Štefánik Observatory

The Štefánik Observatory is located in the Petřín Gardens near the Hunger Wall, built during the reign of Charles IV. The establishment of a people’s astronomical observatory in Prague, a library and reading room, accessible to the widest circles, and the dissemination and popularization of the results of modern astronomy, were the main goals of the Czech Astronomical Society, founded in 1917. The observatory regularly organizes lectures on certain topics, as well as programs for children and adults in the planetarium program. For example, “Earth as a Planet” and “Flights to the Stars” are programs intended for children, and “The Moon – Dream and Reality” is a program prepared for adults. The permanent exhibition is  an astronomical exhibition, which includes interactive exhibits, optical experiments and historical instruments, and especially computers with astronomical information, animations and a test. The observatory also has a library with volumes dealing with cosmonautics, astronomy and related fields for beginners and advanced people interested in these topics.