Astronomy has a long and proud history in the capital. The first private observatory was founded in 1700 in Neukölln. The observatory built by King Wilhelm III (Wilhelm Förster Observatory and Planetarium) is where Johann Franz Encke discovered a thin division in Saturn’s ring in the mid 19th century. It remains the premier site for amateur astronomy (www.wfs.be.schule.de). Visits to star-gaze or attend lectures are possible, and membership is €50 per year. Other spots to check out are the Carl Zeiss Planetarium (www.zeiss.de) in Prenzlauer Berg and the Archenhold-Sternwarte Planetarium in Treptow. The place to go for a formal education in astronomy is the Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam (www.aip.de). Amateur star-gazers should check out www.surveyor.in-berlin.de for an overview.