Exploring the skies – a look at Rudolf Wolf’s collection
Visit the new exhibition, featuring a number of astronomical instruments, in the historic Semper Observatory
Rudolf Wolf, the first Director of the ETH Observatory and a pioneer in the topic of sunspot research, collected a wide range of astronomical objects, including sundials, astrolabes and graphometers. Today, around 300 of these objects are part of the Collection of Scientific Instruments and Teaching Aids at the ETH Library.
In the foyer of the Observatory, a new exhibition offers you a look at Rudolf Wolf’s collection at its original location from 02 December 2022. See the measuring instruments, sundials, and the telescope that Wolf used to count sunspots, and learn how they are used.
The exhibition is available in German, English and plain language.
Key information:
Address: ETH Zurich, Zentrum Campus, Observatory (Foyer), Schmelzbergstrasse 25, 8092 Zurich
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The exhibition is free and open to the public during opening hours.
Invitation to the vernissage:
We are pleased to invite you to attend the exhibition’s vernissage on Thursday, 1 December 2022, at 5.30 p.m. in the Observatory.
After a welcome speech by Marino Küng (ETH Real Estate Management) and opening remarks by Roberta Spano and Dorothea Zimmermann (ETH Library), we invite you to join us for a drinks reception. Furthermore, you will also have the opportunity to view the exhibition and visit the Observatory dome.
As the number of spaces for the vernissage is limited, please register by 25 November 2022 by emailing