Zi Jin Mountain Astronomical Station
Zijin Mountain Astronomical Station is located in the Zi jin Mountain Scenic Area in the east suburb of Nanjing City. Built in 1934, it is the earliest and one of the most famous observatories in China.
At the beginning, the observatory enjoyed a great reputation for its splendid architectures, rare apparatus and abundant books. The 60-centimeter-caliber reflecting telescope, the 20 centimeter caliber refracting telescope (both made in Germany) and the meridian transit made by Swiss were almost the most advanced equipment of the time. And they are still housed in the observatory. Now, it is well equipped with modern facilities used for doing experiments and observing the sun, the moon, the planets, the fixed stars and satellites.
The Nanjing Astronomy and History Museum is within the observatory itself. It’s the first museum astronomical museum in China. The museum has three exhibition halls, displaying accurate data and pictures. You can take the ropeway to the observatory. And later you can climb up the main peak of Purple Mountain and enjoy its elegant scenery.
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