The next Long Night of the Stars will take place at the Thuringian State Observatory on October 3rd, 2026. The free event will begin at 5 pm and last until midnight. It offers exciting insights into the world of modern astronomy and the opportunity to explore the night sky yourself using small telescopes. Visitors can see the Thuringian State Observatory’s 2-meter Alfred Jensch optical telescope. We will explain how the LOFAR radio telescope and the Tautenburg Solar Laboratory work.
If the sky is clear, we and our colleagues from the Volkssternwarte Urania Jena e.V. will set up telescopes next to the Solar Lab so that visitors can take a look at planets and other celestial objects (location: lawn next to the Solar Lab). We’ll also explore the night sky with the naked eye. At 8 pm, 9 pm, and 10 pm, astronomers will explain the constellations (location: lawn behind the dome building). This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about the wonders of the night sky.
The LOFAR radio telescope observes radio sources in the sky in real time. We’ll show how the universe is explored using radio waves (location: ground floor of the administration building). The DLR_School_Lab Jena will be on site with various hands-on experiment stations (location: garage).
The first three guided tours of the 2-meter telescope dome are for children. They can also draw constellation pictures and build their own miniature telescope (Location: Cafeteria).
The talks explore a wide variety of phenomena in the universe. All talks are in German with one exception: The talk at 8.30 pm is in English, there is also one English tour of the 2 meter telescope at 9.45 pm.
| When? | Topic | |
| 5.30 pm to 6 pm | The Sun - why it is so special (talk in German) | Prof. Dr. Markus Roth |
| 6.30 pm to 7 pm | The Universe, seen through radio waves (talk in German) | to be determined |
| 7.30 pm to 8 pm | Northern Lights – the Beauty and the Beast (talk in German) | Dr. Jochen Eislöffel |
| 8.30 pm to 9 pm | Stellar beats: the music of the cosmos (talk in English) | Aashana Tripathi |
| 9.30 Uhr to 10 pm | Cannibalism in space: when binary stars turn into Novae (talk in German) | Dr. habil. Veronika Schaffenroth |
| 10:30 pm to 11 pm | How many Earths are out there? (talk in German) | Dr. Eike Guenther |
Location: All talks will take place in the seminar room on the top floor of the administration building (“Neubau”).
Please pick up your free ticket for a talk at the information desk in front of the building in advance.
Visit the 2-Meter-Alfred-Jensch-Telescope
From 5:15 pm to 11:15 pm, guided tours of the 2-meter Alfred Jensch Telescope will be offered every half hour. During the tour, live images from the telescope will be displayed. The first three tours are specifically for children.
To manage the flow of visitors into the dome, admission tickets for the guided tours will be available at the information desk. This will allow as many people as possible to participate in a tour of the dome while ensuring that no more than 70 visitors are inside the dome at any one time.
In this video in our Youtube channel, Professor Dr. Markus Roth, director Thüringer Landessternwarte, invites you to join us on October 3rd, 2026.
Please note that the buildings are not wheelchair accessible. A large part of the event takes place outdoors. We recommend dressing warmly according to the weather and the season. Refreshments will also be available: You can purchase food and drinks at a barbecue stand.