Altitude 1,256 m (4,121 ft) | Established August 26, 1963 | |
 | ||
Organization Astronomy and Space Sciences Department
Faculty of Science
Ankara University Location Ahlatlıbel, Gölbaşı, Ankara, Turkey Website rasathane.ankara.edu.tr T40 Kreiken 406mm Reflecting telescope Address Ahlatlıbel Mahallesi, 06800 Çankaya/Ankara, Turkey | ||
The Ankara University Observatory (AUG) (Turkish: Ankara Üniversitesi Gözlemevi), is a ground-based astronomical observatory operated by the Astronomy and Space Sciences Department at Ankara University's Faculty of Science. Established in 1959 by Dutch astronomer Egbert Adriaan Kreiken in Ahlatlıbel, Ankara. Currently, it consists of nine optical telescopes and a radio telescope, which is currently taken out of service. Old instruments are displayed in a museum at the observatory.
Contents
History
Ankara University's Faculty of Science decided in 1954 to establish an observatory to begin with astronomical studies. Ahlatlıbel in Gölbaşı, Ankara was chosen as the ideal site, a location with dark skies far from the city's downtown to avoid the effects of light pollution, having an average 300 clear nights per year and also offering easy transportation from the campus. It is situated 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Ankara at an altitude of 1,256 m (4,121 ft).
Groundbreaking of the main building and the three domes took place in 1959. The observatory was officially inaugurated on August 26, 1963 accompanied by an international astronomy conference. The scientific studies were carried out in the beginning with a radio telescope produced by the Dutch PTT, a 5 cm astrograph, a 15 cm Coudé telescope of Zeiss from Germany for solar observations, a Hilger and Watts microphotometer and a Cuffey Iris photometer.
Telescopes
Named after Egbert Adriaan Kreiken, the founder of the observatory, it is used in general for photoelectric photometry observations on eclipsing binary stars and variable stars.
Installed in the former Maksutov Dome ın 2011, the 356mm telescope is used for observation on binary stars and photoelectric effects of variable stars.
300mm telescope for observation on binary stars and photoelectric effects of variable stars.
150mm telescope of type Coudé is used for scientific observation of sun spots. Popular and educational public sessions are held also at this telescope.
For popular and educational activities open to public:
The radio telescope is not in use anymore.
Meteorological station
There is a meteorological station for observing atmospheric conditions such as temperature, hunidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction as well as precipitation amounts. The gathered data is published also on the internet every five minutes.
Transportation
The observatory is in Ahlatlıbel on İncek Blvd., at a distance of 2 km (1.2 mi) from Or-An Bridge (Konya Road) and can be reached by public transportation: