TÜBITAK National Observatory
The National Observatory TÜBITAK , Turkish TÜBİTAK Ulusal Gözlemevi , engl. TUBITAK National Observatory , is an observatory of TÜBITAK , a state scientific institution. It is located at an altitude of 2,450 meters on Bakırlı Dağ about 50 kilometers southwest of Antalya , in Turkey .
The observatory has a large reflector telescope , the "Russian-Turkish telescope" RTT150 with an aperture of 150 cm, as well as two smaller ones with 45 cm, ROTSEIIID, and 40 cm, T40.
history
In the 1960s, the idea of a National Observatory was first brought up by professors from Istanbul University . In 1979 a research institute called Uzay Bilimleri Araştırma Ünitesi was finally established. In 1983 this was converted into a project dedicated to the selection of the location for the National Observatory. The Bakırlı Dağ was selected from four locations. In 1991 the planning took shape. The State Planning Office took over the lead from 1992 . The legal establishment took place in 1995. The first director was Zeki Aslan. The observatory went into operation on September 5, 1997 with a ceremonial opening in the presence of the state and prime minister.
Web links
- Homepage (English)
Coordinates: 36 ° 49 ′ 27 ″ N , 30 ° 20 ′ 8 ″ E