Brorfelde Observatory ( da, Brorfelde Observatoriet; obs. code:

054 The Type 054 (NATO Codename Jiangkai I) is a class of Chinese multi-role frigates that were commissioned in the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in 2005. They superseded the Type 053H3 frigates. Only two ships, ''Ma'anshan'' (525), an ...

) is an

astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, ...

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. H ...

located in Brorfelde near

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

. It is home to the Brorfelde Schmidt Telescope and was run as a branch of the

Copenhagen University Observatory Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

until 1996. It still has telescopes that are used by

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

students, but the operating staff moved to the ''Rockefeller Complex'' in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. Brorfelde Observatory and Brorfelde was a part of a Danish advent calendar running in 2012, and 2019 on

DR1 DR1 (DR Et) is the flagship television channel of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). It became Denmark's first television station when it began broadcasting in 1951 – at first only for an hour a day three times a week. Besides it ...

- a Danish national TV channel.

Instruments

The 77-centimetre

Schmidt telescope Schmidt may refer to: * Schmidt (surname), including list of people with the surname * Schmidt (singer) (born 1990), German pop and jazz singer * Schmidt (lunar crater), a small lunar impact crater * Schmidt (Martian crater), a crater on Mars * ...

from 1966 at Brorfelde Observatory was originally equipped with photographic film. An engineer is here showing the film-box, which was then placed behind the locker at the center of the telescope (at the telescope's prime focus).

Honors

The Hungaria asteroid

3309 Brorfelde 3309 Brorfelde, provisional designation , is a nearly spheroidal, binary Hungaria asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 January 1982, by Danish astronomers Kaare Jen ...

was discovered at, and named for the observatory. It was its first minor planet discovery. The naming citation was published by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...

on 7 September 1987 ().

People related to the observatory

Bengt Strömgren Bengt Georg Daniel Strömgren (21 January 1908 – 4 July 1987) was a Danish astronomer and astrophysicist. Life and career Bengt Strömgren was born in Gothenburg. His parents were Hedvig Strömgren (née Lidforss) and Elis Strömgren, w ...

, Danish astronomer instrumental in founding it. * Poul Jensen, Asteroid discoverer *

Karl Augustesen Karl A. Augustesen (born 1945) is a Danish astronomer and co-discoverer of minor planets. Working at Brorfelde Observatory, he is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 6 numbered asteroids during 1984–1987. The Vestian ma ...

, Asteroid discoverer

Minor planets

References

External links