Observatory Auersbach

The Vulkanland observatory in Auersbach is an astronomical observatory, opened in the year 2001 and open to the public. Slightly away from the district capital Feldbach and positioned on a hill, it has good prerequisites to discover the night sky.

The observatory is operated by the Astro Club Auersbach, which offers regularly guidances through the observatory and astronomical observations to anyone who’s interested. The two domes (diameter three and five meters) on the site house two Schmidt Cassegrain reflecting telescopes (16″ and 10″).

The distances in space are enormous. The observatory is the starting point and center (representing the sun) of a specially built planet hiking path. The path is a 1:1,000,000 scale model of our solar system and within 5,9 km you can hike (see the map above) to our fellow planets (up to Pluto). On the way you’ll pass representations of our neighbouring planets with additional information to each planet. After the hike or after your astronomical observations in the observatory the Heurige ‚Zum Sterngucker‘ provides sustenance.

This 360° panorama was shot in a spring night in the year 2011. The bright lights on the horizon in the east are the lights from Riegersburg castle.

Shooting date: April 24, 2011