Observatory Bad Kreuznach (Kuhberg)
On the Kuhberg near Bad Kreuznach, the observatory offers stargazing, lectures and information days with powerful telescopes.
Looking into space from Bad Kreuznach
Bad Kreuznach's window to the universe opens on the Kuhberg. Here, the "Sternwarte Bad Kreuznach e.V." association has maintained a public observatory since 1986, opening up the fascination of outer space to interested people of all ages. The flyby of Halley's comet, which is due every 76 years, was the impetus for the founding of the association. The 40 members initially invested in building up professional equipment, their greatest pride being the solar telescope. Every Sunday throughout the year, the solar surface can be observed with different filters at varying wavelengths and the matter at the edge of the sun's surface (prominences) can also be discovered. In addition, the observatory opens its doors to allow visitors to experience special phenomena in the night sky: e.g. the Blood Moon, the Perseids or Mars near Earth. These events arouse curiosity about the secrets of the universe, as do Astronights or Astronomy Day.
A special highlight for the kids (and mums and dads) is rocket making. In one afternoon, cardboard models about 40 cm high are made under supervision. Under supervision, these are fitted with a propellant charge and a fuse. The pupils of the young rocket builders also widen when the projectiles rise up to 150 metres. Lectures can also be booked for groups; here, too, children and young people are an important target group for whom the "Journey into the Universe" format was developed. A lecture programme sheds light on scientific developments - asks about the discovery of new planets or other life in the universe.
Walking through our solar system on the Bad Kreuznach Planet Trail
The observatory is located on the mountain (Kuhberg), but the astronomers are also present in the valley. There they have laid out a planetary path. It begins with the model of the sun at Roseninsel, follows the Nahe upstream and ends with model of the planet Pluto after 5.9 kilometres in front of the Rotenfels near Ebernburg. Both the size of the sun and the eight planets and their distances from each other are on a scale of one to a billion. The sun, for example, has a diameter of 1.4 metres, while Pluto has a diameter of three millimetres. On the walk, you learn vividly that our Earth is an oasis in the hostile space.
