Ondrejov Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Ondřejov Observatory (ˈondr̝ɛjof; ) is the principal observatory
of the Astronomical Institute
(Astronomický ústav) of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
. It is located near the village of Ondřejov, 35 km southeast of Prague
.
The facility was constructed in 1898 by Czech amateur astronomer Josef Jan Frič as a private observatory. Frič donated the facility to the Czechoslovak state
on October 28, 1928 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its independence. The observatory, located at an altitude of 500 m, away from the air and light pollution of urban Prague, was administered by Charles University until the founding of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
in 1953, which from then on operated it as part of its Astronomical Institute in conjunction with other Czechoslovak observatories.
It has been responsible, amongst other scientific achievements, for the discovery of numerous asteroid
s.
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...
of the Astronomical Institute
Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences
The Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences was founded in 1954. Currently, it has its headquarters in Ondřejov observatory, roughly 35 km south-east from Prague and its director is Petr Heinzel....
(Astronomický ústav) of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was established in 1992 by the Czech National Council as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. The Academy is the leading non-university public research institution in the Czech Republic...
. It is located near the village of Ondřejov, 35 km southeast of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
The facility was constructed in 1898 by Czech amateur astronomer Josef Jan Frič as a private observatory. Frič donated the facility to the Czechoslovak state
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
on October 28, 1928 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its independence. The observatory, located at an altitude of 500 m, away from the air and light pollution of urban Prague, was administered by Charles University until the founding of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
The Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences was established in 1953 to be the scientific center for Czechoslovakia. It was succeeded by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 1992.-History:...
in 1953, which from then on operated it as part of its Astronomical Institute in conjunction with other Czechoslovak observatories.
It has been responsible, amongst other scientific achievements, for the discovery of numerous asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s.
External links
- Astronomical Institute, responsible for the observatory
- Photos of the observatory
- Photos of the observatory2
See more
- Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of SciencesAstronomical Institute of Czech Academy of SciencesThe Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences was founded in 1954. Currently, it has its headquarters in Ondřejov observatory, roughly 35 km south-east from Prague and its director is Petr Heinzel....