Astronomy Romandy

The observatory dates back to 1858 and was created by the Department of Public Economy of the canton of Neuchâtel. As with many other astronomical observatories of the period, its role was to calculate time very precisely and to improve measurement techniques, a vital task in support of navigation and shipping, the needs of which increased sharply from the second half of the ^19th century onwards. But the observatory was much more than just that: under its dome was a first-class telescope that is still in use today: the 300 mm diameter Zeiss telescope of highly atypical design. In addition to a main tube 4,500 mm long, it is equipped with two photographic instruments, each 360 mm in diameter, giving it an impressive appearance. Informed visitors will no doubt wonder what purpose these two astrographs of identical characteristics, mounted in parallel, served... In fact, they were used to study the ultraviolet radiation coming from the stars, a study penalized in practice by the natural absorption of our atmosphere in this particular field of light, and of which we had no real idea at the time! With the skies degraded by light pollution, observations during public evenings were mainly focused on sufficiently luminous celestial objects, such as the Moon and planets.

The association that manages this beautiful observatory was founded in April 1977. It was soon declared to be in the public interest, and was able to expand. In 1981, the commune of Épendes decided to cede a 1,000 m² plot of land for the observatory. Work began in 1983, and the observatory was inaugurated in 1984. From the late 1980s onwards, the site was expanded and modernized, notably with the construction of a panoramic terrace with movable roof, and a planetarium. To this day, the observatory focuses on popularizing astronomy for the general public. The association was created on the initiative of Mrs. Daisy Naef-Ryter, who wished to honor the memory of her husband, Robert A. Naef, by installing his Reinfelder and Hertel telescope in a quality astronomical observatory. Indeed, for 50 years, Robert Adolf Naef, who worked at Zurich's Urania Observatory, devoted all his time and energy to popularizing astronomy. On May 21, 2004, a new-generation Keller telescope was inaugurated, offering top-level performance. For those in the know, this is a Cassegrain-type telescope, with a 500 mm diameter mirror and a focal length of 5,000 mm. The mount on which it is mounted is computer-controlled. It specializes in deep-sky objects, including nebulae and galaxies. Evening events and guided tours are organized on a regular basis.