Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Astronomy, no. 69, p. 5-10 (2024)
180 YEARS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF KYIV
Volodymyr EFIMENKO, Ph.D (Phys. & Math.)
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract
B a c k g r o u n d . In 2025, the Astronomical Observatory will celebrate its 180th anniversary. In 2020, the observatory celebrated its 175th anniversary, and the staff prepared a monograph “175 Years of the Astronomical Observatory of Kyiv University”, which outlines the history of the observatory, the development of scientific areas during its existence, biographies of directors, a list of defended doctoral and candidate theses, the history of the Department of Astronomy, lists of graduates who completed a full course of study by year, etc.
R e s u l t s . The changes that have occurred in the observatory over the past 5 years are described, in particular, changes in the structure of the observatory, staffing, measures to expand the topics of scientific research, and the provision of equipment for conducting scientific research. During this period, for various reasons, there was a decrease in the number of scientific workers, and scientists from other institutions were widely involved on a part-time basis to participate in competitions and to implement the won topics. This helped both to win new topics and to successfully carry them out. Important steps were taken to modernize the observatory’s observation base, including the restoration of the operation of the observatory’s observation station in the village of Pylypovychi. In 2021, the Horizontal Solar Telescope (HST) of the Astronomical Observatory received the status of National Heritage (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1206 of 10.11.2021), which allowed in the following years to receive small funding to ensure the operation of the telescope and to carry out some work on the repair of the HST premises.
C o n c l u s i o n s . Over the past 5 years, scientists of the Astronomical Observatory have continued their work in difficult conditions (2019–2021 – COVID-19, from 2022 – large-scale aggression by the Russian Federation). Research results are published in prestigious scientific journals, scientific competitions of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine have been won. The international scientific conference “Astronomy and Space Physics at Kyiv University” is held annually.
Key words
high-energy astrophysics, horizontal solar telescope, astrophysics department, astrometry and small bodies of the solar system sector, national heritage, international scientific conference.
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