Observatorium Hoher List

Geschichte

The Hoher List Observatory was an astronomical observatory located about 60 km south of Bonn, Germany, near the town of Daun in the mountain range of the Eifel. The observatory was operated by the Argelander Institute for Astronomy of the University of Bonn until it was closed in 2012.Until the 1940s, Bonn astronomical observations were carried out mainly from Argelander's old observatory in Bonn itself. With more and more electrical lights in the city, the night sky in town became increasingly brighter, making observations difficult. In search for an alternative location, in 1950, the hill of Hoher List above the village of Schalkenmehren was found to be well suited for astronomical observation. The rural surrounds meant very low sky brightness. It was decided to relocate the Bonn telescopes. The new observatory was inaugurated in 1954, after the 50 cm Schmidt telescope had been installed in the first dome. A major extension in 1964 included the relocation of the Double Refractor, which dates from 1899. The final dome to be erected contains a 1 m Cassegrain telescope, the largest and most modern of the observatory's telescopes. Today, there are six telescopes at the observatory. The Double Refractor aside, there is also the 16 cm Schröder Refractor, which was used for the Cordoba Durchmusterung .