National Observatory of Athens
Encyclopedia
The National Observatory of Athens
(NOA
) is a research institute
in Athens
, Greece
. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern Europe
.
, ambassador
in Vienna
, expresses his intention to make a donation for science development in Greece
. He takes advice from his friend, the Austrian ambassador in Athens Prokesh-Osten, whose secretary is the physicist and astronomer, professor Georgios Vouris. The decision of Georgios Sinas is to donate the Greek Government with 500.000 drachmas for founding an Astronomical Observatory in Athens.
The Observatory of Athens foundation ceremony in June 26, 1842, the day of a Solar Eclipse, is a magnificent official event. Persist the King of Greece Otto
, members of the Government and of the Greek Church. A large crowd of people fills up the vicinity of the place selected for the Observatory, a location on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, facing the Acropolis
. Following the panegyric speech by professor Vouris, the foundation stone is set under music sounds and cannonade by a Danish frigate anchored in Piraeus port.
building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The building was completed in 1846.
and installs the first instruments in the new building:
. Utilizing the Sina's family donation, J. Schmidt takes care of the instruments repairing and maintenance. He enriches the Observatory's library with many scientific books and journals. Some of them are donated by observatories
. Schmidt starts the editing of Publications of the Observatory of Athens.
During the 25 years of his work in the Athens Observatory, he performs more than 70000 observations of variable stars and discovers few periodic variables and two Novae stars. Most of the results are published in the Astronomische Nachrichten
journal.
For many years, J. Schmidt studies the planets Mars
and Jupiter
and draws the changes on their surfaces. He observes the bright comet of the 1860 and two years latter discovers a periodic comet. The clear sky allows him to make thousands observations of meteors. He also has the opportunity to observe a number of Solar eclipses and many eclipses of Moon.
The Topographical Chart of the Moon (Chaptre der Gebirge des Mondes) published in Berlin
, is perhaps his mostly brilliant work. In an area of two meters diameter, consisting of 25 parts and representing the visible surface of the Moon
, there are drawn about 30000 craters as observed with the 158mm Ploessl telescope. Significant is also his study of the crater Linne showing apparent morphological changes.
Julius Schmidt reorganizes the meteorological service of the Observatory of Athens. He performs meteorological observations in many places in Greece and regularly sends data to the Observatory of Paris. These results are presented in his work "Beitrage zur Physikalischen von Griechland" (1864).
Very significant is his interest in the field of seismology. With the help of volunteers, he records more than 3000 earthquakes and publishes his "Studienn uber Erdbeben" (1975). So well, few years he observes the Santorini volcano, since the erection in 1866, and publishes the study of this and of three other volcanos (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli) in 1874.
Julius Schmidt makes some journeys with the aim of geographical studies and performs archeological investigations to discover the ancient Troy
.
Because of the financial situation of the Observatory (the funds of the Sinas family donation are already exhausted), Dimitrios Kokkidis has very limited possibilities for administrative and scientific activity. He continues regular meridian circle observations for the purpose of time service and observes solar spots. He successes to expand the meteorological stations network to few places far from Athens.
in June 19, 1890, the Athens Observatory becomes a governmental research center and its name is changed to National Observatory of Athens. With this law, Dimitrios Eginitis is appointed Director of the NOA
. In addition to the Astronomical Institute, two others are created, the Meteorological and the Seismological Institutes.
The Eginitis' very first care is to find founds and donations. He gets a credit from the University and performs a restoration of the observatory building and of its old instruments. Because of the economical situation in Greece, the governmental aid is very limited. Eginitis organizes national committee that in few years succeeds to collect a considerable sum from fellow-Greeks. Among the generous donators are D. Doridis, A. Syggrou, M. Korgialenios, P. Stefanovik, E. Zarifis, K. Mavromichalis, A. Skouzes, and N. Hrysovelonis.
With the collected funds, the Thissio site of the Observatory is expanded, a neighbor area is bought and three new buildings are erected. So well, new instruments are ordered and installed in NOA, a 16cm meridian circle and a 40cm refractor. Another telescope, a 20cm reflector is donated by K. Ionidis.
D. Eginitis reorganizes the meteorological net adding about hundred of new stations and creates a seismological service. He organizes the edition of the "Annalles de l'Observatoire National d'Athenes".
Eginitis plays a significant role in the political and academic life in Greece. He is Minister of Education in 1917 and in 1926, and is the founder of the Academy of Athens in 1926. Considerable is his contribution of in accepting the World Time Zone
system and the Gregorian Style Calendar
in Greece.
In 1935 Stavros Plakidis is elected Professor in the University of Athens
and at the same time is nominated Supervisor of the Astronomical Department of NOA. In two years the NOA changes two Directors, firstly is nominated professor Nikolaos Kritikos, then Ilias Mariolopoulos. In 1937, Director of NOA is nominated Georgios Chors.
Professor Plakidis is already well-known astronomer and continues his work in the field of the observational astrophysics. He publishes many papers in famous astronomical journals. Very well-known is his work on long-period variable stars in collaboration with professor Sir A. S. Eddington.
Stavros Plakidis makes many efforts to move the observations far from the city center. In 1936 the beginning of the Astronomical Station Penteli was set. But, the II World War significantly delayed the development of the station. At the end of his, about a half century, active carrier in NOA, he could see the results of this task, the new 63cm telescope in Penteli used extensively by the astronomers of the Institute.
In 1999 the names of the institutes of NOA were updated, as follows:
In 2003 the Institute of Astroparticle Physics "NESTOR" became the fifth institute of NOA
Emilios T. Harlaftis
worked as a research fellow (1997–1998) at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Observatory of Athens.
The central premises of the National Observatory of Athens are situated on top of Lofos Nymphon (Nymphs' Hill) at Thissio.
Nymphs' Hill borders with Philopapou Hill and is opposite to the Acropolis
and the Athenian Agora.
Penteli's Astronomical Station is situated on 'Lofos Koufou' at 'Palaia Penteli'
(UHI) of the city, especially during summer and spring.
)
The official site of the National Observatory of Athens (in English
)
The Central Premises in Google Maps
The Penteli's Astronomical Station in Google Maps
A short history of the National Observatory of Athens and its instruments (in English
)
National Observatory of Athens
The National Observatory of Athens is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern...
(NOA
National Observatory of Athens
The National Observatory of Athens is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern...
) is a research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern Europe
Southern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
.
1842 - The Athens Observatory foundation
Around 1840, the national benefactor, Baron Georgios SinasGeorgios Sinas
Georgios Sinas was a Greek entrepreneur, banker and national benefactor. He was the founder of the Athens National Observatory.- Biography :Georgios Sinas was born in Niš in 1783 of Greek or possibly Vlach origin, to Northern Epirotian parents. At an early age Sinas lost his mother and was grown...
, ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, expresses his intention to make a donation for science development in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He takes advice from his friend, the Austrian ambassador in Athens Prokesh-Osten, whose secretary is the physicist and astronomer, professor Georgios Vouris. The decision of Georgios Sinas is to donate the Greek Government with 500.000 drachmas for founding an Astronomical Observatory in Athens.
The Observatory of Athens foundation ceremony in June 26, 1842, the day of a Solar Eclipse, is a magnificent official event. Persist the King of Greece Otto
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
, members of the Government and of the Greek Church. A large crowd of people fills up the vicinity of the place selected for the Observatory, a location on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, facing the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
. Following the panegyric speech by professor Vouris, the foundation stone is set under music sounds and cannonade by a Danish frigate anchored in Piraeus port.
The first building and instruments
The first building, known as Sinas building, is based on a project presented by Edward Schaubert and prepared by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen. For the final project, the opinion of professor Vouris and of the well known astronomer Schumacher was taken into account. The cross-like neoclassicNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The building was completed in 1846.
Georgios Vouris, the first Director, 1846-1855
The inspirer of the Athens Observatory, professor Georgios Vouris becomes its first Director. Using the Sinas donation he orders in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and installs the first instruments in the new building:
- 6.2" (158mm, f/15) refractor Ploessl
- 3.7" meridian circle Starke-Fraunhofer
- five small telescopes for comets
- chronometers for civil and sidereal time
- set of meteorological instruments
1855-1858
After the resignation of professor Vouris, Director of the Athens Observatory is nominated Ioannis Papadakis.1858-1884: The "classical" epoch of J. Schmidt
In December 4, 1858, Director of the Athens Observatory is nominated the German researcher Johann Friedrich Julius SchmidtJohann Friedrich Julius Schmidt
Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt was a German astronomer and geophysicist.-Biography:...
. Utilizing the Sina's family donation, J. Schmidt takes care of the instruments repairing and maintenance. He enriches the Observatory's library with many scientific books and journals. Some of them are donated by observatories
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...
. Schmidt starts the editing of Publications of the Observatory of Athens.
During the 25 years of his work in the Athens Observatory, he performs more than 70000 observations of variable stars and discovers few periodic variables and two Novae stars. Most of the results are published in the Astronomische Nachrichten
Astronomische Nachrichten
Astronomische Nachrichten , one of the first international journals in the field of astronomy, was founded in 1821 by the German astronomer Heinrich Christian Schumacher. It claims to be the oldest astronomical journal in the world that is still being published...
journal.
For many years, J. Schmidt studies the planets Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
and draws the changes on their surfaces. He observes the bright comet of the 1860 and two years latter discovers a periodic comet. The clear sky allows him to make thousands observations of meteors. He also has the opportunity to observe a number of Solar eclipses and many eclipses of Moon.
The Topographical Chart of the Moon (Chaptre der Gebirge des Mondes) published in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, is perhaps his mostly brilliant work. In an area of two meters diameter, consisting of 25 parts and representing the visible surface of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, there are drawn about 30000 craters as observed with the 158mm Ploessl telescope. Significant is also his study of the crater Linne showing apparent morphological changes.
Julius Schmidt reorganizes the meteorological service of the Observatory of Athens. He performs meteorological observations in many places in Greece and regularly sends data to the Observatory of Paris. These results are presented in his work "Beitrage zur Physikalischen von Griechland" (1864).
Very significant is his interest in the field of seismology. With the help of volunteers, he records more than 3000 earthquakes and publishes his "Studienn uber Erdbeben" (1975). So well, few years he observes the Santorini volcano, since the erection in 1866, and publishes the study of this and of three other volcanos (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli) in 1874.
Julius Schmidt makes some journeys with the aim of geographical studies and performs archeological investigations to discover the ancient Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
.
1884-1890: D. Kokkidis
Dimitrios Kokkidis undertakes temporary the direction of the Observatory of Athens in 1884.Because of the financial situation of the Observatory (the funds of the Sinas family donation are already exhausted), Dimitrios Kokkidis has very limited possibilities for administrative and scientific activity. He continues regular meridian circle observations for the purpose of time service and observes solar spots. He successes to expand the meteorological stations network to few places far from Athens.
1890-1934: The Observatory "renaissance" - D. Eginitis
With a special law of the Greek ParliamentHellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
in June 19, 1890, the Athens Observatory becomes a governmental research center and its name is changed to National Observatory of Athens. With this law, Dimitrios Eginitis is appointed Director of the NOA
National Observatory of Athens
The National Observatory of Athens is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern...
. In addition to the Astronomical Institute, two others are created, the Meteorological and the Seismological Institutes.
The Eginitis' very first care is to find founds and donations. He gets a credit from the University and performs a restoration of the observatory building and of its old instruments. Because of the economical situation in Greece, the governmental aid is very limited. Eginitis organizes national committee that in few years succeeds to collect a considerable sum from fellow-Greeks. Among the generous donators are D. Doridis, A. Syggrou, M. Korgialenios, P. Stefanovik, E. Zarifis, K. Mavromichalis, A. Skouzes, and N. Hrysovelonis.
With the collected funds, the Thissio site of the Observatory is expanded, a neighbor area is bought and three new buildings are erected. So well, new instruments are ordered and installed in NOA, a 16cm meridian circle and a 40cm refractor. Another telescope, a 20cm reflector is donated by K. Ionidis.
D. Eginitis reorganizes the meteorological net adding about hundred of new stations and creates a seismological service. He organizes the edition of the "Annalles de l'Observatoire National d'Athenes".
Eginitis plays a significant role in the political and academic life in Greece. He is Minister of Education in 1917 and in 1926, and is the founder of the Academy of Athens in 1926. Considerable is his contribution of in accepting the World Time Zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
system and the Gregorian Style Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
in Greece.
1935-1964: The astrophysics in NOA - S. Plakidis
Stavros Plakidis works in the Observatory since 1915. In 1927 S. Plakidis is promoted to assistant astronomer and in 1928, with the recommendation of professor Eginitis, he continues his studies for two years in Greenwich, Cambridge, Paris, Strasbourg, and Heidelberg. In 1931 he is proclaimed Doctor of Mathematics and is nominated regular astronomer of NOA.In 1935 Stavros Plakidis is elected Professor in the University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
and at the same time is nominated Supervisor of the Astronomical Department of NOA. In two years the NOA changes two Directors, firstly is nominated professor Nikolaos Kritikos, then Ilias Mariolopoulos. In 1937, Director of NOA is nominated Georgios Chors.
Professor Plakidis is already well-known astronomer and continues his work in the field of the observational astrophysics. He publishes many papers in famous astronomical journals. Very well-known is his work on long-period variable stars in collaboration with professor Sir A. S. Eddington.
Stavros Plakidis makes many efforts to move the observations far from the city center. In 1936 the beginning of the Astronomical Station Penteli was set. But, the II World War significantly delayed the development of the station. At the end of his, about a half century, active carrier in NOA, he could see the results of this task, the new 63cm telescope in Penteli used extensively by the astronomers of the Institute.
In 1999 the names of the institutes of NOA were updated, as follows:
- Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development
- Institute of Geodynamics
- Institute for Space Applications and Remote SensingInstitute for Space Applications and Remote SensingThe Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing is a research institute in Greece with expertise in multidisciplinary space and environmental sciences, and one of the five research Institutes of the National Observatory of Athens...
In 2003 the Institute of Astroparticle Physics "NESTOR" became the fifth institute of NOA
Emilios T. Harlaftis
Emilios T. Harlaftis
Emilios T. Harlaftis was an astrophysicist.Harlaftis obtained an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Athens in 1987, and a Ph.D. degree at the University of Oxford in 1991...
worked as a research fellow (1997–1998) at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Observatory of Athens.
Premises
The National Observatory of Athens has two buildings:- The Central Premises
The central premises of the National Observatory of Athens are situated on top of Lofos Nymphon (Nymphs' Hill) at Thissio.
Nymphs' Hill borders with Philopapou Hill and is opposite to the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
and the Athenian Agora.
- Penteli's Astronomical Station
Penteli's Astronomical Station is situated on 'Lofos Koufou' at 'Palaia Penteli'
The NOA Weather Station
The National Observatory of Athens handles the most antique weather station of Greece, which is located at Thissio and that is affected by the urban heat islandUrban heat island
An urban heat island is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. The phenomenon was first investigated and described by Luke Howard in the 1810s, although he was not the one to name the phenomenon. The temperature difference usually is larger at night...
(UHI) of the city, especially during summer and spring.
External links
The official site of the National Observatory of Athens (in GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
)
The official site of the National Observatory of Athens (in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
)
The Central Premises in Google Maps
The Penteli's Astronomical Station in Google Maps
A short history of the National Observatory of Athens and its instruments (in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
)