Eastern Anatolia Observatory ( tr, Doğu Anadolu Gözlemevi, shortly DAG) is proposed ground-based astronomical observatory of

Atatürk University Atatürk University ( tr, Atatürk Üniversitesi) is a land-grant university established in 1957 in Erzurum, Turkey. The university consists of 23 faculties, 18 colleges, 8 institutes and 30 research centers. Atatürk University's main campus i ...

Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. The city uses t ...

, Turkey. The project to establish an observatory in Erzurum is conducted by the

Astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the he ...

Research and Application Center of Atatürk University with the scientific and technical coordination of TÜBİTAK National Observatory and financial support of the Ministry of Development, Government of

Erzurum Province Erzurum Province ( tr, Erzurum ili) is a province of Turkey in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. The capital of the province is the city of Erzurum. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to ...

, 40 universities and seven observatories in the region. It is the country's biggest project for astronomy, astrophysics and space science. The observatory will be built on a land of atop Karakaya Hill at above sea level within the Konaklı Ski Resort south of Erzurum. It will host Turkey's first

infrared telescope An infrared telescope is a telescope that uses infrared light to detect celestial bodies. Infrared light is one of several types of radiation present in the electromagnetic spectrum. All celestial objects with a temperature above absolute zer ...

. The telescope will have an active primary mirror of in diameter and will be equipped with

adaptive optics Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of incoming wavefront distortions by deforming a mirror in order to compensate for the distortion. It is used in astronomical tel ...

(AO) technology. The contract for the construction of the telescope has been awarded to the Belgian company AMOS in 2014. The

request for tender An invitation to tender (ITT, otherwise known as a call for bids or a request for tenders) is a formal, structured procedure for generating competing offers from different potential suppliers or contractors looking to obtain an award of business ...

for the design and construction of the rotating hemispherical dome to house the large telescope was won by the Italian company EIE Group Srl in November 2015. The completion of the observatory is scheduled for end 2019.

References

{{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. H ...

Buildings and structures in Erzurum Province Infrared telescopes Proposed buildings and structures in Turkey