When the temperature in Helsinki dropped to 0°c and the snow started falling for the first (or second) time this season, it did not deter us from going for another walk in the city.
In Tove Jansson’s second Moomin book, Comet in Moominland (originally published in 1946), the main characters visit the remote Observatory in the mountains to find out about the comet which approaches the Earth. The observatory depicted by Jansson in the book has been, it is suggested, inspired by the two observatories in Helsinki – the Helsinki Observatory located on the Observatory Hill and Ursa Astronomical Associaton Observatory in Kaivopuisto Park (Markkanen, 2016).
This time we, like strong northern women, endured the chill, wind and snowflakes flying around (and melting), and visited the two aforementioned places – although the southern part of the city centre is not as a far and not as dangerous as the Lonely Mountains from the book, it is a hilly landscape nonetheless.
This time we, like strong northern women, endured the chill, wind and snowflakes flying around (and melting), and visited the two aforementioned places – although the southern part of the city centre is not as a far and not as dangerous as the Lonely Mountains from the book, it is a hilly landscape nonetheless.
The Observatory Hill (Tähtitorninvuori) takes its name, unsurprisingly, from the Helsinki Observatory, completed in 1834, which is now part of Helsinki University Museum and is open to public since 2012 on certain days (for the moment, Thursday to Sunday, with exceptional opening times during holidays, so do check the website before planning a visit). The Helsinki observatory and the equipment it housed - in particular, photographic double refractor - might have given Jansson some ideas for her fictional Observatory (Markkanen, 2016).
As for the exterior, the Observatory in the book looks strikingly like Ursa Observatory, built in 1926 and located in Kaivopuisto Park (Markkanen, 2016). The small observatory is operational is meant for the members of Ursa Astronomical Association, as well as for non-members who, on certain days (see the website) can use the telescopes and attend the ‘star shows’.
The top of the hill next to Ursa offers a great view of the sea and the adjacent part of the city.
The walk was concluded, as is customary with us, with a cup of tea and a cake.
Additional info:
The Observatory Hill also features in Jansson’s painting Mystiskt landskap (Mysterious landscape), according to Markkanen (2016).
Sculpture Helios by Lauri Anttila is located right next to Ursa Observatory
References
Markkanen, Tapio (2016). Echoes of Cosmic Events and Global Politics in Moominvalley: Cosmic and Astronomical Sources of Incitement in Tove Jansson’s Comet in Moominland. Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring 2016). DOI : 10.11590/abhps.2016.1.02 Available online https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/233362
Helsinki University Museum https://www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-observatory
Ursa Astronomical Association https://www.ursa.fi/english.html
More info on Observatory Hill Park https://vihreatsylit.fi/en/tahtitorninvuori/
More info on Ursa Observatory https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/see-and-do/sights/ursa-observatory
Comments