Stargate, Midsummer Night's Eve!
On the longest day of the year and the brightest night of Midsummer's Eve, the observatory's wooded park is bathed in a special atmosphere at sunset. For the first time in the long day, we are immersed in admiring the sunspots and solar flares of our sun. Of course, there are also plenty of fun and interactive astronomy activities. Later, at dusk, we'll be able to see Mercury's mysterious planetary rarity through our telescopes. In the darkening sky, we'll admire the most beautiful double stars and the conjunction of Mars and Regulus. Then, as night falls, we're treated to sparkling star clusters and disc-like planetary nebulae. In the evening, the stars are joined by fireflies lighting their tiny green lanterns on the park grass.
Schedule
Stargate: in the buzz of our big astronomy event, the Svábhegy Observatory programme sites are free to explore at your own pace. It's worth buying tickets online in advance, but you can always buy tickets on the spot.
Programmes:
Daytime astronomy
Solar observation: use solar telescopes to examine groups of dark sunspots, fountain-like solar flares and bright solar flares in different colours.
Mercury: use the dome's large telescope to track down the tiny, rarely seen inner planet. Sharp-eyed observers may even catch glimpses of tiny surface pools on the fat crescent.
Interactive astronomy programmes
Meteorite investigation - get your hands on rocks from space!
Spectrum Zone - light experiments in all colours of the rainbow
Planet Sniffing Lab - get ready for a sniff!
Comet cooking - cook up smoking comet nuclei
Bubble Universe - giant colourful bubbles and their astronomical bond
Space-time trampoline - orbit the planets around the Sun!
Telescope Tricks - disassemble, cut in half, look inside, focus...
Night observation with telescopes
Mars: the planet, which is conjunct the star Regulus in the constellation Leo, will be observed from the Observation Deck. Summer has recently arrived in the northern hemisphere of the already tiny planet Mars.
The most beautiful coranary binaries are Izar, Porrima, Albireo, Double Double.
Starry globular clusters and clusters of arrows.
Tiny, mysterious disks of planetary nebulae: Ring Nebula, Pislogo Nebula
and last but not least: the flickering fireflies!
In case of cloudy weather: our Stargate event will take place regardless of the weather, and our interactive programme locations are always accessible. In cloudy weather, instead of observing celestial bodies through binoculars, you can enjoy a dome tour, a video observation through binoculars, a spectroscopic light source detection through binoculars and a thematic presentation!
Svábhegyi Observatory of Budapest
"The Svábhegyi Observatory is the largest demonstrational observatory in Budapest also an interactive astronomy experience centre. Our main goal is to bring the beauty of the Universe closer to everyone."