100 years Observatory Babelsberg
The Humboldthaus at night.
Credit: AIP/ R. ArltAt the beginning of August 1913 the Berlin Observatory – ancestor of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) – moved to Potsdam-Babelsberg. 100 years later the AIP celebrates this anniversary.
On Saturday, August 10th, the AIP invites everyone to join the summer celebration in front of the historic observatory building. From 1 to 5 pm guided tours through the observatory, children activities, live music and a barbeque will make it a great day.
Moving to Babelsberg
The relocation of the Berlin Observatory in 1913 became necessary as Berlin nights turned continuously brighter - making scientific observation almost impossible. To realize this project became one of the great achievements of Karl Hermann Struve, director of the observatory since 1904. A new site was found on a hill in the eastern part of the Royal Park in Babelsberg. The crown placed the ground at the observatory's disposal free of charge. Today it is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
The new observatory building in Babelsberg was the firt finished. The first new instruments were delivered in the spring of 1914. The 65cm refractor, which was the first big astronomical instrument manufactured by the famous Carl Zeiss Jena company, was mounted in 1915. As a result of the First World War, the completion of the 122cm mirror telescope was delayed until 1924.
For more information about the history of the AIP, please click here.
Images
The Humboldthaus at night.
Big screen size [1000 x 666, 100 KB]
Original size [3456 x 2304, 820 KB]
