I FOUND THIS ON THE RMNEWS UPDATES PAGE

From: ps2003@excite.com
Date: Tue Mar 13, 2001 9:52pm
Subject: re: SWISS OBSERVATORY NOT OPERATING ANYMORE?

the Neuchatel website does say that there is amateur observation, not
part of the official use of the "Cantonal Obeservatory".

from Babelfish translator:

http://www.ne.ch/admCantonale/observatoire/astro.htm
"The use of the telescope (refracting ZEISS, located in the Hirsch

house) does not form part of the activities of search of the Cantonal
Observatory. On the other hand, of the public astronomical
observations are organized by a group of amateurs neuchâtelois. The
principal heavenly objects observed are: the Moon, planets, nebulas,
etc. To take part in it, please consult information below."

-----------------------
http://myweb.vector.ch/obs-ntl/home.html
"Introduction:
The glasses of the Observatory of Neuchâtel, a single instrument
built and inaugurated in 1912, are from now on accessible to the
public. Indeed, a small group of four people gives of her time to
organize and guide public visits every Friday evenings, except for
Friday nearest to full moon (see time below).

Glasses:
Built by the Zeiss company at the beginning of this century, it is
refracting triple. In addition to one tube of aiming with a diameter
30 cm and focal distance 4,5 m (f/15), it are equipped with two
photographic tubes (astrographes) with a diameter 36 cm and focal
distance 3,6 m (f/10). The astrographes were built for the study of
the ultraviolet radiation, which was a revolutionist for the time. As
one realized there thereafter, the Earth's atmosphere absorbs most of
this ultraviolet radiation, so that the instrument could not be
really used. From their construction, the astrographes give only one
fuzzy image in the visible field, which makes the despair of the
astronomers amateurs... But fortunately, the central tube was
designed for the visual observation! It is equipped with an objective
with two lenses, of Fraunhofer type, and it gives excellent images of
the moon and planets such as Mars, Jupiter or Saturn, which makes the
delights of the visitors. Because of the site of the observatory,
which is found downtown full of Neuchâtel, the observation of the
deep sky (nebulas and galaxies) is rather disappointing."