Home international passport Why are observatories located high in the mountains? What is an observatory and why is it needed? Observatory in Karachay-Cherkessia

international passport

Why are observatories located high in the mountains? What is an observatory and why is it needed? Observatory in Karachay-Cherkessia

– one of the extraordinary places on earth. Here, next to
observatory, you see ancient Alanian temples, and among the Caucasus mountains
There is a completely modernist village, where the concentration of candidates and doctors of science per unit of population is amazing.

SAO researcher Larisa Bychkova told us about life in Arkhyz, the history of the Special Astrophysical Observatory and how to be the wife of an astronomer.

The creation of the Large Azimuthal Telescope was a revolution in telescope construction

– Tell us about the history of your observatory.

– The Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) was created in 1966. There was a director, Ivan Mikheevich Kopylov, and several employees, but everything still had to be built.

In 10 years, the BTA telescope (Large Azimuth Telescope) was created. It was built at the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association (LOMO), the chief designer was Bagrat Konstantinovich Ioannisiani.

Also at the optical glass factory in Lytkarino they made a mirror, the main element of any telescope. Its diameter was 6 m.

They paved the road to the installation site of the telescope and built the settlement of astronomers Nizhny Arkhyz (its local name is Bukovo).

Since 1976, regular observations began at BTA and continue to this day. In good weather they take place every night. For almost 20 years, the BTA remained the largest telescope in the world, and is now considered the largest in Russia, Europe and Asia. The main thing is that the creation of this telescope was a revolution in telescope construction. All subsequent, larger telescopes with mirrors of 8 m, 10 m, etc. are built on the same azimuthal installation.

The SAO also houses the large radio telescope RATAN-600. Thanks to this, our observatory is the only large observation center in Russia equipped with large telescopes.

– Which of the most famous scientists worked and are working here? What important discoveries were made at your observatory?

– In the early years, Sergei Vladimirovich Rublev and Viktor Favlovich Shvartsman worked here. Many CAO employees are world famous. Among them is one of the creators of the radio telescope, Academician Yuri Nikolaevich Pariysky, the current director of the corresponding member. RAS Yuri Yurievich Balega, leading experts in the field of research of galaxy physics Viktor Leonidovich Afanasyev, Igor Dmitrievich Karachentsev, in the stellar theme - Yuri Vladimirovich Glagolevsky, Sergei Nikolaevich Fabrika, Vladimir Evgenievich Panchuk.

Many significant scientific results have been obtained at SAO. Every year we send a list of our most important achievements to the Academy of Sciences. For example, in 2006, it was found that among the stars in the vicinity of the Sun, using interferometry at the BTA, 30 new binary systems with fast orbital motion were discovered, the components of which are stars of very low masses and brown dwarfs (intermediate objects between stars and planets).

In 2008, new bright blue variable stars (LBVs) were discovered in two outer galaxies. These are the most massive stars in the final stage of evolution before a supernova explosion. Also, using the wide-field high-temporal resolution camera TORTORA, an optical flash accompanying a burst of radiation in the gamma range from object GRB080319B was recorded and studied in detail. This flash is the brightest so far recorded. For the first time, the naked human eye could see radiation that came from so far away; it lasted 8 billion years.

Even earlier, at close extragalactic distances of tens of millions of light years, SAO astronomers constructed a clear dependence of the speed of galaxy recession. The paradox is that there should not be such a clear relationship. The individual speed of galaxies is close to the recession speed. The dependence is regulated by the so-called dark energy - a force that counteracts universal gravity.

In the next century, humanity may colonize some planets and satellites

– What time is it in science now? After all, so many discoveries have already been made. Is there anything else to discover?

– These are difficult times in science. When our observatory was created, the whole country was interested in this - films were made, they wrote in newspapers, many members of the government visited the Northern Administrative District. We were the greatest astronomical power, and everyone was proud of it.

Now sometimes it seems to me that the leadership of our country does not even know about the existence of BTA. And, naturally, funding for the maintenance of the telescope and equipment has been greatly reduced. The observatory has always operated fully, even in the most difficult 90s. But, for example, the mirror has become outdated during this time and, of course, needs to be repolished. Since 2007, this issue has been resolved, but it is still not resolved.

Interest in science has been reduced, especially in our country. This is a sad symptom. Science works for the future. And the decline in interest in science dooms our descendants to a number of problems: it is difficult to use the knowledge that has already been acquired, and even more difficult to discover or create something new.

At the same time, these are very interesting times in science itself. Yes, many discoveries have been made. But perhaps the times of interesting discoveries can never end. Each of the specialists would highlight some of their own important areas. I would like to tell you about mine.

Firstly, this is the study of nearby planets and their satellites.

Thanks to the development of astronautics and the creation of various space telescopes, a lot of interesting information has been obtained about the planets of the solar system.

The Moon is of particular interest. Mars has been well explored, thanks to space probes “walking” on its surface.

Jupiter's moon Europa is covered in water ice, which is believed to contain liquid water underneath.

The picture is similar on Enceladus, a small moon of Saturn. Saturn's moon Titan has been well studied with the help of the Cassini spacecraft and the Huygens spacecraft. It looks like our Earth in its youth, has a dense methane atmosphere, methane rain and lakes. The study of the nearest planets and their satellites is very important, since, most likely, colonization and development of these cosmic bodies by humanity may occur in the next century.

We can't be alone in the Universe

Another interesting area is extrasolar planets (exoplanets). Some of them may harbor extraterrestrial life. For the first time in 1995, a planet was discovered near another star, 51 Peg. As of September 2011, 1,235 planets and planetary systems were known to be located near other stars. Now about 3 thousand of them are known, but many data still need to be further verified.

Most exoplanets have enormous masses (larger than our Jupiter, also gas giants), rotate in elongated orbits and are very close to their stars.

Such planets are very unusual; they give a completely different idea of the structure and emergence of planetary systems. However, from the point of view of searching for planets to detect life, they are not of interest. But among them, rocky planets have already been found, comparable in mass to the Earth. Some have nearly circular orbits, increasing the chances of life emerging there. Extrasolar planets have also been found in a system of two stars.

In 2009, the Kepler space telescope was launched to search for exoplanets. The results are encouraging. We should not be alone in the Universe, because the laws of physics and chemical elements are the same everywhere, our Sun is an ordinary star, of which there are still a great many in the Universe, we find more and more planets next to other stars. All this confirms the correctness of our thoughts on the search for life in the Universe.

But in space there are enormous distances - a beam of light at a speed of 300,000 km/s covers them in years, thousands of years, billions of years. It is difficult to communicate over such distances. (Smiling)

And we also need to mention the topic of “dark matter”. It was recently discovered that everything that at least somehow emits in visible light, in the radio range, in ultraviolet and other ranges is only 5% of the substance. Everything else is invisible, so-called dark matter and dark energy. We know that it exists, we have a number of hypotheses and explanations for these phenomena, but we do not fully understand their nature.

– What are the main directions of astronomical science in Russia now?

– They are the same: planets of the solar system, physics of stars and galaxies (huge star systems), radio astronomy, cosmology. Unfortunately, we now have a weaker observational base compared to the largest telescopes on the planet. Many telescopes with mirrors up to 11 meters have been built in the world, and there are projects for even larger telescopes, but without the participation of our country.

Many young astronomers continue to leave Russia

– How do you see the development of astronomy in our country? What has changed in science over the past 20 years?

– I see the development of astronomy in our country a little pessimistically. But I hope that the BTA will remain an actively working telescope. And there have always been and are people who are inquisitive, passionate about science and acquiring new knowledge. Although we must admit that many of our 30-40 year old colleagues, people with developed scientific potential, have left to study astronomy in other countries. And many of the talented youth did not come to work in astronomy, again, for financial reasons.

– How is an astronomer’s working day like?

– The main thing for an astronomer is observations. But they are carried out according to a schedule that is drawn up for six months. It could be two, five, several nights. And then the observations are processed in an office environment. It can be lengthy, it depends on the amount of material obtained during observations, on the number of employees, on the complexity of the task, on the level of specialists.

Astronomers constantly monitor what is new in this direction and regularly get acquainted with new publications. They comprehend and discuss the results obtained with their colleagues (direct or located in different countries), speak at seminars and conferences, and prepare publications based on the results of their observations or calculations. This, in fact, is the result of the scientist’s work.

– Can we say that astronomer is a creative profession?

– Astronomy is, of course, a creative work, like any other science, because there is no ready answer and everything is based on new research and conclusions.

– Why did you choose this profession?

– As an 11-year-old girl, I accidentally read Professor Kunitsky’s brochure “Day and Night. Seasons” and got carried away, probably because I’m a romantic. All my colleagues are people passionate about science.

– Has the status of an astronomer changed compared to Soviet times?

– People who are far from science look at us with more amazement (“So, is there such a job?”), with more distrust (“Is the telescope still working? Isn’t there a shopping center there?”), and more suggest practically useful results.

Apparently, we can say that now both the status of science in general and the status of scientists, including astronomers, have been reduced. I would also note that society has become less educated, sometimes even denser.

But there are also interested people. We always have telescope tours on the weekends, and almost everyone comes out shocked and amazed. In summer, there are 500-700 people a day on excursions.

Now we are conducting a more “piecemeal” selection of students

– Students regularly come to you for internships. How are classes with them going? How many of those who receive this specialty remain in science? How do you see this “young, unfamiliar tribe”?

– At the beginning of this century, we had a very large flow of students from Moscow State University, universities of St. Petersburg, Kazan, Stavropol, Rostov, Taganrog, Dolgoprudny and others, over 100 people a year. We conducted additional practical classes and lectures with them, they participated in observations and processing of results, all were assigned to the staff of the CAO. In recent years, we have been carrying out more “piecemeal” work: we are doing the same thing, but taking on a fundamentally smaller number of students. This gives better results.

Our youth are mostly enthusiastic, talented, eager to engage in science or applied fields. I respect them and believe in them. You can already be proud of many and proud to know them. Unfortunately, as I already said, for financial reasons many cannot afford the pleasure of doing science.

For example, from the group of astronomers at Moscow State University, where my son studied, only four out of 18 people were able to stay in astronomy. Of these four, two were Muscovites. They had a better material base than the others who came from the provinces.

– What would you change in the teaching of astronomy if you were the Minister of Education?

– The teaching of astronomy at universities is at a good level. And they don’t teach astronomy in school now! Our leading scientists have repeatedly raised this issue, but to no avail. Society is mercantile: why study astronomy if you don’t pass it!

On the St. Petersburg channel there was a wonderful course on accessible astronomy by Academician Anatoly Mikhailovich Cherepashchuk, director of the Astronomical Institute at Moscow State University. Closed - low rating. During Soviet times, the astronomy program on television in Czechoslovakia had the highest ratings, above all music and talk shows. But there are a lot of pseudo-scientific programs on TV, at the most “watchable” times.

Well, if astronomy were returned to the school curriculum, then I would introduce these lessons in the eighth grade, since the base of necessary knowledge is already there, and students are not yet overloaded with exams, and I would make the lessons at a more popular level.

Astronomers' wives are like military wives

– You are not only an astronomer, but also an astronomer’s wife. Is it difficult to be her?

– It’s not easy to be a wife in general.

Yes, in astronomy there are night observations, business trips, urgent unregulated work. But this requires the same trust and understanding as that of an actor's wife, for example, a teacher or a driver. The difficulties of astronomers' wives are a bit similar to the problems of military wives: a woman is not always able to find a job near the observatory and achieve professional fulfillment.

– Do a female astronomer and a male astronomer behave the same in science?

– I would say it’s the same. But it’s more difficult for women, as in many other areas, especially where there is creative work and an informal attitude to work is necessary. Because a woman still bears motherhood and a greater burden of household chores.

– What advice would you give to girls who want to enroll in the astronomy department?

– First of all, people who are passionate about the sky and physics, regardless of gender, go to astronomy departments. I would wish you good luck and success. I would be glad that they will receive good knowledge. Well, then – how life will turn out. Knowledge and developed brains will be useful in any field.

Bukovo – village-house

– Your village seems to be something unusual: an oasis of science and culture in the mountains. How do people feel here compared to those who live in the capital? Do you often have large cultural or scientific events? Do you feel cut off from the world here?

– Our village is really small and unusual. Less than a thousand people live here. Clean and cozy, in a valley among the mountains. My daughter called it a village-house: the roof is the sky, the walls are the mountains, everything is its own inside.

The village is friendly, you can always count on the help of your neighbors. There is everything you need: schools - general education with a swimming pool, music and art, kindergarten, shops, gym. I know about five people who don't like it here. It’s boring for those who don’t have a family or have a casual job. Residents of the surrounding villages also live here; they perceive Bukovo very calmly. Completely random people also live according to the “dacha type”. For others, this is a special place. All the children in the village love him. Everyone who has ever been here falls in love.

There are difficulties associated with remoteness - you can’t buy everything, there is currently no pharmacy, train stations are far away, there are few jobs, etc. There are a lot of good things here (nature, air, water, etc.), but the main advantage of the village is its unique human environment.

Major scientific events happen several times a year. These are all-Russian and international astronomical conferences. Sometimes specialists from other fields hold their conferences here. There are practically no big cultural events. But there was, however, an All-Russian piano competition.

But the village quite often hosts various exhibitions and concerts of various sizes, and film screenings. In cities there is much more of this, but people often do not have the time or energy to enjoy it, and in our country, due to a more relaxed lifestyle, cultural events are really accessible in everyday life.

The observatory staff have many international professional contacts; they often go on business trips to various cities in our country and abroad for observations, discussions of results, and participation in conferences, so there is no isolation from the world.

It is more difficult for non-working pensioners to live in the village; pensions in our country are small, and it can be difficult for people to go somewhere.

– Are there any other attractions in the village besides the observatory?

– A kilometer from the village in the mountains several years ago, a rock icon was discovered – the Face of Christ. Now an iron staircase of 500 steps has been laid to it, now people can climb it even in weak physical shape.

Rock icon - Face of Christ

The oldest Orthodox churches in Russia are also located on the territory of Nizhny Arkhyz. Their age dates back to the tenth century. The oldest temple in operation. We often have pilgrims.

The presence of temples enlivens our lives. For example, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov is very interested in the history of these places, writes articles on archaeological topics, and goes to conferences.

The village also has a unique historical and archaeological museum, which has the largest collection of household items of Alan culture. After all, the village of astronomers was built almost on the site of the capital of the Christian diocese of the Alanian state. At the end of the first millennium AD, the territory of this state covered almost the entire North Caucasus. Alanya was destroyed only by the Tatar-Mongols. The Alans adopted Christianity around 920-930. AD, before the baptism of Rus'.

I invite those who wish to admire the beauty of Arkhyz and take a tour of the observatory!

Having studied this paragraph, we:

learn how astronomers study the nature of cosmic bodies;
Let's get acquainted with the structure of modern telescopes, with the help of which
you can travel not only in space, but also in time;
Let's see how we can register rays invisible to the eye.

What does astrophysics study?

There is much in common between physics and astrophysics - these sciences study the laws of the world in which we live. But there is one significant difference between them - physicists can test their theoretical calculations with the help of appropriate experiments, while astronomers in most cases do not have this opportunity, since they study the nature of distant cosmic objects by their emissions.

In this section we will look at the main methods by which astronomers collect information about events in deep space. It turns out that the main source of such information are electromagnetic waves and elementary particles that cosmic bodies emit, as well as gravitational and electromagnetic fields with the help of which these bodies interact with each other.

Observation of objects in the Universe is carried out in special astronomical observatories. At the same time, astronomers have a certain advantage over physicists - they can observe processes that occurred millions or billions of years ago.

For the curious

Astrophysical experiments in space still happen - they are carried out by nature itself, and astronomers observe the processes that occur in distant worlds and analyze the results obtained. We observe certain phenomena in time and see such a distant past of the Universe, when not only our civilization did not exist, but there was not even a solar system. That is, astrophysical methods for studying deep space are actually no different from the experiments that physicists conduct on the surface of the Earth. In addition, with the help of AMS, astronomers conduct real physical experiments both on the surface of other cosmic bodies and in interplanetary space.

Black body

As you know from a physics course, atoms can emit or absorb the energy of electromagnetic waves of various frequencies - the brightness and color of a particular body depends on this. To calculate radiation intensity, the concept of a black body is introduced, which can ideally absorb and emit electromagnetic waves in the range of all wavelengths (continuous spectrum).

Rice. 6.1. The emission spectrum of a star with a temperature T = 5800 K. The depressions in the graph correspond to dark absorption lines that form individual chemical elements

Stars emit electromagnetic waves of different lengths, depending on the surface temperature, more energy falls on a certain part of the spectrum (Fig. 6.1). This explains the various colors of stars from red to blue (see § 13). Using the laws of black body radiation discovered by physicists on Earth, astronomers measure the temperature of distant cosmic bodies (Fig. 6.2). At a temperature T = 300 K, a black body emits energy primarily in the infrared part of the spectrum, which is not perceived by the naked eye. At low temperatures, such a body in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium is truly black.

Rice. 6.2. Energy distribution in the emission spectrum of stars. The color of stars determines the surface temperature T: blue stars have a temperature of 12000 K, red stars - 3000 K. As the temperature on the surface of a star increases, the wavelength corresponding to the maximum radiation energy decreases

For the curious

Absolutely black bodies do not exist in nature; even black soot absorbs no more than 99% of electromagnetic waves. On the other hand, if a completely black body only absorbed electromagnetic waves, then over time the temperature of such a body would become infinitely high. Therefore, a black body emits energy, and absorption and emission can occur at different frequencies. However, at a certain temperature, an equilibrium is established between emitted and absorbed energy. Depending on the equilibrium temperature, the color of a perfect black body is not necessarily black - for example, soot in a furnace at high temperatures is red or even white.

Astronomical observations with the naked eye

The human eye is a unique sensory organ through which we receive more than 90% of information about the world around us. The optical characteristics of the eye are determined by resolution and sensitivity.

The resolution of the eye, or visual acuity, is the ability to distinguish objects of certain angular sizes. It has been established that the resolution of the human eye does not exceed 1" (one minute of arc; Fig. 6.3). This means that we can see two stars separately (or two letters in the text of a book) if the angle between them is α>1", and if α<1", то эти звезды сливаются в одно светило, поэтому различить их невозможно.

Rice. 6.3. We can distinguish the disk of the Moon because it has an angular diameter of 30", while craters are not visible to the naked eye because their angular diameter is less than 1". Visual acuity is determined by the angle α>1"

We distinguish the disks of the Moon and the Sun because the angle at which the diameter of these luminaries is visible (angular diameter) is about 30", while the angular diameters of planets and stars are less than 1", so these luminaries are visible to the naked eye as bright points. From the planet Neptune, the disk of the Sun will look like a bright star to astronauts.

The sensitivity of the eye is determined by the threshold for the perception of individual quanta of light. The eye has the greatest sensitivity in the yellow-green part of the spectrum, and we can respond to 7-10 quanta that fall on the retina in 0.2-0.3 s. In astronomy, the sensitivity of the eye can be determined using visible magnitudes, which characterize the brightness of celestial bodies (see § 13).

For the curious

The sensitivity of the eye also depends on the diameter of the pupil - in the dark the pupils dilate, and during the day they narrow. Before astronomical observations, you need to sit in the dark for 5 minutes, then the sensitivity of the eye will increase.

Telescopes

Unfortunately, we cannot observe most space objects with the naked eye, because its capabilities are limited. Telescopes (Greek tele - far, skopos - see) allow us to see distant celestial bodies or register them using other electromagnetic radiation receivers - a camera, a video camera. By design, telescopes can be divided into three groups: refractors, or lens telescopes (Fig. 6.4) (Latin refractus - refraction), reflectors, or mirror telescopes (Fig. 6.5) (Latin reflectio - beat off), and mirror-lens telescopes .

Rice. 6.4. Diagram of a lens telescope (refractor)

Rice. 6.5. Diagram of a mirror telescope (reflector)

Let us assume that there is a celestial body at infinity, which is visible to the naked eye at an angle. A converging lens, which is called an objective, constructs an image of the luminary in the focal plane at a distance from the objective (Fig. 6.4). A photographic plate, video camera or other image receiver is installed in the focal plane. For visual observations, a short-focus lens is used - a magnifying glass, which is called an eyepiece.

The telescope magnification is determined as follows:

(6.1)

where - α 2 angle of view at the eyepiece exit; α 1 is the viewing angle at which the luminary is visible to the naked eye; F, f - focal lengths of the lens and eyepiece, respectively.

The resolution of a telescope depends on the diameter of the lens, so at the same magnification, a telescope with a larger lens diameter gives a clearer image.

In addition, the telescope increases the apparent brightness of the luminaries, which will be as many times greater than what is perceived by the naked eye, as much as the area of the lens is greater than the area of the pupil of the eye. Remember! You should not look at the Sun through a telescope because its brightness will be so great that you may lose your vision.

For the curious

To determine various physical characteristics of cosmic bodies (motion, temperature, chemical composition, etc.), it is necessary to carry out spectral observations, that is, it is necessary to measure how energy radiation is distributed in different parts of the spectrum. For this purpose, a number of additional devices and instruments have been created (spectrographs, television cameras, etc.), which, together with a telescope, make it possible to separately isolate and study the radiation of parts of the spectrum.

School telescopes have lenses with a focal length of 80-100 cm, and a set of eyepieces with focal lengths of 1-6 cm. That is, the magnification of school telescopes according to formula (6.1) can be different (from 15 to 100 times) depending on the focal length of the eyepiece, used during observations. Modern astronomical observatories have telescopes with lenses with a focal length of more than 10 m, so the magnification of these optical instruments can exceed 1000. But during observations, such high magnifications are not used, since inhomogeneities in the earth’s atmosphere (winds, dust pollution) significantly deteriorate the image quality .

Electronic devices

Electronic instruments used to record the radiation of cosmic bodies significantly increase the resolution and sensitivity of telescopes. Such devices include a photomultiplier and electron-optical converters, the operation of which is based on the phenomenon of the external photoelectric effect. At the end of the 20th century. To obtain images, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) began to be used, which use the phenomenon of the internal photoelectric effect. They consist of very small silicon elements (pixels) located in a small area. CCD matrices are used not only in astronomy, but also in home television cameras and cameras - the so-called digital image systems (Fig. 6.6).

Rice. 6.6. CCD Matrix

In addition, CCDs are more efficient than photographic films because they detect 75% of photons, while film only registers 5%. Thus, CCDs significantly increase the sensitivity of electromagnetic radiation receivers and make it possible to register space objects tens of times weaker than when photographed.

Radio telescopes

To register electromagnetic radiation in the radio range (wavelength of 1 mm or more - Fig. 6.7), radio telescopes have been created that receive radio waves using special antennas and transmit them to the receiver. In a radio receiver, space signals are processed and recorded by special devices.

Figure 6.7. Electromagnetic wave scale

There are two types of radio telescopes - reflector and radio array. The operating principle of a reflecting radio telescope is the same as a reflecting telescope (Fig. 6.5), only the mirror for collecting electromagnetic waves is made of metal. Often this mirror has the shape of a paraboloid of revolution. The larger the diameter of such a parabolic “dish,” the higher the resolution and sensitivity of the radio telescope. The largest radio telescope in Ukraine, RT-70, has a diameter of 70 m (Fig. 6.8).

Rice. 6.8. The RT-70 radio telescope is located in Crimea near Evpatoria

Radio arrays consist of a large number of individual antennas located on the Earth's surface in a specific order. When viewed from above, a large number of such antennas resemble the letter “T”. The world's largest radio telescope of this type, UTR-2, is located in the Kharkov region (Fig. 6.9).

Rice. 6.9. The world's largest radio telescope UTR-2 (Ukrainian T-shaped radio telescope; dimensions 1800 m x 900 m)

For the curious

The principle of interference of electromagnetic waves makes it possible to combine radio telescopes located at a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers, which increases their resolution to 0.0001" - this is hundreds of times greater than the capabilities of optical telescopes.

Exploring the Universe using spacecraft

With the beginning of the space age, a new stage in the study of the Universe begins with the help of satellites and spacecraft. Space methods have a significant advantage over ground-based observations, since a significant part of the electromagnetic radiation of stars and planets is retained in the earth's atmosphere. On the one hand, this absorption saves living organisms from deadly radiation in the ultraviolet and x-ray regions of the spectrum, but on the other hand, it limits the flow of information from the luminaries. In 1990, a unique Hubble space telescope with a mirror diameter of 2.4 m was created in the USA (Fig. 6.10). Nowadays, there are many observatories operating in space that record and analyze radiation of all ranges - from radio waves to gamma rays (Fig. 6.7).

Rice. 6.10. The Hubble Space Telescope is located outside the atmosphere, so its resolution is 10 times, and its sensitivity is 50 times greater than that of ground-based telescopes

Soviet scientists made a great contribution to the study of the Universe. With their participation, the first spacecraft were created, which began to explore not only near-Earth space, but also other planets. Automatic interplanetary stations of the “Moon”, “Mars”, “Venus” series transmitted images of other planets to Earth with a resolution that is thousands of times greater than the capabilities of ground-based telescopes. For the first time, humanity saw panoramas of alien worlds. These AWSs were equipped with equipment for conducting direct physical, chemical and biological experiments.

For the curious

During the times of Kievan Rus, astronomical observations were carried out by monks. In their chronicles, they talked about unusual celestial phenomena - eclipses of the Sun and Moon, the appearance of comets or new stars. With the invention of the telescope, special astronomical observatories began to be built for observing celestial bodies (Fig. 6.11). The first astronomical observatories in Europe are considered to be Paris in France (1667), and Greenwich in England (1675). Now astronomical observatories operate on all continents, and their total number exceeds 400.

Rice. 6.11. Astronomical Observatory

Rice. 6.12. The first Ukrainian satellite “Sich-1”

conclusions

Astronomy has evolved from an optical science into an all-wave one, because the main source of information about the Universe are electromagnetic waves and elementary particles that cosmic bodies emit, as well as the gravitational and electromagnetic fields through which these bodies interact with each other. Modern telescopes make it possible to obtain information about distant worlds, and we can observe events that took place billions of years ago. That is, with the help of modern astronomical instruments we can travel not only in space, but also in time.

Tests

A telescope is an optical instrument that:
Why are large astronomical observatories built in the mountains?
Can a black body be white?
Which of these telescopes can see the most stars?
Which of these luminaries with such surface temperatures do not exist in the Universe?
What explains the different colors of stars?
Why do we see more stars through a telescope than with the naked eye?
Why do observations in space provide more information than ground-based telescopes?
Why do stars in a telescope appear as bright points, and planets in the same telescope as a disk?
What is the shortest distance that must be flown into space in order for astronauts to see the Sun with the naked eye as a bright star in the form of a point?
It is said that some people have such keen vision that even with the naked eye they can discern large craters on the Moon. Calculate the reliability of these facts if the largest craters on the Moon have a diameter of 200 km, and the average distance to the Moon is 380,000 km.

Debates on proposed topics

An international space station is currently being built in space, on which Ukraine will have a space unit. What astronomical instruments could you suggest for researching the Universe?

Observation tasks

A refracting telescope can be made using a spectacle lens. For the lens, you can use a lens from glasses +1 diopter, and as an eyepiece - a camera lens or another lens for glasses +10 diopter. What objects can you observe with such a telescope?

Key concepts and terms:

Continuous spectrum, radio telescope, reflector, refractor, eye resolution, spectrum, spectral observations, telescope, black body.

An observatory is a scientific institution in which employees - scientists of various specialties - observe natural phenomena, analyze observations, and on their basis continue to study what is happening in nature.

Astronomical observatories are especially common: we usually imagine them when we hear this word. They explore stars, planets, large star clusters, and other space objects.

But there are other types of these institutions:

— geophysical - for studying the atmosphere, aurora, the Earth’s magnetosphere, the properties of rocks, the state of the earth’s crust in seismically active regions and other similar issues and objects;

- auroral - for studying the aurora;

— seismic - for constant and detailed recording of all vibrations of the earth’s crust and their study;

— meteorological - to study weather conditions and identify weather patterns;

— cosmic ray observatories and a number of others.

Where are observatories built?

Observatories are built in areas that provide scientists with maximum material for research.

Meteorological - in all corners of the Earth; astronomical - in the mountains (the air there is clean, dry, not “blinded” by city lighting), radio observatories - at the bottom of deep valleys, inaccessible to artificial radio interference.

Astronomical observatories

Astronomical - the most ancient type of observatories. In ancient times, astronomers were priests; they kept a calendar, studied the movement of the Sun across the sky, and made predictions of events and the destinies of people depending on the position of celestial bodies. These were astrologers - people whom even the most ferocious rulers feared.

Ancient observatories were usually located in the upper rooms of the towers. The tools were a straight bar equipped with a sliding sight.

The great astronomer of antiquity was Ptolemy, who collected a huge number of astronomical evidence and records in the Library of Alexandria, and compiled a catalog of positions and brightness for 1022 stars; invented the mathematical theory of planetary movement and compiled tables of motion - scientists used these tables for more than 1,000 years!

In the Middle Ages, observatories were especially actively built in the East. The giant Samarkand observatory is known, where Ulugbek - a descendant of the legendary Timur-Tamerlane - made observations of the movement of the Sun, describing it with unprecedented accuracy. The observatory with a radius of 40 m had the form of a sextant-trench oriented to the south and decorated with marble.

The greatest astronomer of the European Middle Ages, who turned the world almost literally, was Nicolaus Copernicus, who “moved” the Sun to the center of the universe instead of the Earth and proposed to consider the Earth as another planet.

And one of the most advanced observatories was Uraniborg, or Castle in the Sky, the possession of Tycho Brahe, the Danish court astronomer. The observatory was equipped with the best, most accurate instruments at that time, had its own workshops for making instruments, a chemical laboratory, a storage room for books and documents, and even a printing press for its own needs and a paper mill for paper production - a royal luxury at that time!

In 1609, the first telescope appeared - the main instrument of any astronomical observatory. Its creator was Galileo. It was a reflecting telescope: the rays in it were refracted, passing through a series of glass lenses.

The Kepler telescope improved: in its instrument the image was inverted, but of higher quality. This feature eventually became standard for telescopic devices.

In the 17th century, with the development of navigation, state observatories began to appear - the Royal Parisian, Royal Greenwich, observatories in Poland, Denmark, Sweden. The revolutionary consequence of their construction and activities was the introduction of a time standard: it was now regulated by light signals, and then by telegraph and radio.

In 1839, the Pulkovo Observatory (St. Petersburg) was opened, which became one of the most famous in the world. Today there are more than 60 observatories in Russia. One of the largest on an international scale is the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, created in 1956.

The Zvenigorod Observatory (12 km from Zvenigorod) operates the only VAU camera in the world capable of carrying out mass observations of geostationary satellites. In 2014, Moscow State University opened an observatory on Mount Shadzhatmaz (Karachay-Cherkessia), where they installed the largest modern telescope for Russia, the diameter of which is 2.5 m.

The best modern foreign observatories

Mauna Kea- located on the Big Hawaiian Island, has the largest arsenal of high-precision equipment on Earth.

VLT complex(“huge telescope”) - located in Chile, in the Atacama “telescope desert”.

Yerkes Observatory in the United States - “the birthplace of astrophysics.”

ORM Observatory(Canary Islands) - has the optical telescope with the largest aperture (ability to collect light).

Arecibo- is located in Puerto Rico and owns a radio telescope (305 m) with one of the largest apertures in the world.

Tokyo University Observatory(Atacama) - the highest on Earth, located at the top of Mount Cerro Chainantor.

I present to your attention an overview of the best observatories in the world. These may be the largest, most modern and high-tech observatories located in amazing locations, which allowed them to make it into the top ten. Many of them, such as Mauna Kea in Hawaii, have already been mentioned in other articles, and many will be an unexpected discovery for the reader. So, let's move on to the list...

Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii

Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, atop Mauna Kea, MKO is the world's largest array of optical, infrared, and precision astronomical equipment. The Mauna Kea Observatory building houses more telescopes than any other in the world.

Very Large Telescope (VLT), Chile

The Very Large Telescope is a complex operated by the Southern European Observatory. It is located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. The VLT actually consists of four separate telescopes, which are usually used separately, but can be used together to achieve very high angular resolution.

South Polar Telescope (SPT), Antarctica

The telescope with a diameter of 10 meters is located at the Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole in Antarctica. SPT began its astronomical observations in early 2007.

Yerkes Observatory, USA

Founded back in 1897, Yerkes Observatory is not as high-tech as the previous observatories on this list. However, it is rightfully considered “the birthplace of modern astrophysics.” It is located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, at an altitude of 334 meters.

ORM Observatory, Canaries

The ORM Observatory (Roque de Los Muchachos) is located at an altitude of 2,396 meters, making it one of the best locations for optical and infrared astronomy in the northern hemisphere. The observatory also has the largest aperture optical telescope in the world.

Arecibo in Puerto Rico

Opened in 1963, the Arecibo Observatory is a giant radio telescope in Puerto Rico. Until 2011, the observatory was operated by Cornell University. Arecibo's pride is its 305-meter radio telescope, which has one of the largest apertures in the world. The telescope is used for radio astronomy, aeronomy and radar astronomy. The telescope is also known for its participation in the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project.

Australian Astronomical Observatory

Situated at an altitude of 1164 meters, the AAO (Australian Astronomical Observatory) has two telescopes: the 3.9-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope and the 1.2-meter British Schmidt Telescope.

Tokyo University Atacama Observatory

Like the VLT and other telescopes, the University of Tokyo observatory is also located in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The observatory is located at the top of Cerro Chainantor, at an altitude of 5,640 meters, making it the highest astronomical observatory in the world.

ALMA in the Atacama Desert

The ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) observatory is also located in the Atacama Desert, next to the Very Large Telescope and the University of Tokyo Observatory. ALMA has a variety of 66, 12 and 7 meter radio telescopes. It is the result of cooperation between Europe, the USA, Canada, East Asia and Chile. More than a billion dollars were spent on the creation of the observatory. Particularly worth highlighting is the most expensive currently existing telescope, which is in service at ALMA.

Astronomical Observatory of India (IAO)

Situated at an altitude of 4,500 meters, the India Astronomical Observatory is one of the highest in the world. It is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore.

EARTH SCIENCES WHY ARE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS V. G. KORNILOV Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov INTRODUCTION WHY ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES Everything we know about the stars, the Sun, planets, other ARE LOCATED ON MOUNTAINS astronomical objects, our Universe, is generated by observations. For many centuries, astronomers could observe celestial objects only with the eye, first with the naked eye, then with the help of telescopes. Since Astronomy has always been an observational since the middle of this century, the capabilities of observers began to rapidly expand due to the development of science and will forever remain being one. development of new ranges of electromagnetic waves. Astronomical observatories form the basis of In 1932, radio emission from astro- astronomy was discovered. Why do astronomers tend to build nomic objects, after 10–15 years began radio- their observatories on high mountains? World astronomical research, and in the 50s of the XX century - experience and the case of the Tien Shan obser - active observations in the infrared range. It is no coincidence that these vatory elucidate the current situation in optical ranges were the first to be mastered: for their radiation, the Earth’s atmosphere is almost transparent. And astronomy. Finally, with the advent of space observatories, the astronomical arsenal was replenished with ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma radiation. science and will always remain so. But even now, at the beginning of the 21st century, observations in astronomical science are in the astronomical range and occupy a special position. Penomic observatories. What caused the period of debate about whether ground-based observations in the optical range are needed is almost over. Despite the desire of astronomers to locate their successfully ongoing space observatory mission high in the mountains? Presentation of the Hubble telescope, new large optical world experiences are being built and an example of the Tien Shan telescopes. In total, there are about a hundred observatories in the world, clarifying modern astronomical observatories, their number is steadily increasing in optical astronomy. growing. Approximately 20 observatories have telescopes with a primary mirror diameter greater than 3 m. At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of large telescopes should double. It would seem that astronomical observatories with telescopes with mirrors of 1–3 m are doomed. However, the Universe is diverse, and often for a solution © Kornilov V. G., 2001 certain tasks in astronomy require not so much large instruments as certain conditions for carrying out observations. The Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory is located in the mountains of the Northern Tien Shan at an altitude of about 3000 m. What are the specifics of this observatory and its prospects? To understand them, it is necessary to K O R N I L O V. G. HOW E M U A S T R O N O M I C H E S K I E O B S E R V A T O R I I RA MOUNTAIN LOCATED 69 EARTH SCIENCES find out the general features of terrestrial optical data. Moreover, the difference is many times greater than before observations of stars and other astronomical objects. the accuracy of angular measurements achieved at that time. Laplace's theoretical studies linked the magnitude of refraction with the magnitude of extinction - the attenuation of light as it passes through the atmosphere. Laplace's theory of extinction was mathematical, but, like other sciences, astronomy is divided into more consideration of the physical sources of this phenomenon. narrow directions, determined, on the one hand, Later, Lord Rayleigh gave a convincing justification for the fact that the objects of research, on the other hand, the methods of research, that the main reason for the attenuation of light in the atmosphere is. Optical astronomy as a study is the so-called molecular scattering. Scattering of celestial bodies and phenomena based on observational data is the deviation of a certain fraction of light away from in the optical range of the spectrum (from approximately 300 to the original, main direction of propagation - 900 nm) has a variety of applications in its arsenal. But since the only device for wear and measuring equipment. Nevertheless, the purpose of the brightness of the stars then was the eye of the observer, and the meaning of this equipment is the same - the measurement of certain measurements or the errors of such measurements are comparable to the magnitude of the main characteristics of the blurring incident on the telescope mirror, then much attention is paid to the phenomenon of attenuation of light. did not cause light. The range of light fluxes from astronomical in the earth's atmosphere, in addition to molecular objects, is extremely large. From the brightest source - scattering of light on aerosols - the smallest particles of the Sun - to the weakest observable objects - dust, soot, water suspended in the air. Luminous light is about 60 magnitudes, or 1024. Halos around bright objects arise as a result of this. There is a significant feature, important, of this particular scattering, it also causes a weakening of the light during observations of the Sun, and during observations, a weakening of the light. The content of aerosols in the atmosphere varies depending on the number of objects: ground-based observations are carried out therefore, and the effects they cause are also variable. through the Earth's atmosphere. Although we are extremely lucky that the earth’s atmosphere is practically transparent to optical waves, its native environment with smoothly changing characteristics influences the light passing through it. Turbulent mixing of layers of air is prohibited. having different temperatures leads to the chaotic appearance of regions of colder or more Intuitively, it is clear that the thinner the earth’s atmosphere, ranging in size from millimeters to hundreds of atmospheres in the line of sight of the telescope, the less its influence. These temperature inhomogeneities affect the radiation under study. Consequently, by placing appropriate changes in the refractive index, by placing a telescope high in the mountains, it is possible to reduce the air pollution. Passing through these inhomogeneities is the first influence of the Earth's atmosphere. But is the initially flat front of the light wave really distorted? Will the placement of astronomical observatories high in the mountains bring significant gains for observations? to random displacements of the star’s image (the image in a practical sense does not seem to be shaking), irregular blurring until the middle of the 19th century. The choice of location for observational imaging (the effect is typical for medium and large areas was then determined only by the proximity to scientific telescopes), the chaotic change in brightness of isocultural centers. And indeed, almost all images (the twinkling of stars). servatories founded before the mid-19th century are located in university cities. THE FIRST HIGH MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES THE INFLUENCE OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE ON LIGHT The effects described above were well known to astronomer-observers, but they were not specifically studied from ASTRONOMICAL OBJECTS, since they did not significantly change the quality. The first studies of the influence of the atmosphere on observations. This is due to the fact that observations of the light radiation passing through it were carried out using visual methods on small telescopes in the 17th–18th centuries. Of practical interest then was (with a diameter of less than 0.5 m, except for telescopes, the phenomenon of astronomical refraction, associated with Herschel). The unique features of the vision mechanism with a change in the refractive index of air make it possible to distinguish low-contrast image details with height. Due to refraction, the measured direction in a huge range of brightnesses, ignoring the glare on an astronomical object does not coincide with the image refraction in a wide frequency band, 70 SOROSOVSKY EDUCATOR N Y JOURNAL, VOL. 7, No. 4, 2 0 0 1 EARTH SCIENCES average instantaneous brightness values, that is, not - THE BEGINNING OF THE PHOTOELECTRIC ERA how to correct the distorting effect of the earth's atmosphere. Although the first applications of radiation detectors in the second half of the 19th century, the situation with the assessment of the external and internal photoelectric effect occurred in the influence of the atmosphere on astronomical observations in the 20–30s of the 20th century, their widespread use for as- began to change. Factors appeared that changed from tronomical observations in optical and near-field astronomers to the choice of location for installation in the infrared ranges began in the late 40s. This is the beginning of the widespread use of photography after the advent of the first industrial photomultipliers as an objective recorder of light and the appearance of bodies. The high sensitivity, linearity and low telenoise of these larger and therefore more expensive instruments made scopes possible in principle. carry out measurements of the light flux from stars with any predetermined accuracy. The use of photography has widely expanded the possibilities. However, it turned out that even with the complete number of observations, however, it quickly became clear that in that sky, the weakening of light in the atmosphere experiences something that the influence of the atmosphere limits them. Scattering regular variations of up to several percent of the light from celestial and terrestrial sources increases the yartov at times of minutes or more. First of all, it is the bone of the night sky. This background radiation interferes with the change in the amount of aerosols on the beam following the weakest astronomical sources, the view of the telescope. It was not difficult to assume that there were also nebulae and faint galaxies. In addition, to prove that the magnitude of these variations is related to scattering by aerosols, the contrast of the image is reduced by the attenuation of light caused by scattering by aenium, and its faint details are lost in the scattering light of aerosols. Now also for astronomers studying the stars of the bright parts of the observed object. And finally, using photometric methods, an urgent need has emerged: the effects of wavefront distortion significantly reduce the need to install your telescopes as high as possible. resolving and penetrating possibility of telephoto- So, for example, the Kitt Peak Observatory, USA (2100 m), pov (the image in the photograph turns out to be created in 1952 precisely for photoelectric veno- large and the influence of the sky background increases). measurements of star brightness. As a rule, high-precision photometry developed in those observatories in which Research carried out at that time (although solar studies were also carried out. They were more qualitative than quantitative) showed that the interfering influence of the atmosphere can be Even more stringent requirements for the characteristics of the earth's atmosphere exist when observations in in- weaken by placing telescopes in the mountains. Moreover, in the infrared wavelength range. The fact is that the paucity of transport and communications already allowed the astronomically noticeable absorption of radiation in the visible range for Chinese observatories to be located far from cities. Water vapor becomes predominant in the infrared range, and in some areas it makes the setting of new observational tasks and the organization of the atmosphere almost opaque. Absorption value of new observatories. As a result, almost all conditions and its variations strongly depend on the number of observatories founded at the end of the 19th and first centuries of water along the line of sight. The amount of water vapor in 20th century wine is found in the mountains at an altitude of 1 to 2 km. varies greatly depending on the time of year and place on Earth. The first truly high-mountain observatories - Naturally, high-mountain areas have in this ria been created for solar research in the sense of the best characteristics. attempt to significantly reduce the scattering of light in the earth's atmosphere. It is the scattering of sunlight that is located in Hawaii, on the Mauna Kea Atoll. There, in order to study such phenomena as the solar obliquity above 4000 m, the largest telescorona and prominences are located, forcing astronomers to travel to many countries around the world, including special ones, just to observe them in moment solar scope for infrared research. eclipses. The rise to a height of 2 to 3 km (Pic du Midi We practically did not touch on another significant factor, namely the quality of images, that is, India) really allowed researchers to solar-magnitude blurring of the image by the atmosphere astro-ts to obtain new significant results, especially nomic objects. For many optical problems, after the French astronomer Lyot found euastronomy, the main thing is precisely this characteristic method of combating the scattering of light in the observation sites themselves: the study of extremely weak solar telescopes. objects, achieving high angular resolution, KORNILOV V. G. WHAT M U A S T R O N O M I C H E S K I E O B S E R V A T O R AND LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS 71 EARTH SCIENCES high-resolution spectroscopy – but also quality The results of atmospheric transparency studies are generally better at high altitudes have shown that the attenuation of light caused by aerosol - observatories. ly, on most clear days and nights it is only 0.02–0.03. As a result of this, changes in transparency at times from minutes to hours account for only a fraction of a percent. The best transparency and maximum- Since July 1, 1957, a large-scale international amount of clear weather began occurs during the UNESCO autumn program - the International Geophysical Winter Period. Usually excellent conditions occasionally. A significant part of the IGY program can be greatly deteriorated due to some global- was carried out at astronomical observatories. new phenomena. For example, during the year after the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano (Philippines, 1991), there were no nomic observations associated with geophysically-not a single halo-free day and the magnitude of the weakening phenomena. In July, astronomers of the State Light aerosols did not fall below 0.10. Similar to the Astronomical Institute. PC. Sternberg, a deterioration in the transparency of the atmosphere was noted at Moscow State University (SAI) and went on an expedition to conduct many observatories around the world. observations under this program. In 1972, the mission of the expedition, which was installed by the company's Coude-refractor, included the study of telluric lines (spectrum - “OPTON” for observations of active regions on the ral lines formed in the spectrum of the Sun under the Sun with a unique filter on the hydrogen line of absorption of solar radiation by molecules of terrestrial Hα. In for 20 years it has been used in the atmospheric warning network), the continuous spectrum of the Sun and the nature of light and the forecast of proton flares for cosmic counterradiance. Comparison flights were chosen for observations. a completely flat area of a high-mountain pasture. In 1966, the expedition installed a small reflector telescope with a mirror diameter of 0.5 m at an altitude of about 2900 m above sea level in the mountains of the Northern Tien Shan, 40 km from the city. photoelectric measurements of star brightness. The first and Alma-Ata. Observations from astronomers of the Kazakh Astrophizhe confirmed the presence of excellent scientific institute named after. V.G. Fesenkov was aware of the conditions for photoelectric photometry and spectrometry in these places for non-photometry. In 1983, the second one was installed, due to the proximity of a large city. what a telescope AZT-14. The location turned out to be good. Indeed, here On installed telescopes with the help of photographs, there were often halo-free days, that is, such days, electric multicolor photometers (usually when the sky near the disk of the Sun had almost the same brightness as at a considerable distance. Loss of light This indicated almost complete absence of aerosols in the atmosphere at altitudes above the observation platform. Of course, molecular scattering decreases at an altitude of 3000 m by only 25%, but it scatters H2O light in almost all directions and therefore, unlike scattering does not produce a halo on aerosols. For observations 0.6, a small slitless spectrograph, a horizontal solar telescope, an out-of-eclipse coronagraph, an 8-inch refractor, and other small astronomical instruments were installed. 0.2 Through For 5 years, the SAI high-mountain expedition turned into a permanent high-mountain observation station, but for another 30 years it was called the Tien Shan High-Altitude Expedition (TSHE). In the first years of the expedition's existence, research was carried out there in the field of solar physics, tellurium. 1. Typical dependences of the fraction of light losses in cyc lines, optical properties of the earth’s atmosphere, the earth’s atmosphere on the wavelength for the Tien Shan - spectral observations of zodiacal light, Protica Observatory (blue curve) and plains illumination and glow of the night sky, research disservatories (red curve). Absorption bands by oxygen and water vapor are noted. The sharp decrease in energy in the spectra of stars in the ultraviolet of losses near 300 nm is due to absorption in the howl region, observations of eclipsing variable stars. light with ozone 72 SOROSOVSKIY EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL, VOL. 7, No. 4, 2 0 0 1 EARTH SCIENCES Light flow of rays) and are a powerful tool for 1.2 determining the physical nature of astronomical objects. At the end of the 70s, in the Tien Shan high-mountain expedition, successful experiments were carried out on the use of computers in photometric observations to conduct high-speed photometry. For example, in order to obtain a detailed 0.8 picture of the phenomenon of the occultation of a star by the Moon, a time resolution of about 1 ms is required. The detailed light curve of this phenomenon, determined by the diffraction of light at the lunar edge, contains information about the angular size of the eclipsed star. Observations of occultations of stars by the Moon in order to obtain the physical characteristics of stars were carried out for the first time on the expedition. Fig. 2. Coverage curve of the star 61 Taurus dark in our country. edge of the Moon, obtained on March 2, 1982 at the 0.5-m telescope in the Tien Shan high-mountain expedition - W–B color index. Time is counted from the moment of geometric coverage. The dots are the results of measurements lasting 2 ms. The solid line is the theoretical −1.0 light curve for the angular diameter of the star 0″003. Luminous flux in relative units. The signal level after coverage is determined by the scattered light of the Moon -0.5 using four generally accepted spectral bands: W or U, B, V and R, located respectively in the ultraviolet, blue, green and red regions of the optical spectrum) measurements of class - spherical variable stars and binary star systems containing relativistic objects. The 0.5's ability to perform multicolor measurements with an accuracy better than 0.5% has produced valuable scientific results. What information can astronomers 1.0 obtain from high-precision measurements of the brightness of stars in different spectral regions? Firstly, this is the determination of luminosity, the main energy characteristic of stars and other astronomical objects (of course, 1.5 at a known distance). Measuring the brightness in several spectral bands makes it possible to fairly accurately estimate the surface temperature of a star, its spectral class - a characteristic closely related to the mass of the star, and to identify among ordinary stars stars with features - objects that are very interesting. 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 resources for further research. Color index B–V Secondly, gloss measurement is carried out for ob- Fig. 3. The main tool of stellar photometry is the detection or study of stellar brightness variability. two-color diagram constructed using data from the WBVR catalog of bright stars in the northern sky. The nature of variability is closely related to the internal color indices plotted along the axes - this is the diversity of stars or shows that we are dealing with hundreds of stellar magnitudes in the corresponding spectral binary or more complex systems of stars. Islamic stripes. Blue hot stars are located in the upper left corner of the diagram, red stars following the light variability in the optical range are in the lower right. Points outside the main zone are often supplemented by measurements in other regions of the cluster, indicating stars whose radiation from the electromagnetic spectrum (from radio to X-rays) is “reddened” by interstellar absorption of light KORNILOV V.G. STRO NOMICAL ABOUT OBSERVATORY AND RACES LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS 73 EARTH SCIENCES Much attention has been paid to other types of measurements - with the aim of creating photometric catalogues. In 1985–1988, a photoelectric survey of the bright stars of the northern sky was carried out, as a result of which high-precision stellar magnitudes were obtained in four spectral bands for 13.5 thousand stars. The unique conditions of the TSHVE contributed to successful observations and new receiving equipment using a computer. The catalog created on the basis of these observations is unique in accuracy, completeness and homogeneity and is widely used in the world when conducting photometric studies. TIEN SHAN Fig. 4. General view of the Tien SHAN Shan Astronomical Observatory Let us recall the main features of the Tien Shan high-mountain expedition from the point of view of conditions for astronomy observations. For new telescopes, a reception facility for atronomy observations has been developed: 1) is one of the most paratura. These are four-channel electrophotometers located high above sea level at observatories that allow simultaneous measurement of the brightness of stars in four spectral bands of the optical range. above and about five more are located at the same height. The use of such photometers saves time; 2) is well located in longitude, is the identification of a separate object and allows many of the easternmost observatories in the territory to carry out color photometry of objects with rapid changes in the former USSR. This factor is important when carrying out shine. To study faint objects synchronous and coordinated with other observatories, a panoramic photometer based on CCD observations of the Sun and stars is more suitable; 3) has superior matrices. A CCD matrix is a radiation detector based on the current daytime astroclimatic characteristics: based on the internal photoelectric effect, allowing a semi-large amount of halo-free clear daytime digital image (usually on the order of 1000 × 1000 observation time with good quality image elements) of the studied area of the sky. injuries; 4) is distinguished by a large amount of clear Of course, by modern standards, night-weather telescopes, and unlike other observatories with a 1 m mirror, are small telescopes. The maximum time for riya is to be held in the autumn-winter period. On them, studies of very faint astronomical objects. Very good and stable transparency of the atmosphere of objects is impossible. However, for high-precision imaging with a low content of dust and water and with better-than-average brightness measurements of stars brighter than 15th magnitude, this location is ideal; scopes with a diameter of 1–1.5 m are optimal for high-precision photometry in optical and infrasense of the relationship between results and cost. Like the right-red ranges. Typically, such telescopes are used to solve astronomical problems that require a large number of observers. Based on these features and taking into account real time (tens and hundreds of nights). We will especially note two of them, which were the established directions of the expedition as an observer. scientific research State Astronomical Institute named after. PC. Sternberg, Moscow State University decided to significantly expand its observational base. First of all, this is research into binary systems. Soon after the start of X-ray radiation sources, the study of work on the creation of modern HSE-based ones in the optical range of the spectrum provides significant observatory information, primarily focused on the properties of matter in extreme stellar photometric observations and solar physical states. Measurements and research are especially valuable. At the end of the 80s of the 20th century, new buildings were carried out simultaneously with observations in other Tien Shan astronomy ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, for example, from the National Observatory, and two modern observations of orbital X-ray observatories were installed. telescope with a mirror diameter of 1 m. Together with the Czech- Another task is high-precision photometry of all the Academy of Sciences established a new horizontal- stars brighter than the 10th magnitude. The total number of such solar telescopes (mirror diameter 0.6 m) with un- stars is approximately 200 thousand. The overwhelming number of solar spectrographs with a focal length of 35 m do not have accurate multicolor brightness measurements 74 S O R O S O V S K I O EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL, VOL. 7, NO. 4, 2 0 0 1 EARTH SCIENCES objects. The most famous example is novae and supernovae, as well as mysterious gamma-ray bursts, which, according to the latest data, exhibit optical manifestations. In addition, as centuries of experience show, the astronomer who set the observational task must be present during the observations, even if only virtually. Real presence is not always possible, and it is not cheap. There are already several photometric telescopes in the world, which you can observe without leaving your home. If we add to this the emerging opportunities for including an existing astronomical observatory in the educational process, then connecting the observatory’s telescope computers to the global INTERNET network is not only justified, but also extremely necessary. It is along this path that other astronomical observatories are developing, and this is how the Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory should develop. REFERENCES 1. Martynov D.Ya. Course of practical astrophysics. M.: Nauka, 1977. 544 p. 2. Shcheglov P.V. Problems of optical astronomy. M.: Nauka, Fig. 5. One of the 1st reflecting telescopes of the company - 1980. 272 p. we are “Zeiss”, installed at the Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory 3. Struve O., Zebergs V. Astronomy of the 20th century: Trans. from English M.: Mir, 1968. 548 p. in the optical range. After completion of the space 4. Voltier L., Meinel A., King I. et al. Optical telescopes of the future: Trans. from English M.: Mir, 1981. 432 p. Whom the astrometric experiment “Hipparcos”, which measured the distances from the Earth for most of the 5. Gillette F., Labeyrie A., Nelson J. et al. Optical and such stars, accurate photometric data for them infrared telescopes of the 90s: Trans. from English M.: Mir, 1983. 292 p. simply necessary. An important circumstance for effective fo- Reviewer of the article A.M. Cherepashchuk tometric observations is the use of modern computer technologies, including *** network. Of great importance is the possibility of prompt exchange of observational data with other observatories around the world and individual researchers. thematic sciences, head. laboratory of new photometric methods of the State Astronomical Institute. The fact is that the behavior of some astronomical institute named after. PC. Sternberg Moscow State University. The area of objects is often unpredictable, and the most interesting scientific interests are photoelectric photometry from the point of view of astrophysics are the moments of stars, astronomical receiving equipment. The author of a sharp change in their optical characteristics, with more than 30 scientific papers, including the WBVR catalogue, accompanying global changes in the structure of these values of the bright stars of the northern sky. K O R N I L O V. G. HOW M U A S T R O N O M I C H E S K I E O B S E R V A T O R I I R S P O L WOMEN IN G O R A X 75