The Istanbul University Observatory ( tr, İstanbul Üniversitesi Gözlemevi) is a
ground-based astronomical observatory operated by the Astronomy and Space Sciences Department at
Istanbul University
, image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg
, image_size = 200px
, latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis
, motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü
, mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future
, established = 1453 1846 1933
...
's Faculty of Science. Established in 1936, it is situated next to the historic
Beyazıt Tower
Beyazıt Tower, also named Seraskier Tower, from the name of the Ottoman ministry of War, is an fire-watch tower located in the courtyard of Istanbul University's main campus (formerly Ottoman Ministry of War) on Beyazıt Square (known as the ...
within the main campus of the university at
Beyazıt Square in
Fatih
Fatih () is a district of and a municipality (''belediye'') in Istanbul, Turkey, and home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the governor's office, police headquarters, metropolitan municipality and tax office) but not the co ...
district of
Istanbul,
Turkey.
History
Soon after the foundation of the Faculty of Science at Istanbul University in 1933,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
astronomer
Erwin Finlay-Freundlich
Erwin Finlay-Freundlich FRSE FRAS (; 29 May 1885 – 24 July 1964) was a German astronomer, a pupil of Felix Klein. Freundlich was a working associate of Albert Einstein and introduced experiments for which the general theory of relativity cou ...
was invited to direct the Department of Astronomy. He suggested to establish an observatory. The observatory building with dome was designed by architect Arif Hikmet Holtay. Its groundbreaking took place in December 1935, and the construction, conducted by Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi, was completed within six months. It became ready for use in the summer of 1936.
As the main instrument of the observatory, an astrograph was ordered to
Carl Zeiss Jena in Germany on December 11, 1935. The instrument arrived in Istanbul disassembled in twelve pieces on September 25, 1936, and was installed in the observatory's dome. The facility started its observations in the fall of 1936. It is the first modern observatory of Turkey.
The
air and
light pollution in downtown Istanbul, where the observatory is located, make it impossible to conduct night observations. For conducting
night sky studies, the department initiated a project to establish an
observatory at the Onsekiz Mart University in
Çanakkale, which was realized in 2002.
Instruments
Currently, the observatory consists of following telescopes and instruments:
;
Astrograph
* Diameter:
* Focal ratio: f/5
* Focal length:
* Max. size of photographic plate at
focal plane
In Gaussian optics, the cardinal points consist of three pairs of points located on the optical axis of a rotationally symmetric, focal, optical system. These are the '' focal points'', the principal points, and the nodal points. For ''ideal'' ...
:
;
Photosphere
The photosphere is a star's outer shell from which light is radiated.
The term itself is derived from Ancient Greek roots, φῶς, φωτός/''phos, photos'' meaning "light" and σφαῖρα/''sphaira'' meaning "sphere", in reference to it ...
telescope
* Diameter:
* Focal ratio: f/15
* Focal length:
Used for the observation of
sun spot
Sunspots are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic flux that inhibit convection. Sun ...
s and
plage
Plage may refer to:
*Plage (astronomy), a bright region in the chromosphere of the Sun
*Plage (mycology), a clear, unornamented area on the basal area of an ornamented fungal spore
* "Plage" (song), a 2011 song by English electronic band Crystal F ...
areas.
;
Chromosphere
A chromosphere ("sphere of color") is the second layer of a star's atmosphere, located above the photosphere and below the solar transition region and corona. The term usually refers to the Sun's chromosphere, but not exclusively.
In the Su ...
telescope
* Diameter:
* Focal ratio: f/19
* Focal length:
Used for the observation of the structure and interesting phenomena of Sun's chromosphere supported with a
monochromator (
H-alpha Lyot filter) and a camera (
Canon F-1) placed on the focal plane.
;Pilot telescope
* Diameter:
* Focal ratio: f/13
* Focal length:
References
External links
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories in Turkey
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
Buildings and structures in Istanbul
Fatih
1936 establishments in Turkey