Category of Astronomical Heritage: tangible immovable
Hurbanovo Observatory, Slovakia
Description
Geographical position
O’Gyalla Observatory (private observatory of Mikulás Konkoly-Thege),
now: Hurbanovo Observatory,
Komárnanská 247/134, 94701 Hurbanovo, Nitra, Slovakia
Location
Lat. 47° 52′ 23.9988″ N, long. 18° 11′ 29.0004″ E, elevation 115m above mean sea level.
IAU observatory code
551
Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage
Fig. 1. O’Gyalla Observatory (private observatory of Mikulás Konkoly-Thege)
The O’Gyalla Observatory (now Hurbanovo in Slovakia) was founded in 1871 by the noble astronomer Miklós Konkoly-Thege / Nikolaus von Konkoly (1842--1916), who has studied Physics and Astronomy at the Universities of Budapest and Berlin.
O’Gyalla Observatory was founded as a private observatory in addition to his palace. After graduation, in 1863, Konkoly went on a tour to visit the most prestigious observatories of Europa (Greenwich, Paris, Heidelberg and Göttingen) in order to be inspired for building his own observatory.
His next tour, seven years later, took him to visit not only astronomical observatories, but also the workshops of the most prominent instrument makers of his day (Sigmund Merz in Munich, John Browning in London and Thomas Cooke in York).
Fig. 2. 10.5-inch Browning reflector in O’Gyalla Observatory
In 1871, Konkoly built his O’Gyalla Observatory with two domes, one for a 6-inch Merz refractor used with a Zöllner spectroscope.
In 1874, he built a 2.80-m-dome, enlarged in 1879, for the 10.5-inch Browning reflector (27cm) -- very remarkable for that time to acquire a reflector. In addition he bought a Rheinfelder photoheliograph for photographing the Sun. The main building was characterized by three domes, the middle one cylindrical with a conical roof.
In the 1860s, a revolutionary transformation took place in astronomy, astrophysics was born. These new physical methods in astronomy -- spectroscopy/spectral analysis, photometry, astrophotography, and solar physics -- have stimulated the creation of a new branch of research, called astrophysics by Zöllner in 1865.
Konkoly was one of the ten pioneers, who started astrophysics:
Karl Friedrich Zöllner (1829--1891), Hermann Carl Vogel (1841--1907), William Huggins (1824--1910), Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836--1920), Angelo Secchi (1818--1878), Pierre Jules César Janssen (1824--1907), Nikolaus Thege-Konkoly (1842--1916), and a little bit later William Henry Pickering (1858--1938), Julius Scheiner (1858--1913), Johannes Hartmann (1865--1936), and others. Konkoly had very close friendships with Vogel and Hartmann in Potsdam and with Max Wolf (1863--1932) in Heidelberg.
History
Fig. 3a. 6-inch refractor, made by Merz of Munich, in O’Gyalla Observatory
Fig. 3b. 6-inch refractor, made by Merz of Munich, used with a Zöllner spectroscope in O’Gyalla Observatory
Instruments
- 6-inch refractor, made by Merz of Munich, used with a Zöllner spectroscope
- 10.5-inch reflecting telescope, made by Browning of London
- two Zöllner photometers
- Wedge photometer, made by Töpfer of Potsdam
- Photoheliograph, made by Rheinfelder of Munich
In 1899, Mikulás Konkoly-Thege dedicated all his property, house, garden, and the equipment of his private O’Gyalla observatory to the Hungarian State, and it was transferred to Budapest, Svábhegyi (Schwabenberg).
Fig. 4. O’Gyalla Observatory (private observatory of Mikulás Konkoly-Thege)
Slovakia was part of the Hungarian Kingdom since 11th century, since 1526 part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, since 1867 Austria-Hungary.
After WWI, the old O’Gyalla Observatory was renamed as Stará Dala in Czechoslovakia. In Slovakia it is named Hurbanovo Observatory; Czech Republic and Slovakia became separate states in 1993.
State of preservation
Fig. 5. O’Gyalla Observatory (private observatory of Mikulás Konkoly-Thege)
It is really a pity, that the original still existing building was demolished in the 1990s (?) and newly built according to old plans;
the value of the original heritage is lost.
Comparison with related/similar sites
It is a three dome observatory, typical for the 19th century, e.g. like the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam.
Threats or potential threats
no threats in the moment for the new building with museum.
Present use
Fig. 6. Miklós Konkoly-Thege / Nikolaus von Konkoly (1842--1916), the founder of O’Gyalla / Hurbanovo Observatory
Hurbanovo Observatory is now an active public observatory with a planetarium and a museum for astronomy
showing the legacy of Miklós Konkoly-Thege / Nikolaus von Konkoly (1842--1916), the founder of O’Gyalla / Hurbanovo Observatory.
Astronomical relevance today
Hurbanovo Observatory is not a scientific institution for astronomical research,
but an active public observatory with a planetarium.
References
Bibliography (books and published articles)
- Balázs, Lajos G.: A short history of the Astronomical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
(https://konkoly.hu/staff/balazs/100ev.html). - Konkoly, Nicolaus: Beobachtungen angestellt am Astrophysikalischen Observatorium in O’Gyalla in Ungarn. Band~1. Halle 1879, S.~1--11.
- Vargha, Magda; Patkós, László; Tóth, Imre (ed.): The Role of Miklós Konkoly Thege in the History of Astronomy in Hungary. Proceedings of the International Meeting ’’120th Anniversary of Konkoly Observatory’’ in Budapest, 5.-6. Sept. 1991. Budapest: Konkoly Observatory 1992.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Astronomical Instruments of the Era Konkoly in Respect to their Significance to Astrophysics. In: Vargha, Magda; Patkós, László; Tóth, Imre (Hg.): The Role of Miklós Konkoly Thege in the History of Astronomy in Hungary. Proceedings of the International Meeting ’’120th Anniversary of Konkoly Observatory’’ in Budapest, 5.-6. Sept. 1991. Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Monographs No. 1, Budapest 1992, S. 69-82.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: The Pioneering Astrophysical Work of Miklós Thege Konkoly (1842--1916). In: Sterken, Christiaan; Hearnshaw, John (Hg.): 100 Years of Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics. Homage to Miklós Konkoly Thege (1842-1916). [Proceedings of the Konkoly meeting in Tihany/Hungary August 1999.] Brüssel: Vrije Universiteit 2001, S. 39-58.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Biographien: Nikolaus Konkoly-Thege (1842--1916). In: Hoffmann, Dieter; Laitko, Hubert und Staffan Müller-Wille (eds.): Lexikon der bedeutenden Naturwissenschaftler, Band 2 (F-Mei). Heidelberg, Berlin: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, München: Elsevier 2004, S. 332-334.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Nikolaus von Konkoly (1842--1916) als Begründer des Konkoly Observatoriums Budapest. In: Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (Hg.): Astronomisches Mäzenatentum. Nuncius Hamburgensis, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften, Band 11. Norderstedt: Books on Demand 2008, S. 82-109.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: Gothard and Konkoly - national and international network of science. In: Conference on the 150th anniversary of Gothard’s birth, Gothard Observatory, Szombathely, Hungary, May 31 to June 2, 2007. Ed. by István Jankovics et al. Szombathely 2009.
- Wolfschmidt, Gudrun: 150 Years of O’Gyalla / Hurbanovo Observatory. Hvezdáre┼ê v Hurbanove má 150 rokov. V priazni bohyne Niké (4). In: Kozmos 6 (2021), p. 35-48, here p. 47.
Links to external sites
- Hurbanovo Observatory, History
- Slovenská ústredná hvezdáren v Hurbanove, História
- Observatory at Hurbanovo
- Slovak Central Observatory Hurbanovo at Night 360° Panorama
- Intermagnet, Geophysical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) Hurbanovo (HRB)
- Hurbanovo Geomagnetic Observatory of the Earth Science Institute SAS (HRB)
Fig. 6. Main building of the Geomagnetic Observatory of the the Earth Science Institute (ÚVZ) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) in Hurbanovo (Courtesy Hurbanovo Geomagnetic Observatory)
