Tickled by The Sphinx

[NigeB]

Hi All

I've been into astronomy since I was a kid, but somehow I was oblivious to the existence of this fabulous place in Switzerland until earlier this month. It looks to me like the archetypal "fantasy observatory", teetering on a mountaintop. All that's missing from the image is the big refractor poking through the slit.

The camera angle in these photos is carefully chosen - from other angles it's clear there is a significant building (and a substantial research facility) here, and it's not as precarious as it first seems. Still, it made me smile. I've hyperlinked the photos to their sources.

Sphinx Observatory:  http://www.hfsjg.ch/en/home/

 

Nigel

 

[Stu]

Looks terrifying!! 😱😱

[niallk]

Wow 😮

How do you even get up there?!!!

Looks spectacular- wonder if the public can visit...

[Jonny_H]

I wasn't aware of this either until last year when I discovered it watching the Brian Cox series - The Forces of Nature. There was a short clip of it in one of the episodes.

from one of the aerial shots it looked like there were dozens of people standing outside so assume visitors at least were allowed!

[LukeSkywatcher]

My vertigo just kicked in. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 05/04/2021 at 08:47, niallk said:

Wow 😮

How do you even get up there?!!!

Looks spectacular- wonder if the public can visit...

There's a couple of ladders up the side, in those images.

[niallk]

2 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

There's a couple of ladders up the side, in those images.

Yeah spotted them too - looks a bit dodgy!

Looks like the sort of place that you have to budget for getting stuck there for months at a time in winter!!  Amazing spot for an observatory.

[BCN_Sean]

On 05/04/2021 at 09:47, niallk said:

Wow 😮

How do you even get up there?!!!

Looks spectacular- wonder if the public can visit...

It's got a public area on it and there's also an elevator built up to it through the mountain from the railway station underneath the mountain (Jungfraujoch).

[niallk]

1 hour ago, BCN_Sean said:

It's got a public area on it and there's also an elevator built up to it through the mountain from the railway station underneath the mountain (Jungfraujoch).

Ah-ha!  Like a Bond villain's lair

[Jonny_H]

4 minutes ago, niallk said:

Ah-ha!  Like a Bond villain's lair

I've been expecting you Mr.....Astronomer.

[BCN_Sean]

38 minutes ago, niallk said:

Ah-ha!  Like a Bond villain's lair

Funny you should say that, but that's exactly what I said the first time someone explained this place to me; and thinking about it, I'm sure one of the large prints on the office wall at work is of this area at night which (aside from the fact that I've worked there five year and it's only just clicked) I'll ask the boss about when I get chance.

[Chefgage]

If we end up going to Switzerland this was one of the place I am going to visit. When I looked into it there is a lift that goes up inside the mountain to get you to the viewing area.