The Bavarian Public Observatory

I stumbled across the Bavarian Public Observatory. The website is dual language but is terrible, in either language. However, it is worth going through as the good people at the Observatory seem to offer a bit of everything, star related, naturally. Actually, I wasn't sure where to post this, Space or Life in Munich, and in terms of the latter, too many categories to choose from: english language events, education, cheap dates, kiddy parties, meeting & event facilities, or gifts for that special someone!

Located in Munich, the Observatory offers English language evening shows each second Monday of a month for a fee is cheap as chips: 4 Euros. Members of the S-Club or Schlawiner-Club and visitors with a Munich Welcome Card get a reduced rate. Kids with the Münchner Ferienpaß get free entrance during holidays.

Next advertised date is March 13th, 2006. See programme page for full information regarding dates and topics. Also mark your calendars as the observatory notes a solar eclipse will take place on March 29th.

The Observatory Also Offers:

• Sky watching via telescopes (at clear skies only!)
• Guided tour through the observatory and exhibition hall
• Planetarium show = artificial nightsky in a 4.5 m sky dome
• Video from their collection of astronomical videos
• Several formats of educational programs

German Language Educational Programs Include:

• Scheduled evening lectures, 6euro
• Bi monthly kids program, 4euros
• Five evening introductory to Astronomly lecture series, 30 euros

For Group/Special Events, they offer:

• Guided tours in English or French, available for groups on request
• Lecture, Conference, and Event Facilities - including for Children's Birthday Parties

And rounding out the gift shop category, the Observatory offers:

• A chance at membership and/or
• To give a very charitable, very cool gift of ultimate bling. Why buy diamonds when you can give him/her their own damn star, well rent one technically but for three whole years. Star gifts *begin* at 45 euros. If Santa is reading this, I want a big shiny one dammit .

LOCATION AND CONTACT DETAILS
Bayerische Volkssternwarte München e.V.
Rosenheimerstraße 145 h
D-81671 München

phone +49-89-406239
fax +49-89-494987

email Volkssternwarte@lrz.tum.de
URL http://www.sternwarte-muenchen.de

Wow, excellent information jml, thanks! I'm adding this to my list of things to do.

Great info JML, but concerning the gift,


This is from the IAU. The only authorised body to name stars.

Yeah, sorry, I used "buy/rent" to loosely but the link makes it clear:

"Of course you cannot really buy or name stars in the sky by your own. But we offer you a special chance to dedicate a star to a person via the public observatory in Munich!

You tell us a person to whom you will give this special present and we send to you a nice colored star document including a small star map with the constellation where the dedicated star belongs to. The star document is written in German language, on request we make an English version for you.

We add the star and it's sponsor to our "list of dedicated stars" published in the public observatory. This sponsorship is valid for 3 years".

Hey I was there during the Venus transit. Very exciting to see.