Speaker
Description
Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory Rozhen is located in the Rhodope Mountains at about 1750 m above sea level. The astronomical observatory is the biggest one-time Bulgarian investment in scientific infrastructure and a leading astronomical center in the South-East Europe. So far, the observatory has four telescopes: 2-m RCC multipurpose telescope equipped with four new professional CCD cameras, coudé and éshelle spectrographs, 50/70 cm Schmidt telescope, 60 cm Cassegrain telescope and 15 cm Lyot-coronagraph.
In order to expand the capability for astronomical observations and to increase the efficiency of the Observatory, in 2020 a contract was signed with the company ASA Astrosysteme GmbH for the supply and installation of a new 1.5 m telescope in NAO Rozhen. The telescope will be installed in a new dome with a diameter of 6 m and a height of 8 m and will be fully robotic. The main objects for observation will be: small bodies from the Solar system, various types of variable stars, blazars and active galactic nuclei. The telescope will initially work only in photometric mode, but in the future the delivery of a low-dispersion spectrograph is also planned.
The new 1.5 m robotic telescope has already been produced and the delivery and installation is expected to take place in July-August. We hope to start the first test observations in September this year, after which it will be put into regular operation.
