Astronomical observations from the Eschenberg – controlled from another location while also offering an on-site experience for visitors: a new observatory is being built in the Bavarian Forest that brings together research, tourism and education in a unique way.

For this project, INNOVAMETALL is installing an Orbyx dome with a diameter of ten metres on the 1,042-metre-high Eschenberg. It will house the one-metre telescope supplied by our partner ASA Astrosysteme Austria. To enable observations without staff being present on site, the telescope and dome must work together with absolute technical precision. The dome opens, closes and moves in line with the telescope’s orientation.

However, the project includes more than just the dome. Together with a visitor platform and the associated staircase, a complete solution is being created that is individually tailored to the site and its structural conditions. This makes the technical facility safely accessible to visitors while allowing them to experience it up close.

For the region, the observatory will become a new tourist attraction, bringing the night sky and astronomical research closer to the public. At the same time, schools and educational institutions will be able to follow observations remotely and work with real research data.

The project is being financed through funding from an Interreg project as well as contributions from public authorities and sponsors. After several years of planning, the observatory was constructed within just a few months. A long-standing vision is thus becoming a place for discovery, research and learning with an impact reaching far beyond the Bavarian Forest.

Further information about the project: 

Eschenberg Observatory – Sternenpark

A Window into Space: Observatory Being Built in the Bavarian Forest | BR24

Looking for more Orbyx projects? Discover them here: Orbyx-Projects