Name and Location

The Foucault Tower of the Novosibirsk Planetarium is located at Ulitsa Klyuch-Kamyshenskoye Plato, 1 корпус 1, Novosibirsk, Novosibirskaya oblast’, Russia, 630114. The tower is situated on a wooded plateau west of central Novosibirsk.

Construction and History

The Foucault Tower was built in the early 2010s as part of the planetarium's opening in 2012. Its primary purpose is to display one of Russia's largest Foucault pendulums, demonstrating Earth's rotation to visitors. The tower is a five-storey observation and exhibition tower attached to the Novosibirsk Planetarium.

Architecture and Materials

The Foucault Tower has a modernist style with a reinforced concrete structure, steel pendulum mount, and glass-faced entrance lobby. It stands at an approximate height of 20-25 meters, with 5 above-ground floors accessible via interior stairs and elevators.

Light and Navigation

This is not an aid to navigation; there is no light, fog signal, AIS or radar installation. The tower does not serve maritime navigation and has never been used for such purposes.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Foucault Tower is open to visitors during planetarium hours (Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-18:00; closed Mondays). Entrance is via the planetarium lobby, with a combined ticket for planetarium shows and tower exhibitions. Guided pendulum demonstrations are available at scheduled times, with audio-guide commentary in Russian and English.

Notable Views and Landscape

The 4th floor circular balcony offers a close-up view of the pendulum in motion. The 5th floor observation platform provides panoramic views over the Klyuch-Kamyshenskoye Plateau, Oktyabr’skiy district, and the Ob River valley.

Anecdotes and Folklore

None available.

Technical and Operational Details

The Foucault pendulum is suspended from a height of 15 meters. The tower does not have automated station keeping or remote operation; it is manually accessible as an exhibit.

Further Information

For more information, please visit the Novosibirsk Planetarium Official Website: http://www.nsop.ru.