Kevola Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Kevola Observatory is located in Kevola in Paimio
in South-Western Finland
, some 35 km east from the city of Turku
. The observatory
is currently owned by Turun Ursa ry, a local astronomical association operating in Turku area. The buildings of the observatory include an observatory dome, a zenith
observatory, and a house for recording observations.
Kevola Observatory is listed in the IAU list of observatory codes with code 64.
. She worked at the time as an observer at Tuorla Observatory
of University of Turku
. The association was founded by Yrjö Väisälä
, Liisi Oterma
, Hilkka Rantaseppä-Helenius, and other astronomers working at University of Turku.
The association was terminated in 1983. In 1986 the observatory building was passed to Turun Ursa, also founded by Yrjö Väisälä. The land of the observatory was rented from a local farmer until 2002, when Turun Ursa received a grant from Viljo, Yrjö ja Kalle Väisälän rahasto (Viljo, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund) to purchase the land.
, which was earlier located at Iso-Heikkilä Observatory
, where it was used in an asteroid hunt to find 807 minor planets
and 7 comets
. The telescope has a 50 cm corrector menisculus and a 60 cm primary mirror with focal length of 1031 mm. It has a 6.7 degree field of view on 12x12 cm film plates, making it ideal for searching asteroids. Attached to the main telescope are two guide telescopes: a 18 cm and a 8 cm refractor.
The zenith tower originally housed a 250/5150 mm zenith telescope
that was used to observe the movements of the axis of the earth
. After the Tähtitieteellis-optillinen seura was ended, the telescope was moved to Tuorla Observatory. As the zenith tower does not have a dome but a roof that opens to the sides, and has therefore little use for normal observations, it remains unused.
Paimio
Paimio is a town and a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
in South-Western Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, some 35 km east from the city of Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
. The 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...
is currently owned by Turun Ursa ry, a local astronomical association operating in Turku area. The buildings of the observatory include an observatory dome, a zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
observatory, and a house for recording observations.
Kevola Observatory is listed in the IAU list of observatory codes with code 64.
History
The observatory was built in 1963 by Tähtitieteellis-optillinen seura (Astronomy-Optical Society) on a small hill on lands of the home farm of Hilkka Rantaseppä-HeleniusHilkka Rantaseppä-Helenius
Hilkka Rantaseppä-Helenius was a Finnish astronomer.- Biography :Rantaseppä-Helenius began studying mathematics in hopes of becoming a teacher. Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä inspired her to become an astronomer instead....
. She worked at the time as an observer at Tuorla Observatory
Tuorla Observatory
Tuorla Observatory is the Department of Astronomy at the University of Turku, southwest Finland. Currently it is the largest astronomical research institute in Finland...
of University of Turku
University of Turku
The University of Turku , located in Turku in southwestern Finland, is the second largest university in the country as measured by student enrollment, after University of Helsinki. It was established in 1920 and also has faculties at Rauma, Pori and Salo...
. The association was founded by Yrjö Väisälä
Yrjö Väisälä
Yrjö Väisälä was a Finnish astronomer and physicist.His main contributions were in the field of optics, but he was also very active in geodetics, astronomy and optical metrology...
, Liisi Oterma
Liisi Oterma
Liisi Oterma was a Finnish astronomer, the first woman to get a Ph.D. degree in astronomy in Finland.She discovered or co-discovered some comets, including periodic comets 38P/Stephan-Oterma and 39P/Oterma, and quite a number of asteroids. The asteroid 1529 Oterma was named in her honour.-...
, Hilkka Rantaseppä-Helenius, and other astronomers working at University of Turku.
The association was terminated in 1983. In 1986 the observatory building was passed to Turun Ursa, also founded by Yrjö Väisälä. The land of the observatory was rented from a local farmer until 2002, when Turun Ursa received a grant from Viljo, Yrjö ja Kalle Väisälän rahasto (Viljo, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund) to purchase the land.
Astronomical instruments
The observatory dome houses a 50 cm anastigmatic Schmidt-Väisälä cameraSchmidt-Väisälä camera
The Schmidt-Väisälä camera is a type of astronomical telescope intended for wide-field photographic work. It was designed by Yrjö Väisälä.-Invention and design:...
, which was earlier located at Iso-Heikkilä Observatory
Iso-Heikkilä Observatory
Iso-Heikkilä Observatory is an amateur astronomical observatory in the Iso-Heikkilä district of Turku, Finland. It was operated by the University of Turku from 1937 to 1972 but is now used by a local division of Ursa Astronomical Association.-History:...
, where it was used in an asteroid hunt to find 807 minor planets
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
and 7 comets
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
. The telescope has a 50 cm corrector menisculus and a 60 cm primary mirror with focal length of 1031 mm. It has a 6.7 degree field of view on 12x12 cm film plates, making it ideal for searching asteroids. Attached to the main telescope are two guide telescopes: a 18 cm and a 8 cm refractor.
The zenith tower originally housed a 250/5150 mm zenith telescope
Zenith telescope
A zenith telescope is a type of telescope that is designed to point straight up at or near the zenith. They are used for precision measurement of star positions, to simplify telescope construction, or both....
that was used to observe the movements of the axis of the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. After the Tähtitieteellis-optillinen seura was ended, the telescope was moved to Tuorla Observatory. As the zenith tower does not have a dome but a roof that opens to the sides, and has therefore little use for normal observations, it remains unused.