Baader Planetarium

Claus Baader – born in 1924 in Schliersee, originally a journalist and photographer – founds Baader Planetarium KG in Munich together with his wife Inge, driven by his fascination with physics and inspired by the curious questions of his son Thomas. In the same year, his first product for the coming Space Age and the first Moon landing is launched and patented worldwide: the Baader School Planetarium, a 50 cm mechanical star globe with an internal tellurium.

The device becomes a worldwide success – over the following decades, more than 15,000 Baader planetariums are sold to schools and universities around the globe, establishing the company’s name in astronomical education.

Projection Domes

Driven by the success of the school planetarium, Baader Planetarium expands its product portfolio shortly after its founding. The company begins manufacturing projection domes made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) for its own planetariums, enabling the Baader planetarium to display the starry sky with the visible motion of Earth and Moon in a spherically correct projection. The largest projection dome has a diameter of 10 meters and was manufactured and installed in 1978 for Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen.

Construction of observatory domes

Around 1978, Baader Planetarium begins building observatory domes made of fiberglass composite. In 1984, an observatory dome with a diameter of eight meters is installed for the Max Planck Institute in Tenerife. This project – one of the first on this scale – demonstrated the company’s technological expertise in dome construction.

By the mid-1980s, Baader succeeds in entering international projects: in 1986, the Skinakas Observatory on Crete’s highest mountain, Stavros, is initially equipped with a 3.2 m dome and, in 1997, with an 8 m dome by Baader. This exposed site is subject to extreme weather conditions, confirming the high quality of the domes.

By the end of the 1980s, Baader domes are already in use at numerous schools, public observatories, and research institutions – in Germany and beyond.

Astro-Physics, SBIG and Zeiss

Baader Planetarium becomes the general distributor for Astro-Physics (USA) in the German-speaking region. This marks the start of distributing high-quality apochromats and mounts for ambitious amateurs and professionals. Later, partnerships follow with other renowned manufacturers such as SBIG and Carl Zeiss.

Dome on Mt. Zugspitze

The company receives an important contract from the Fraunhofer Society for atmospheric research: to build a 2.6m slit dome suitable for high-alpine conditions on Germany’s highest mountain (2,965 m). This slit dome withstood measured wind speeds of up to 336 km/h for 29 years without interruption, reliably protecting the installed heliostat and the spectrograph located underneath.

In 2023, the still fully functional dome was replaced by a modern 2.3 m AllSky dome, enabling work with two state-of-the-art spectrographs simultaneously from the same location thanks to the fully opening AllSky dome.

Claus Baader (✝) Honor

Company founder Claus Baader dies at the age of 71. For his contributions to astronomical education in the spirit of the Copernican worldview, he is honored posthumously with the naming of the minor planet (5658) Clausbaader.

After many years of joint management, leadership of the family business now passes fully to his son Thomas Baader, who continues to run the company together with his mother Inge Baader (✝ 2012) and his wife Cordelia Baader.

General distribution for Celestron

After more than 25 years of distributing Celestron equipment to the Near East as well as distributing Celestron to all schools in Germany, Baader Planetarium receives the offer to act as the general importer for Celestron in the German-speaking region.

This makes Baader Planetarium responsible for distribution and service in Europe for the well-known Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, taking over from the previous general importer, Vehrenberg, and expanding its own distribution program to include numerous Celestron products and accessory lines.

New dome type “AllSky Domes”

After approx. 30 years of producing classic slit domes, Baader Planetarium launches an innovative new product that opens up completely new possibilities in the observatory segment.

These clamshell domes, which can open up to around 180°, provide an unobstructed view of the entire sky and are available in sizes from 2.3 to 6.5m.

Dome at the coldest place on Earth

Baader builds a 4.5m AllSky dome at Dome C for the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Antarctica. Dome C is one of the coldest places on Earth, with temperatures of -35°C in the Antarctic summer, and down to below -80°C in winter.

Building an observatory dome for such extreme climatic requirements was an extremely demanding technical project, with the highest requirements for cold-resistant mechanics and power electronics.

Continuous expansion of the portfolio

Baader continues to establish itself as an allround astronomical provider. Every year, several new products or series are released, ranging from simple M48 thread adapters and well-designed Wide T-rings to complex Diamond Steeltrack focusers.

The Baader APO 95/580 CaF2 Travel Companion, produced in small batches, is also very popular and highly sought after by customers, resulting in long waiting lists at times.

Relocation of dome production

Due to increased environmental and process requirements, all dome production and the in-house metal workshop were moved to newly built production halls. All steel and FRP components of Baader observatory domes are manufactured there in various sizes and designs – from the classic slit dome model to highly dynamic advanced systems with fast opening and rotation movements.

Each dome is fully assembled and tested before shipment to ensure flawless operation under all climatic conditions. Centralized manufacturing enables higher capacity, shorter delivery times, and even better quality control – made in Germany.

New CEO Johannes Baader

Alongside Thomas Baader, his son Johannes is appointed as the second managing director with sole power of representation. This officially brings the company into its third generation while remaining true to its roots. Johannes Baader, a trained precision optician at Carl Zeiss Jena, joined the family business in 2006 after his apprenticeship and professional experience in the industry. There, he initially worked through all departments of the company to familiarize himself with every area. His in-depth knowledge of design engineering and observatory technology was acquired primarily through self-study and applied over more than 10 years before the family decided to appoint him as managing director.

His two siblings Tobias and Anne also work in the company. Tobias, as CCO (Chief Creative Officer), is responsible for the company’s external presence and marketing, and Anne, as CFO (Chief Financial Officer), is responsible for organization, finance, and administration.

Telescopes / domes for Bundeswehr

Baader Planetarium is awarded the contract by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to deliver two turnkey space surveillance telescope systems for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The order includes two 1m PlaneWave telescopes with fully automated 6.15m domes, plus all infrastructure. This is the largest single order in the company’s history to date.

The installation followed in 2025.

60 years of Baader Planetarium

More than half a century after its founding, Baader Planetarium remains at the forefront of the astronomical industry. To date, the family-owned company has installed over 600 observatories worldwide, including numerous fully robotic facilities under extreme conditions. Baader domes and telescope systems are used by leading institutes, universities, and space agencies.

Through long-standing partnerships with organizations such as DLR and the German Armed Forces, ESA and NASA, as well as continuous technological innovation (e.g., in Satellite Laser Ranging and Space Situational Awareness), Baader Planetarium has established itself as a globally recognized company in astronomy and space technology.

The company remains true to its guiding principle: delivering not only products, but complete, tailor-made telescope systems that provide users – from amateur astronomers to space agencies – with lifelong enjoyment and successful observations.