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Observatories Space Astronomy Planetariums Science Telescopes

Know Before You Go

Planetarium shows start daily at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the summer. On Mondays they are given in English and the other days they are in German. It is possible to email for a custom show, but do so in advance. Entrance is €6 for adults and €4 for discount groups. Tours are offered daily. The tour lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the weather.

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November 6, 2018

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Volkssternwarte München
145H Rosenheimer Str.
Munich
Germany
48.121922, 11.606863
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