Temples of the Eternal Stars



    There are many things and phenomena that are not subject to man. Faced with them, we are aware of their greatness, our own fragility and fragility of the world that we have built for ourselves. Perhaps most of all, this description is suitable for distant stars and moody weather. Nothing is sobering in the case of attacks of one's own greatness, as the awareness of the vastness of the Universe, which reveals itself to us in the night sky. And nothing demonstrates to us its weakness and vulnerability like the triumph of the elements, before which all our technical and scientific achievements pass.

    Perhaps of all the scientific buildings of the observatory can be attributed to the most attractive and partly romantic. Here, you probably most acutely feel the unconscious dimensions of the cosmos, the eternal existence of stars and planets in comparison with human life. If deep down you feel about the same thing, welcome to cat. Here we have collected some of the most interesting observatories and weather stations located in very beautiful corners of our planet and representing interesting examples of architecture.

    Sphinx Observatory, Switzerland










    It was built in 1937 in the town of Jungfraujoch in the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of 3571 m above sea level. This is the second highest observation deck in Switzerland and one of the highest in the world. The observatory is still used for scientific purposes. Tourists can walk on the terrace surrounding the observatory , which overlooks the Great Aletsch Glacier (German Grosser Aletschgletscher). You can get to the observatory through tunnels and an elevator shaft laid in a rock from the highest mountain railway station in Europe.

    Pic du Midi Observatory, France






    The observatory was founded in 1881, and completed in 1908. It is located on the top of the mountain Midi-de-Bigorr (Pic du Midi-de-Bigorr) in the Pyrenees, at an altitude of 2877 m above sea level. The observatory is operating, equipped with several telescopes, including the largest 2-meter in France, and coronographs.

    Griffith Observatory, USA








    Located in Los Angeles, on the side of Hollywood Mountain, in Griffith Park. Opened in 1935. In fact, this is a complex consisting of an observatory, a planetarium and an exhibition hall. This institution was originally created for public and free visits. Various exhibitions related to space are held here, devices for astronomical observations are demonstrated.

    Alasht Observatory, Iran










    This tiny observatory is the size of a large kiosk, located in the Iranian province of Mazandaran, on the outskirts of the town of Alasht. Translated from Iranian, this means "eagle refuge."



    Einsteinturm Observatory, Germany








    The architect Erich Mendelssohn, who designed this observatory, seemed to be inspired by fantasy works. The observatory was built in 1924 in Potsdam, on Mount Telegrafenberg. Although it was named after Einstein, and it was built specifically for the experimental confirmation of the theory of relativity, the great physicist himself has never been here. Now the observatory is more likely a historical and tourist object, although observations are still being made here for the Leibniz Institute of Astrophysics.



    Dominion Observatory, Canada








    Built in the Neo-Romanesque style in 1902 in Ottawa, the observatory operated until 1970. The largest 38-cm refractor in the history of Canada at that time was installed in it, and it was available to the public throughout the entire duration of the observatory. After the reorganization of Canadian scientific institutions, the observatory was closed, and in 1974 its telescope was sent to the Helen Sawyer Hogg Observatory of the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology. Currently, the Dominion Observatory houses the offices of one of the divisions of the Canadian Department of Natural Resources.

    Urania Observatory, Switzerland






    This public observatory was built in 1907 in Zurich. Urania is the muse of astronomy in Greek mythology. The height of the tower is 51 m, a refractor with a 30-cm aperture is installed in it, which allows for observations with a 600-fold increase, although 150- and 205-fold are most often used. The telescope itself is mounted on a column that is not connected to the tower, but passes through it to the very foundation of the building. The telescope weighing about 12 tons was designed by Carl Zeiss and for its time was a technical masterpiece.

    California Institute of Technology Submillimeter Observatory (Caltech Submillimeter Observatory), USA









    The observatory was built in 1985 on Mount Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Nearby are sites with the Gemini telescope, the Canadian-Franco-Hawaiian telescope, and NASA infrared telescopes. In general, a very good place for astronomers. The main instrument inside this silver sphere is a 10.4-meter telescope for observations in the submillimeter range, from 350 to 1300 micrometers. In 2016, CSO plans to completely dismantle and restore the site to its original appearance.

    Weather station on Mount наnieżka, Poland






    The only weather station in this collection. The border between Poland and the Czech Republic passes right along the mountain, the station is located on the Polish side. It was built in 1974 at an altitude of about 1620 m above sea level. There is also a restaurant, from the windows of which there is a beautiful view of the gentle mountain slopes.

    Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico










    One of the most impressive objects in our collection is the Arecibo Observatory, built in 1963. It is located at an altitude of 497 m above sea level. The giant bowl with a diameter of 304 m and a depth of 50 m is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. This is not an artificial pit, the reflector is built inside a natural karst funnel. Many kilometers of cables were used to suspend the telescope antenna irradiator over the reflector.



    And finally, if you suddenly come to Australia, you can look into the town of Koala Crescent, Coonabarabran. Here the owners rent a guest house, next to which a real small observatory is built.


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