The Sphinx Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. The mountain top has been tunneled to fit an elevator which ascends to the observatory from the Jungfraujoch train station, the highest such rail station in Europe, and a nearby Ice Palace. Adjacent to the observatory is an open viewing deck accessible to the public. The deck offers views of the Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger peaks, all within a few kilometres.
As of 2012, the Sphinx, at 3,571 m (11,716 ft) above Mean Sea Level, is the 14th highest permanent land-based observatory in the world.
Read more about Sphinx Observatory: Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words sphinx and/or observatory:
“On the grey rock of Cashel I suddenly saw
A Sphinx with woman breast and lion paw,
A Buddha, hand at rest,
Hand lifted up that blest;
And right between these two a girl at play
That, it may be, had danced her life away....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Where there is an observatory and a telescope, we expect that any eyes will see new worlds at once.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)