Crimean Astrophysical Observatory

The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO, obs. code: 095) is located at Nauchnij research campus, near the Central Crimean city of Bakhchysarai, on the Crimean peninsula. CrAO is often called simply by its location and campus name, Crimea–Nauchnij, still ranks among the worldwide most prolific discovery sites for minor planets.[2]

Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
The observatory's logo
Alternative namesKrymskai︠a︡ astrofizicheskai︠a︡ observatorii︠a︡ Edit this at Wikidata
Observatory code 095 Edit this on Wikidata
Locationnear Nauchnyi, Crimea
Coordinates44°43′36″N 34°0′57.1″E / 44.72667°N 34.015861°E / 44.72667; 34.015861
Established1945 Edit this on Wikidata
Websitecrao.ru/ru/
Telescopes
TST-1Solar telescope
TST-2Solar telescope
Shain telescope2.6-metre telescope
AZT-11reflector
1.22-mBabelsberg telescope
AZT-8reflector
  Related media on Commons
Minor planets discovered: 14 [1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

CrAO has also been publishing the Bulletin of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory since 1947, in English since 1977. The observatory facilities (IAU code 095) are located on territory of settlement of Nauchnyi since the mid-1950s; before that, they were further south, near Simeiz. The latter facilities still see some use, and are referred to as the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory–Simeiz (IAU code 094).

Observatory leaders

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  • 1945–1952: Grigory Shajn - head of construction, the first director of the Observatory at Nauchny.
  • 1952–1987: Andrei Severny.
  • 1987–2005: Nikolai Steshenko.[3][4]
  • 2005 – present: Alla Rostopchina-Shakhovskaya (Romanova).[5][6]

List of discovered minor planets

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As of 2016, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) gives a total of 1286 numbered minor planets that were discovered at the Crimea–Nauchnij observatory site during 1966–2007.[2] Most of these discovery are credited to the Russian/Soviet astronomers Tamara Smirnova, Lyudmila Chernykh, Nikolai Chernykh, Lyudmila Zhuravleva, Bella A. Burnasheva, Nikolaj Efimovič Kuročkin, Lyudmila Karachkina, Natalʹja Vitalʹevna Metlova and Galina Ričardovna Kastelʹ. As a peculiarity, British astronomer and long-time MPC director Brian G. Marsden is also credited with the co-discovery of 37556 Svyaztie at Nauchnij in 1982, as a symbolic gesture of the astronomical collaborations and friendships between the East and the West during the Cold War.[7]

The MPC also credits the discovery of the following minor planets directly to the observatory (rather than to one of the above listed astronomers):[1]

2094 Magnitka 12 October 1971 list
2163 Korczak 16 September 1971 list
2170 Byelorussia 16 September 1971 list
2406 Orelskaya 20 August 1966 list
2698 Azerbajdzhan 11 October 1971 list
2949 Kaverznev 9 August 1970 list
4004 Listʹev 16 September 1971 list
4466 Abai 23 September 1971 list
4916 Brumberg 10 August 1970 list
4917 Yurilvovia 28 September 1973 list
5706 Finkelstein 23 September 1971 list
18284 Tsereteli 10 August 1970 list
109573 Mishasmirnov 20 August 2001 list
(364566) 2007 PM8 10 August 2007 list
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A view to the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and Nauchnij from the nearby place called "Скалы" ("The Rocks"). Observatory domes seen above the line of horizon are (from left to right) 2.6-m ZTSH telescope, 1.25-m AZT-11 telescope, and BST-1 Solar telescope.
The large optical 2.6-metre Shajn telescope is named after Grigory Shajn (left); The 122-cm Babelsberg telescope and the BST-1 Solar telescope (middle); Rally for the rescue of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in 2013 (right).

See also

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The observatory's former logo

References

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  1. ^ a b "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Minor Planet Discovery Sites". Minor Planet Center. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016. The following table lists the total number of discoveries made at each of the most prolific discovery sites, arranged in decreasing order of number of discoveries.
  3. ^ Стешенко Николай Владимирович, Астронет
  4. ^ СТЕШЕНКО Николай Владимирович Archived 2016-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Кто есть кто в Крыму
  5. ^ Ростопчина-шаховская (Романова) Алла Николаевна Archived 2019-01-08 at the Wayback Machine, Анкета выпускника Казанского ГУ
  6. ^ "Администрация КРАО". Archived from the original on 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  7. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(37556) Svyaztie". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (37556) Svyaztie. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 892–893. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_10005. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
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