Category of Astronomical Heritage: tangible immovable
Kharkov Observatory, Ukraine
Description
Geographical position
Kharkiv (German: Charkiw/Charkow, Russian: Kharkov) Observatory, Kharkiv, Ukraine
See also: Chuhuiv Observational Station, 70 km southeast from Kharkov
Location
Latitude 50°50’09’’ N, Longitude 36°13’51’’ E, Elevation 138m above mean sea level.
IAU observatory code
101
Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage
Fig. 1. Telescope in the Museum of Astronomy of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Wikipedia 4, Oleksiy.golubov)
In 1808, Grigori Vasiljevich Levitsky (1852--1917) established an astronomical cabinet. P.A. Zateplinskiy (1794--1834), PhD in Paris Sorbonne, became the first professor and head of the newly founded astronomy department in 1924.
In 1883, Grigori Vasiljevich Levitsky (1852--1917) was nominated as director. In 1888, an observatory building was erected and instruments acquired.
Fig. 2. Kharkiv Observatory, 1891--1900 (Wikipedia)
Research topics: Astrometry and stellar astronometry (started by Ludwig Struve), planetary astronomy like solar, lunar and planetary physics was started by astrophysicists Vasiliy Grigorjevich Fessenkov (1889--1972), physics of satellites, asteroids and comets, fundamental astronomy.
History
Fig. 3. The main building of Kharkiv Observatory (1808) (Wikipedia 4, Oleksiy.golubov)
Directors of Kharkov Astronomical Observatory
- 1824 to 1834 P.A. Zateplinskiy (1794--1834)
- ....
- 1883 to 1894 Grigori Vasiljevich Levitsky (1852--1917)
- 1894 to 1917 Gustav Wilhelm Ludwig [Liudvig] von Struve (1858--1920)
- 1917 to 1929 Nikolai [Mykola] Nikolajevich Yevdokimov (1868--1940)
- 1930 to 1971 Nikolai [Mykola] Pavlovich Barabashov (1894--1971)
- 1971 to 1977 Vladimir [Volodimir] Yezerskiy (....)
- 1977 to 1993 Vladimir Nikolajevich Dudinov (1938--2016)
- 1993 to 2004 Vladimir Anatolyevich Zakhozhay (1952--2019)
- 2004 to 2014 Yuriy Grigorovich Shkuratov (*1952)
- since 2014 Vadym Grigorovich Kaydash (*1971)
Departments of the Institute of Astronomy
- Department of Astrophysics, (The chief is Dr. A.P. Zheleznyak).
- Laboratory of Astrometry (The chief is Prof. P.N. Fedorov);
- Department of physics of asteroids and comets (The chief is Prof. I.N. Belskaya);
- Department of remote sensing of planets (The chief is the correspondent member of NANU, Prof. Yu.G. Shkuratov);
- Department of physics of the Sun, the Moon and planets (The chief is Dr. V.V. Korokhin).
Fig. 4. Meridian Circle, Repsold of Hamburg (1904) of Kharkiv Observatory (Wikipedia, Nevidomy, Kharkiv University Museum of History of Astronomy)
Instruments of Kharkov Observatory
- Meridian circle, Repsold of Hamburg (1904)
- Transit instrument
- Spectroheliograph
- 20-cm Refractor, Zeiss of Jena
- 27-cm-Reflector
- Coherent-optical image processor system
- 70-cm-Reflecting-telescope (AZT-8)
- Solar-telescope (AFR-2)
- Balyshev, Marat: History of Kharkiv Astronomical Observatory.
- Kharkiv Astronomical Observatory. In: Encyklopedia of Ukraine, Vol. 2 (1988).
- Kharkov Astronomical Observatory. In: The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd edition )1970--1979.
- Shkuratov, Yu.G. (ed.): 200 years of astronomy in the Kharkov University. Kharkov: Kharkov National University 2008.
- UTR-2. Kharkov radio telescope. In: Collins Dictionary of Astronomy. Market House Books Ltd 2006.
- Vavilova, I.B.; Karetnikov, V.G.; Konovalenko, A.A.; Logvinenko, O.O.; Pinigin, G.I. & N.V. Steshenko: Astronomical Sites in the Ukraine: Current Status and Problems of Preservation. In: Preserving the Astronomical Sky, Proceedings of IAU Symposium 196, held 12--16 July 1999, in Vienna, Austria. Edited by R.J. Cohen and W.T. Sullivan (2001), p. 153, 2001IAUS..196..153V
- Aleksandrov, Yurij V.: Institute of Astronomy, Kharkiv National University, History (2020/11/03)
- Chuguev Observational Station
- Institute of Astronomy of Kharkiv National University
- Research Institute of Astronomy, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (2002)
- Balyshev, Marat: History of Kharkiv Astronomical Observatory, including a study of the life and scientific work of Kharkiv astronomers (Publications on ResearchGate)
The Ukrainian T-shape Radio telescope (UTR-2) is the world’s largest phased array operating at decametric wavelengths. Located near Grakovo village, about 80 km from Kharkov, northeast Ukraine, UTR-2 has a collecting area of 150,000 square meters and a resolution of about 40 arcminutes at its center frequency of 16.7 MHz.
State of preservation
The Kharkiv Observatory seems to be in good condition, but now with the war in Ukraine, the situation is unclear.
Fig. 5. Dome in Kharkiv Observatory (Wikipedia 4, Oleksiy.golubov)
Comparison with related/similar sites
See also Astronomical Observatories of Ukraine: Mykolaiv Observatory, Observatory of Kyiv National University, Odessa Observatory, Simeiz, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory near Yalta (2008):
"This transnational nomination brings together important astronomical observatories. Four observatories from the 19th and 20th centuries in Ukraine are included in the nomination: Mykolaiv Observatory, Astronomical Observatory of Kyiv National University, Astronomical Observatory of Odessa National University, and Crimean Astrophysical Observatory." - UNESCO World Heritage, Ukraine Tentative List (2008), Criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi) (cultural).Threats or potential threats
no threats, but now there is the war in Ukraine!
Present use
Astronomical Museum in Kharkiv Observatory
Astronomical relevance today
Research topics: Astrometry, astrophysics, planetary astronomy like solar, lunar and planetary physics, physics of satellites, asteroids and comets, fundamental astronomy.
References
Bibliography (books and published articles)
Links to external sites
Links to external on-line pictures
no information available
- Balyshev, Marat: History of Kharkiv Astronomical Observatory.
