Astronomy Alsace

An essential meeting of the sky and the stars, the Astronomical Observatory in Strasbourg is a must to visit absolutely because of its large astronomical telescope of 48.7 cm diameter for 7 m in length, sheltered under an impressive iron dome of 9.2 m in diameter weighing around 34 tons! His story is quite surprising and really begins when Alsace-Moselle is transferred to Germany after the war of 1870. Guillaume I of Germany decides to make the city a symbol of progress by installing a university, a botanical garden and an astronomical observatory. A large dome and its main building, and the meridian rooms with two cupolas are built. The bezel itself, whose lens consists of lentils (unlike telescopes that mainly use mirrors), is manufactured by the German company Repsold & Söhne based in Hamburg. The vagaries of history then change the observatory on several occasions! Today it brings together the Observatory of Sciences of the Universe, an internal school at the University of Strasbourg, as well as a Joint Research Unit between the University of Strasbourg and the CNRS.

The visit of the big dome lasts about 20 minutes, moments of pure happiness before a instrument as beautiful as symbolic. This telescope, the third largest in France after those of Meudon and Nice, is indeed the romantic representation of the work of the astronomer as perceived in the collective imagination. At his feet, one would seem to look at Tintin's mysterious star, and try to pierce the mysteries of the universe. It falls well, several times in the year of the "night evenings" are proposed with observation through the bezel! An unspoiled spectacle organized in partnership with the planetarium of the Jardin des Sciences.

The Grand Ballon is a truly astronomical coup… High point of the Vosges massif (1,424 m altitude) it is easy to access when snow is not part of the game, and fully accessible in the winter, including when a thick layer of fresh snow covers its gentle slopes and access paths. To get there, just take the roads open on its slopes (the Cranes Road, on the other side, is closed in winter), for example from Thann, and then snake nicely until the foot of the summit via Goldbach-Altenbach. The last kilometers in winter may require the establishment of chains or the use, at minimum, of snow tires. In winter always, unless you know the place perfectly, we strongly advise you to go up the day to track the path to go to the radôme and even mark the route through a GPS. This detection avoids a few disagreements when, very close to the summit, possible locks interfere in the last hectometers. It is equally imperative to take into account the weather conditions (only a completely clear night can give the green light for such a shipment). The ideal way is to make the end of the day, attend the sunset, then descend by the same path during the evening or night. Snowshoes may be required. In all cases the climb, which lasts less than 30 minutes, must take place from the parking lot of the Grand Ballon pass (and the corresponding hotel), i. e. slope is, and not on the other side (west slope) whose path is less direct, thus more difficult (the transformed snow can be icy!). Finally, last advice: it can be very cold up there, all the more so since the wind (ice in winter) can get off the side and accentuate the sensation… Very hot clothes are therefore mandatory, as are front lamps (white or red light) for the rise or descent at night. The other basic accessories are added to this package: mobile phone with duly loaded, thermos with hot drink, cereal bars in case of fringal, foot and hands heaters in case of very cold, and photographic material (box + tripod) if you wish to immortalize the event and the celestial vault.

What do we see once up there? At this altitude and with much of the light pollution rejected in valleys and east towards the big cities, it is a small slap waiting for the visitor, caught between the quality of the sky offered, the vision on the valleys around (sometimes submerged by sea of spectacular clouds), and the ghosts of the radôme, its control building, and the Blue Diables monument a little lower. If the moon is present during the visit (in neighborhood for example), blafards and strange white reflections on snow slopes appear to be unreal. In summer, the vision is less spectacular and access is easier, it is not rare to cross a few lovers of night lights coming to impregnate the atmosphere of the place. In any case, and regardless of the number of hours spent up there, once you're down, you're coming to pinch and wonder if we really have experienced this adventure!

In this huge specialized store, the astronomer is in heaven, whether he or she is simply curious or a very experienced amateur... Indeed, the equipment on display is particularly eclectic, ranging from simple telescopes for moon gazing to prestigious instruments for peering into distant galaxies. The sales staff and advisors are highly competent, even in the most specialized fields of astrophotography. As Unterlinden is also an importer, most equipment and accessories are available from stock.

Unique in Alsace! Alexandra Herrgott opens the doors of her star shops to you. As a passionate person, she will make you discover her equipment: Sky Watcher telescopes, astronomical glasses, globes... In addition to being able to purchase the equipment of the perfect celestial observer, you can attend workshops, a virtual reality session or join the book club. As if that wasn't enough, the host can come to your home and project the stars of our galaxy and show you them. Ideal for a unique birthday. You can also rent telescopes. How can you not have your head in the stars after all this?

This planetarium offers sessions of about 55 minutes focused on the discovery of the sky, stars, constellations, and on themes extended to astronomy and space in general. The dome on which the celestial representations are projected measures 8 m in diameter and the room can accommodate about fifty people (reservation recommended). For those who want to enjoy "real" observations of the sky through specific instruments, it is possible to combine planetarium sessions and observations through the large telescope of the observatory and other instruments installed in the gardens (duration 1h30 approximately, reservation required).