The educational programs cover various event formats in which sub-areas of the institute's research are dealt with, including science and technology in sustainability, but also astronomical observations. The observatory places a particular focus on the topic of sustainability in extracurricular political education.
The observatory's educational facility includes the radome with the radio telescope inside, which still carries out space projects today and has an exhibition area. There is also an astronomical observation station, where optical telescopes can be used to observe the natural starry sky in the evenings during the winter months, weather permitting, accompanied by explanations from an expert. There is also the opportunity to attend an introduction to astronomy.
The mobile satellite and laboratory van enables the Bochum Observatory to spread its services throughout NRW, as there are no local educational programs in many places.
The main reason why Bochum is so well positioned in the field of astronomy is its history. In 1957, the first signals from Sputnik I in the western hemisphere were received and confirmed in Bochum, and in 1961 the first manned space flight by the Soviets was monitored by radio from Bochum. The radome, which went into operation in 1967, has since been used in international projects, the most significant of which was accompanying the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.