Modra Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Astronomical Observatory of Modra , also known as Modra Observatory or the Astronomical and Geophysical observatory in Modra, is an astronomical
observatory
located in Modra
, Slovakia
. It is owned and operated by the Comenius University in Bratislava
. The scientific research at the observatory is led by the Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics
.
The asteroid
11118 Modra
discovered in this observatory is named in the honour of the town.
and in the mountain range of Little Carpathians
. The 3.5-hectare area contains several buildings and scientific instruments surrounded by beech
forest. It lies on the middle trias quartzitic bedrock. It is accessible via a tourist trail or by the private paved road from Zochova chata. The main administrative building with the dome on the top contains the 0.60-metre Zeiss telescope with CCD camera and the 0.20-metre solar telescope with H-alpha filter. Within walking distance there are several buildings and pavilions with scientific devices, such as the magnetic pavilion (measurement of the Earth magnetic field), the seismic cell with the seismograph, the solar telescope dome, the dome with the Schumann resonances registration device and the meteor pavilion of photographic and video meteor detection. The upper building with the 5-metre dome has a small telescope for educational purposes and registration devices for GPS and forward scatter meteor radar
of the Bologna
-Lecce
-Modra
network (transceiver-receiver-receiver). The lower building, standing next to the pond, has a small convention center and housing facility for guests. Since 1988, continuous weather and meteorological observations are done. and the data provide a unique and homogenous climate record of the site.
Further planned development of the observatory involves the building of an open-air amphitheatre.
in Slovakia
was performed at the observatory. The solar physics researchers perform solar prominence and chromosphere features observations in the H-alpha line.
The observatory is also a member of the European bolide network and itself develops its own TV meteor grid. Besides photographic all-sky cameras, fish-eye all-sky semi-automated meteor detection devices are located at Modra observatory and near Tesárske Mlyňany
. In addition to meteor detection, real time all-sky camera is able to detect also other phenomena, such as atmospheric sprites and elves
(TLE).
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
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...
located in Modra
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It is owned and operated by the Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
. The scientific research at the observatory is led by the Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics
Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics
The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics is one of the faculties of the Comenius University in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
.
The 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...
11118 Modra
11118 Modra
11118 Modra is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 9, 1996 by A. Galad and D. Kalmancok at Modra Observatory in Slovakia....
discovered in this observatory is named in the honour of the town.
About
The Astronomical and Geophysical observatory of Comenius University is located near the town of ModraModra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
and in the mountain range of Little Carpathians
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia, covering the area from Bratislava to Nové Mesto nad Váhom, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge is situated south of Devín Gate in...
. The 3.5-hectare area contains several buildings and scientific instruments surrounded by beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forest. It lies on the middle trias quartzitic bedrock. It is accessible via a tourist trail or by the private paved road from Zochova chata. The main administrative building with the dome on the top contains the 0.60-metre Zeiss telescope with CCD camera and the 0.20-metre solar telescope with H-alpha filter. Within walking distance there are several buildings and pavilions with scientific devices, such as the magnetic pavilion (measurement of the Earth magnetic field), the seismic cell with the seismograph, the solar telescope dome, the dome with the Schumann resonances registration device and the meteor pavilion of photographic and video meteor detection. The upper building with the 5-metre dome has a small telescope for educational purposes and registration devices for GPS and forward scatter meteor radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
of the Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
-Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
-Modra
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
network (transceiver-receiver-receiver). The lower building, standing next to the pond, has a small convention center and housing facility for guests. Since 1988, continuous weather and meteorological observations are done. and the data provide a unique and homogenous climate record of the site.
Further planned development of the observatory involves the building of an open-air amphitheatre.
Education and research
As a part of the Comenius University, the observatory provides research opportunity for students, and the staff offers guidance for the Master and PhD theses. The research is mainly aimed at the interplanetary matter. More than 160 asteroids were discovered from the observatory including two Near Earth Objects 2005 GB34 and 2008 UW5. The observation time is mostly assigned for the photometry of asteroids and comets and astrometry. The first observation of a transiting extrasolar planetExtrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
was performed at the observatory. The solar physics researchers perform solar prominence and chromosphere features observations in the H-alpha line.
The observatory is also a member of the European bolide network and itself develops its own TV meteor grid. Besides photographic all-sky cameras, fish-eye all-sky semi-automated meteor detection devices are located at Modra observatory and near Tesárske Mlyňany
Tesárske Mlynany
Tesárske Mlyňany is a village and municipality in Zlaté Moravce District of the Nitra Region, in western-central Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 170 metres and covers an area of 18.007 km². It has a population of about 1655 people....
. In addition to meteor detection, real time all-sky camera is able to detect also other phenomena, such as atmospheric sprites and elves
Sprite (lightning)
Sprites are large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorm clouds, or cumulonimbus, giving rise to a quite varied range of visual shapes flickering in the night sky. They are triggered by the discharges of positive lightning between an underlying thundercloud and the...
(TLE).