Byurakan Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, or Byurakan Observatory is an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences
. It is located on the slope of Mount Aragats
in the village of Byurakan
in Armenia
.
centers of the USSR. The observatory has discovered special star cluster
s - stellar associations (1947), more than 1,000 flare stars, dozens of Supernova
e, hundreds of Herbig-Haro objects and cometary nebulae, hundreds of galaxies
. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the observatory fell into hard times. It has been the site of two major conferences on SETI
, and is recognised as the regional center for astronomical research.
, along with a 1 and .5 m Schmidt camera
as well as other smaller telescopes.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences
Armenian Academy of Sciences
The Armenian Academy of Sciences is the primary body that conducts research in and coordinates activities in the fields of science and social sciences in the Republic of Armenia. It was founded on November 29, 1943...
. It is located on the slope of Mount Aragats
Mount Aragats
Mount Aragats , Alagoz - is a large andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano in NW Armenia about 40 km NW of the capital city of Yerevan. It is the highest point in Armenia, located in the province of Aragatsotn, northwest from Yerevan. Located on its slopes are the Byurakan Observatory and the...
in the village of Byurakan
Byurakan
Byurakan is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia on the slope of Mount Aragats. The town contains the basilica of Saint Hovhannes of the 10th c. and Artavazik Church of the 7th c. with a huge 13th c. khachkar monument directly across the ravine. It is also the site of the Byurakan...
in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
History
Founded in 1946 by Viktor Ambartsumian, it was one of the main astronomyAstronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
centers of the USSR. The observatory has discovered special star cluster
Star cluster
Star clusters or star clouds are groups of stars. Two types of star clusters can be distinguished: globular clusters are tight groups of hundreds of thousands of very old stars which are gravitationally bound, while open clusters, more loosely clustered groups of stars, generally contain less than...
s - stellar associations (1947), more than 1,000 flare stars, dozens of Supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
e, hundreds of Herbig-Haro objects and cometary nebulae, hundreds of galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the observatory fell into hard times. It has been the site of two major conferences on SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
, and is recognised as the regional center for astronomical research.
Equipment
Byurakan Observatory's main telescope is a 2.6 m cassegrain reflectorCassegrain reflector
The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas....
, along with a 1 and .5 m Schmidt camera
Schmidt camera
A Schmidt camera, also referred to as the Schmidt telescope, is a catadioptric astrophotographic telescope designed to provide wide fields of view with limited aberrations. Other similar designs are the Wright Camera and Lurie-Houghton telescope....
as well as other smaller telescopes.