The Hans Haffner Observatory is to be expanded next year to include a small domed building and a larger area of around 300 square metres.
The Würzburg District Office has now approved the building application for the domed building, meaning that work can begin in spring 2024.
The extension will be a cylindrical building with a diameter of two metres and a height of almost three metres, topped by a glass-fibre reinforced plastic dome.
A 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope carrying a 4-inch refractor is to be set up in this extension.
The brightness measurement of the AGN in polarised light will then be carried out from here.
In addition, both telescopes can then be used to observe the sun. A special solar plate is available for the reflector and a new type of heated H-alpha filter with integrated 3x telecentric and 2nm block filter (Baader SunDancer II H-alpha filter) for the refractor.
The plans for the extension were drawn up by architect David Wolfert. David helped with the construction of the main building as a student and was part of the first student team to implement the brightness measurements of active galactic nuclei.
