SHAMAKHA ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY after named M.N.TUSI
BRIEF HISTORY
Shamakha Astrophysical Observatory (ShAO) of the Academy of Sciences
of Azerbaijan SSR (now Azerbaijan Republic) was founded in 1960.
The Observatory is situated on the southern slope of the Great Caucasus
(altitude = 1535 m, geographical coordinates 48°35'04"E / 40°46'20"N),
not far from Baku (150km).
In 1954 at the Institute of Physics and Mathematics there was organized
a Department of Astrophysics and in 1956 it was reorganized into
independent sector of Astrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of
Azerbaijan SSR. For a short period of time near Pirgulu Mountain
there was set up an astronomical station (observational base of
the Sector) .
Construction of the Observatory began at the end of 1958. At present
there is whole small scientific town near Shamakhy with a dwelling
settlement for its workers
It should be noted that in creating the Observatory and training
specialists a great assistance was and is rendered by MAO (Pulkovo),
Astronomical Observatory of Leningrad State University, Institute
of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Theoretical Astronomy, KrAO,
SAO, MAO (Ukranian SSR), Astrocouncil (Academy of sciences of the
USSR), Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory (Georgian SSR), Sternberg
State Astronomical Institute.
STRUCTURE
ShAO consists of the following structural units: Department (Dept.)
of the "Physics of Stars and Nebula", Dept."Solar Physics", Dept.
"Physics and Dynamics of Solar System Bodies", Dept. "Elaboration
and Modernization of Astronomical Devices", Dept. "Theoretical Astrophysics",
Scientific Organizing Dept., Batabat Division, Aghdara Astronomical
Station, Baku Town Division. There are also scientific library,
relevant administrative-managing departments, construction studio
etc. Both Batabat Division (1970, Shahbuz district, altitude 2140
m) and Aghdara Astronomical Station (1969, Ordubad district, altitude
2167 m) are located in the territory of Nakhichevan , in sites with
an ideal astroclimate.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
There are three
main scientific trends at the Observatory: physics of stars, investigations
of the solar system bodies and solar physics.
In the field of solar physics a great attention was paid to the
study of the solar flare development, relation between solar magnetic
fields and structure of the solar atmosphere. Solar patrol was carried
out in accordance with the international and special programmes.
As to stellar physics, investigations of nonstable, variable and
binary stars, magnetic stars and stars with the extended envelopes
and also the structure and evolution of the superdense stars and
related processes are carried out.
While investigating bodies of the solar system, the workers of the
Observatory study the regularities in their motion, atmosphere of
planets and their satellites.
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
24 domestic, international and other scientific meetings, conferences,
symposia etc. have been held at ShAO within 1957-1989. In 1998 "Tusi-800"
Majlis (School) was organized at ShAO. The main aims of this School
were complex investigation of Tusi's scientific activity and coordination
of astronomical investigations conducted in Azerbaijan and in the
neighbouring region. Within 1998-2001 years 5 domestic, 2 regional
and 1 international ("Nasiraddin Tusi and Modern Astronomy") scientific
conferences of the "Tusi-800" School have been held. ShAO is the
initiator and one of founders of Baku City Astronomical Seminar.
2-m TELESCOPE (1966)
This famous telescope was manufactured and installed
by the German company "Carl Zeiss" Jena. 2-m telescope consists
of three various optical systems and is intended mainly for spectral
observations. The primary parabolic mirror has a diameter of 2000 mm and a focal length of 9000 mm. The system of principal
focus without a corrector has a field of view of 6'x6' and is used
for the spectral and photometric investigation of faint objects.
With the corrector the useful field increases up to 21'x21'. Cassegrain
system has the focal length of 29500 mm; Coude system has
a focal length of about 72000 mm. The 2-m telescope
is equipped with the following light receiving apparatus: spectrograph
of the principal focus with three cameras and two diffraction gratings
which is used for the study of faint objects; prism spectrograph
of Cassegrain focus for obtaining of stellar spectra; grating spectrograph
of Cassegrain focus with moderate dispersion for the quantitative
spectral analysis of celestial bodies; photoelectric star photometer
for the observations of faint objects in the international photometric
systems; spectrograph of Coude focus; Eschelle spectrometer of Coude
focus with resolving power of 35000; Eschelle spectrometer of Cassegrain
focus with resolving power of 17000; CCD camera with 530 x580 pixels.
TELESCOPE AZT-8 (1970)
 The diameter of the free aperture
of the primary parabolic mirror is 700 mm; a focal
length is 2820 mm. The first Cassegrain system with
the equivalent focal length of 11200 mm and relative
aperture of 1:16 has a field of view equal to 40' or 13x13 sm2. The hyperbolic mirror's diameter is 187 mm. The second Cassegrain system has an equivalent
focal length of 28000 mm, relative aperture
of 1:40 and field of view of 18'. Telescope is equipped with
spectrograph ASP-21 (dispersion: 30Å /mm). Telescope
is used for photoelectric, polarimetric and spectral observations
of the celestial bodies.
|
TELESCOPE "Zeiss-600" (1978)
This telescope with Cassegrain system is used
mainly for photometric investigations of celestial bodies.
The diameter of primary parabolic mirror is 600 mm;
the focal length is 7500 mm. Telescope is equipped
with electro-photometer of U-B-V-R filters system. |
HORIZONTAL SOLAR TELESCOPE AZU-5 (1963)
This telescope is used for the solar spectral researches and photometric
investigations of the Sun. The diameter of it coelostat, secondary
and primary mirrors is 440 mm, the diameter of the Newtonian
mirror is 200 mm, the Newtonian focal length is 17500 mm and equivalent focus distance in the Cassegrain system is 60540 mm. The Newtonian focus is used for spectral and magnetic observations.
The autocollimated spectrograph ASP-20 (with the grating of 150x120 mm2 ruled area and 600 lines/mm, with the focal length
of 7 000 mm, dispersion in the second working order is 1.12 Å/mm and ranges of the spectral field is 360 Å,
diameter of the image is 160 mm) is used for the obtaining
of spectrograms of solar flares, for visual observations of the magnetic
fields of sunspots, studies on the development and dynamics of coronal
prominences and spicules, fine structure of the solar spectral lines.
There is 8-cameras spectrograph with a diffraction grating and 9 mirrors
that have an equivalent focus distance of 9000 mm and range
the visible part of the solar spectrum. Cameras are located along
the spectrum that allows the registration of any combination of the
bands of the solar spectrum.
CHROMOSPHERE-PHOTOSPHERIC TELESCOPE AFR-3 (1957)
This telescope was used for the solar patrol more than 35 years. The
diameter of the photospheric tube objective is 130 mm and the
equivalent focal length is 9 000 mm; diameter of an image is
100 mm; the diameter of the chromospheric tube objective is
60 mm and the focal lengths are 6000 and 2000 mm. With
the aid of the polarization interference filter (band width is 0.5
Å) the chromospheric patrol and patrol of other active formations
on the Sun were carry out. With the of photospheric tube the solar
photosphere is observed.
MENISCUS TELESCOPE AST-452 (1964)
This telescope with the Maksutov optical system is used for the spectral
and photometric investigations of stars mainly in the violet spectral
region. The focal length is 1200 mm, diameter of the
telescope aperture is 350 mm, field of view in the prime
focus is 4°14' and in the Newtonian one it is 2°52'. The linear size
of the field in the Newtonian focus is 60 mm and in the prime focus
it is equal to 90 mm; the prism refraction angles are
2°, 15° and 35°40' respectively. With this telescope, works on the
spectral classifications of stars in the clusters and study of the
continuous stellar spectra are carried out.
OTHER INSTRUMENTS
There is out-of-eclipse solar coronagraph of Lio system (1972, diameter
of prime objective is 530 mm, focal length is 7500 mm,
equipped with diffraction spectrograph), "Zeiss-600" reflector (1991,
diameter of the prime mirror is 600 mm, focal length
is 7500 mm) and 200 mm Coude reflector "Zeiss-200" (diameter
of the objective is 200 mm, focal length is 2000 mm)
in the Batabat Division.
Agdara Astronomica1 Station has the following scientific instruments:
wide-angle astrograph, meniscus Lunar-planetary telescope ( diameter
of parabolic mirror is 720mm, a focal length is 10000 mm) and FAS-5 camera. In the nearest future, 90-sm Schmidt
telescope (AZT-15) will be installed in the ShAO.
