Ex - Excursion 28.2.2019
The excursion the Helsinki Observatory takes place on 28.2.2019.
Registration
Registration is required. Register using the link Registration for the excursion below. Registration closes at the end of the previous lecture, at 16:00 on Tuesday 26.2.
Purpose of the excursion
The observatory / museum contains exhibitions dealing with the development of astronomy over the last centuries. In addition to seeing the astronomical architecture (purpose-built for observations), you have the chance to see the actual observing tools (including but not limited to the main telescopes), as well as astronomy-themed art, and a planetarium show.
Those interested in the historical and architectural aspects, should check out the material shared below.
Practical details
Tours
We divide into groups, with one having the tour in English and the rest in Finnish.
The guided tours start at 18:00, so everyone needs to arrive at 17:45 to have time for practical things (clothes should be left in the cloak room).
Please note that we will meet at the observatory, not in Otaniemi. For directions, see below.
Admission
The admission and the tours on Thursday are paid by the course.
If
you cannot make it on Thursday, you can visit the place by yourself
during the the same week and the week after that (28.2.-10.3.2019); the Observatory is open from Thursdays to Sundays (detailed opening hours here). The ticket counter has the list of course participants, and your admission will be paid by the course. Note,
however, that if you go there alone, you will not be able to visit the
telescope towers or the planetarium, nor will you have a guided tour, except on Saturday 9.3., when the Observatory staff also show the telescopes and the planetarium as part of the general admission (most likely only in Finnish, though).
Getting there
The address of the Observatory is Kopernikuksentie 1, Helsinki. We will meet in the inner yard, in front of the main entrance.
For commuting directions, try, e.g., Reittiopas.
If
you arrive by car, note that there are no dedicated parking lots for
visitors. If you need to park your car, reserve enough time for that as
well.
Historical background for those interested File PDF document
Here are a couple of pages from the book "Yliopiston Helsinki - University Architecture in Helsinki" (Ed. Eea Pekkala-Koskela, Helsingin yliopisto, 1989), describing the historical and architectural background of the old observatory. Mostly in Finnish, but e.g. extensive image captions also in English.
Copyright notice: The scanned pages are shared here for study purposes, only for the course participants, and are not to be shared publicly.