Photo: Filip Jandourek, Czech Radio
A telescope in the Štefánik Observatory on Prague’s Petřín hill has been returned after underdoing extensive repairs in Germany for two years. The telescope, which was first placed in the observatory in 1930, allows visitors to observe the moon, planets, and even the Sun during the day. Magdalena Hrnkova, a specialist at the Observatory, told me more.
“The telescope has been at the observatory since the 1930s and has undergone some minor repairs, most of which were done by hand. It was in dire need of serious repairs this time.”
What is special about this telescope? What can be seen through it?
“It’s a telescope with a very big lens, which aren’t very common these days although they were quite common 100 years ago. Telescopes like these are used for mapping the moon, it has two telescopes – one for observing and one for taking photographs. It is particularly good at observing the solar system, the moon and the planets.”
Given the fact that the telescope is quite old, was it complicated to take out for repair and reinstall?
“Yes, it was quite a complicated process and we were quite nervous about it. To get it out of the building, we had to lift it out with a crane. Since the observatory is in the middle of the rose garden at Petřín, we didn’t know if the crane would fit. The telescope is quite heavy, five tonnes in total. So we needed to take it out in two parts. But all went well, and it’s safely back in now.”
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