News


10 years AVV

SWR Aktuell

https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/10-jahre-astronomische-vereinigung-vulkaneifel-100.html?fbclid=IwAR1nRr8y3cbuzyX43PZuR7gnCkt6oWqGu000uG5VAylpqDah9fNberS8NKk

SWR Aktuell vom 25. januar 2023

Faszination Weltall

Astronomieprofessor Uli Klein hat sein eigenes Observatorium im Garten

click here


Visit by Belgian amateur astronomers

We have been visited by four Belgian amateur astronomers from Sint-Denijs (not far from the French border just opposite of Roubaix) from May 8 to 12. Led by Francis Welker they arrived with their big mobile home, which was fully packed with telescopes and other equipment. They also had taken along good weather so that a successful stay was guaranteed. They deployed their instruments underneath the dome of the 1-m telescope, next to the little dome of the C11. Dr Martin Miller for one night to support them in using the 1-m telescope. They had Internet connection, and tasty food was provided down in Schalkenmehren. Of course, they also took part in our weekly club meeting on Tuesday night, which is being carried out in hybrid form since some time. In the end there was total enthusiasm. This new friendship and connection will now be nursed and surely imply a visit in Belgium.


Girls' Day on April 28, 2022

For the first time, AVV will open doors for Girls' Day this year and invite girls and women to the Hoher List observatory and convey information about astronomy as a hobby and profession. The full-day program will provide guided tours and public lectures about astronomical themes, special talks about studying astronomy at universities within Germany and elsewhere, along with course and job guidance. In case of clear sky the event will be completed with observations of celestical objects. More details can be found in here or here (in German).

Star gazing above the Eifel at Schalkenmehren

On March 8, SWR reporter Anna-Carina Blessmann visited the AVV at Hoher List Observatory. After a long shut-down, Corona and a long-lasting period with bad weather, she reported about the resumption of full activities in SWR Aktuell. At the same time, a cameraman of the local tv ok4 in Andernach was recording for a video clip about the AVV and its activities.


Junior-Uni Daun

The AVV will engage in the newly founded Junior-Uni Daun (see Junior-Uni Daun).


Public talk (in German) by the weather and climate expert Sven Plöger on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 8 p.m. upon invitation by the AVV, to be held at Forum Daun. Title: "Der Blick nach vorn - was verändert sich in unserer Atmosphäre?"

For more details, see here (in German).

We are grateful to our sponsors and to various private donators for financial support!


New cooperation of the AVV am Hohen List e.V. and the Natur- und Geopark Vulkaneifel

Signing of the cooperation agreement between AVV and Natur- und Geopark Vulkaneifel by the chairman of AVV, Prof. Dr. Uli Klein, and the municipal mayor of the association of municipalities of Geroldstein, Peter Böffgen. After signing in front of the AVV building with its dome (l.t.r.).: Dr. Andreas Schüller, Executive Officer of the Natur- und Geopark Vulkaneifel, Prof. Dr. Uli Klein, chairman of the AVV, Peter Böffgen, chairman of the supervisory board of the Natur- und Geopark Vulkaneifel GmbH, and Harald Simon, vice chairman of the AVV.


Visit of the AVV on December 2 by the Distric dministrator of the administrative district Vulkaneifel, Mrs. Gieseking and her speaker, Mrs. Welling, by the municipal mayor of the association of municipalities of Daun, Mr. Scheppe, by the local mayor of Schalkenmehren, Mr. Hartogh, and by the honorary member of AVV, Prof. Seggewiß and his wife.


AVV library and reading room, now furnished by J. Wüstenhagen und B. und H. Simon.


On Saturday, October 10, 2021, the municipal mayor Thomas Scheppe undertzook the annual excursion with the local mayors. This time, a visit of the AVV was part of the programme. A very nice event with rather interested people!


Meine Zeit an der Sternwarte Hoher List

Ich war während meines zwei Wochen Aufenthalts in Schalkenmehren bei jeder sich bietenden Gelegenheit auf dem Hohen List bei den Profiastronomen zu Gast. Und es gab einige Gelegen-heiten. Den Höhepunkt der Instrumente möchte ich gleich vorwegnehmen. Das ist zweifellosdas große Spiegelteleskop mit einem Durchmesser von einem Meter. Es ist ein imposanter Anblick, wenn es sich anläßlich des öffentlichen Beobachtungsabends mit leisem Surren in Position bringt und sich in die weit geöffnete Kuppel dreht.

Dann kommt z.B. der Doppelstern Albireo durch das Okular ins Blickfeld. Wie er so wunderschön aufgelöst in seine beiden Einzelsterne, der größere leicht rötlich, der kleinere ins Bläuliche schimmernd, ihr Licht ins Auge schicken. Kein noch so hochglanzkaschiertes Foto kann diesen direkten Genuß ersetzen. Nicht unerwähnt bleiben darf dann auch die Führung über das Gelände des Observatoriums mit seinen verschiedenen Kuppeln, die aber alle im Schatten des großen Spiegels stehen. Im Anschluß an diese Führung konnten wir dann auch noch den Planeten Venus am Taghimmel bewundern, der sich sogar noch als "Halbvenus", analog zum Halbmond, präsentierte.

Es muß aber durchaus nicht gleich der große Spiegel sein. Schließlich hat jeder mal klein angefan-gen. So wartet denn auch neben dem "Großen" noch ein kleineres Spiegelteleskop mit elf Zoll Durchmesser auf den "Einsteiger". Die Handhabung ist leicht zu erlernen: Nach Empfang des GPS-Signals und dem Benennen zweier Referenzsterne können die vorprogrammierten Objekte am Himmel sofort angesteuert werden. Ein Blick zurück über die Schulter zum "Großen" läßt ahnen: Zu dir komm ich auch noch!

Ich hatte eine sehr schöne Zeit bei den Profi-Astronomen am Hohen List in Schalkenmehren. Es war nicht mein letzter Besuch dort. Ich komme wieder.


Night of the Perseids
As every year, the Perseids can be admired in the night of August 12 to 13. In its orbit about the sun, the earth crosses the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. It then hits the comet's ejecta, which it has lost during its past close approaches to the sun. The small particles thereby penetrate into the earth's atmosphere at high speed (60 km/s) and ionise the air. Upon recombination, the ionised molecules emit light, which is observed as falling stars. In case of the Persdeis, the radiant (apparent origin of the meteors in the sky) is located in the constellation of Perseus.

Given clear skies, the AVV will receive interested visitors at Hoher List Observatory on August 12, starting at 7 p.m. We shall offer a short explanatory talk as well as guided observations and photography (preferentially a wide-angle camera with tripod) of this celestial phenomenon. Meteors are most eassily observed with the naked eye, lying on a meadow due east, so bringing a blanket is recommended.

The night of the Perseids has attracted quite a few visitors. Also SWR broadcasting has bveen present, with a report presented on radio SWR1 on the subsequent morning as well as the following article.


After renovation...
The AVV building 'shines in new splendour' after its renovation. The efforts of our care-takers haven proven to be worth while, hence we can offer rooms to our visitors that have been designed with love, while also providing a professional environment.

SWR TV at Hoher List

A team of SWR visited Hoher List observatory on July 3, 2021 on the occasion of re-opening the observatory for the public after a long shut-down period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The broadcast was presented on the same day in the framework of SWR Aktuell Rheinland-Pfalz and can be viewed here.