Code of Conduct
Great Refractor
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The Potsdam Great Refractor is a double-refractor telescope from the former Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam. It was inaugurated by Emperor Wilhelm II in 1899. Being the world’s fourth largest lens telescope, the Great Refractor is an important example of the fine mechanical and optical manufacturing of early astrophysical research at the turn of the 20th century. A scientific highlight in the history of the Great Refractor was the discovery of the interstellar medium in 1904 by Johannes Hartmann, through observations of stationary calcium lines in spectroscopic binary stars. Thanks to generous donations, greatly aided by the specially founded “Förderverein Großer Refraktor Potsdam e.V.”(German) association, the heritage-protected telescope was extensively renovated over several years. |
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Visits & guided tours Since its ceremonial re-inauguration in 2006, the Great Refractor is frequently opened to visitors, thereby promoting in its elaborate technical detail and functionality the importance of astrophysics to the public in general. Dates and hours are announced online and via local newspapers in Potsdam. +++ The Great Refractor can be visited on Saturday, 15 June 2019, during the Long Night of the Sciences, www.langenachtderwissenschaften.de +++
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