The Sphinx Observatory isn’t the highest astronomical observatory on Earth, but it might feel like it to the lucky travelers who visit. To reach the observatory, they take a train up into the Alps, alight at Europe’s highest railway station, and ascend in an elevator tunneled inside the mountain. Once on top, stargazing is the academic focus, but visitors can take in sweeping views from the Sphinx’s 11,716-foot vantage. On either side are the Jungfrau and the Mönch, both members of the ‘four-thousander’ club—mountains that tower at least 4,000 meters (that’s 13,123 feet) above sea level.
A viewer with a view
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Look before you leap
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An old celebration for a new season
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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The mighty, mighty mushroom
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Bird s-eye view on World Environment Day
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Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia
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World Olive Tree Day
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Get amped for Glastonbury
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Nubble Island’s only industry
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Male hooded merganser, Oregon
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International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
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Native American Heritage Day
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A universe underground
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Happy Easter!
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75th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
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Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
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Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
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Festivus
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And they’re off!
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Pretty poetic for a pit
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Class, please take out a No. 2 pencil…
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Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
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Celebrating Take Your Dog to Work Day
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International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
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Art abounds at the Palais Garnier
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Oymyakon, Russia
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Rosa Parks Day
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Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
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Ancient groves in Australia
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It’s showtime for a precious crop
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

