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| Location | Valais, Switzerland[1] | ||
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| Coordinates | 46°32′51″N7°59′6″E / 46.54750°N 7.98500°E /46.54750; 7.98500 | ||
| Altitude | 3,571 m (11,716 ft) | ||
| Established | 1937 | ||
| Website | www | ||
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  Location of Sphinx Observatory | |||
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TheSphinx Observatory is an astronomicalobservatory located above theJungfraujoch in Switzerland. It is named after theSphinx, a rocky summit on which it is located. At 3,571 m (11,716 ft) above mean sea level, it is one of thehighest observatories in the world. Accessible to the public, it is also thesecond highest observation deck in Switzerland. The mountain top has been tunneled to fit an elevator which ascends to the observatory from theJungfraujoch railway station, the highest such train station in Europe. The building is located on theValais side of the border, only a few metres from the canton ofBern, although it is accessed via theJungfrau Railway from theBernese Oberland.
The open viewing deck accessible to the public is adjacent to the observatory. It offers views of theJungfrau,Mönch, andEiger peaks, all within a few kilometers.
The scientific part of the Sphinx observatory includes two large laboratories, a weather observation station, a workshop, two terraces for scientific experiments, and an astronomical as well as a meteorological cupola. The astronomical cupola is equipped with a 76 cmtelescope with Cassegrain and Coudé focus.
The observatory plays an important role in a range of long-term experiments; it serves as a solarspectrometer for the Institute of Astrophysics and Geophysics at theUniversity of Liège, Belgium, and plays a key role in aLIDAR experiment conducted by theÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. In 1949,nuclear emulsion plates exposed tocosmic rays in the observatory provided first precise evidence for the existence of the chargedK-meson.
The observatory can be seen in the moviesThe Grand Budapest Hotel,The Hero: Love Story of a Spy andKrrish 3.It was visited inseason 22 of the American reality competition seriesThe Amazing Race during their visit toSwitzerland in Leg 8.[3]
It also appears in the 2016videogameSteep[4] and as the setting for a conference called The Meadows in the final episode ofThe Pentaverate.
A 2019–2020 Korean dramaCrash Landing on You has the lead couple visit the Observatory in episode 16.
The observatory served as heavy inspiration for one that appears in 2025video gameAbiotic Factor. It is depicted under the name "Voussoir Facility" and is owned and operated by Garrick Advanced Technology Enterprises. The observatory is vital to the progression of the story as it contains the first instances of an item that must be collected by the player to advance to the next level of the game.
 | This article about a specific observatory, telescope or astronomical instrument is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
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