Observatory Brunssum: a unique glimpse of the world of astronomy

Stargazing together, how much more fun can it be? And all it takes is a visit to Observatory Brunssum on the outskirts of the Brunssummerheide! A ticket is only € 4.50 each and kids under 6 get in for free. Ideal for a romantic night out with your (girl/boy)friend or for a nice family outing.

There is nothing as fascinating as the galaxy. As soon as you enter the Observatory Limburg in Brunssum, you feel like you are in space. The many lights, the planetarium and the various sorts of telescopes immediately create the right atmosphere. 

Space exposition

To start things off, the exposition will tell you all about the Observatory, astronomy and the telescopes. Lots of ‘nice to know’ facts on huge posters and the opportunity to observe the planets by looking through the telescope. The exposition gives you a taste of what’s in store for you next: the highlights of the starry sky like the moon, planets, nebulas and galaxies through the high-powered lens of the telescopes. This is something you need to see with your own eyes, so we won’t spill the beans!

Antique Telescope

Accompanied by one of the employees of the Observatory, you can also visit the antique telescope upstairs. This telescope is over 120 years old and fully handmade, a process that took years! The revolving telescope is on display in the middle of the room, where part of the roof opens up, giving you a 360 degrees access to the star-spangled sky.

 

Pssst....Did you know that our Milky Way is an impressive 100,000 lightyears in size and has 150 to 250 billion stars? That is an awful lot!

Star spotting

To really observe and admire the moon, the stars and the planets, you need a bit of luck with the weather. Unfortunately, if it is very cloudy, you may not see a thing. To compensate for that, on your first visit to Observatory Brunssum you are kindly presented with a ticket and a stamp, offering you a free second visit within 6 months.  

Pssst...Are you a real stargazer fan? Then your best option is to visit when the moon is new. In those circumstances the stars really stand out well.

Interactive presentation

Even in poor weather conditions the Observatory Brunssum has plenty to offer. For example the interactive presentation “Our solar system and beyond” which is held twice every evening. And if you’d like to test your knowledge about space, you can enter a quiz using your smartphone, challenging you to answer various questions about stars and planets. For example, do you know how many planets we have in our solar system? Shush.… try not to google the answer.

 

Practical details

Observatory Brunssum is open to the public every Friday night from 7:30 to 11 p.m. The Address is Schaapskooiweg 95 Heerlen. 

Note: you cannot park your car directly at the Observatory. The road behind the barrier is for commuter traffic only, even when the barrier is open. Please park your car in the designated parking area on the right. From there, it is only a 2 minute walk.

Please refer to the website of Observatory Limburg for more information and online tickets. Have fun!