Herschel Public Observatory, Hanover

The Hanover Public Observatory is operated by the non-profit association Volkssternwarte Geschwister Herschel Hannover e.V. and is located on Lindener Berg, which rises 89 meters above sea level. The observatory’s location on the rooftop terrace of the water tower, built in 1878, offers an excellent view of the sky. In 1947, amateur astronomers led by Rudolf Hase founded an astronomical study group, which later became the public observatory. In 1968, the observatory was established on Lindener Berg, one of the highest points in the city.

Since 1986, the observatory has been named "Geschwister Herschel" in honor of the astronomers Wilhelm and Karoline Herschel, who were born in Hanover. It regularly offers public stargazing events and astronomy lectures, attracting more than 1,000 visitors each year. The observatory’s main instruments are housed in two domes and include a 20-cm FH refractor, a 28-cm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and an apochromatic Zeiss refractor. These instruments are equipped with computer-controlled mounts and are also used for astrophotography. A 9-cm refractor with an H-alpha filter and a white-light filter are available for solar observation.

In addition, when visitor numbers are high, a Cassegrain-Maksutov reflector with an 18-cm aperture is used, and for internal club observations, a portable Dobsonian telescope with a 35-cm aperture is employed. The Hannover Public Observatory is a popular destination for astronomy enthusiasts and offers a unique opportunity to observe the night sky.

You can find information about opening hours and much more on the observatory's website.

© HMTG

Tourist highlights

Sights

Discover Hannover’s sights, rich in history and full of things to do.

read