Modra Observatory

Modra Observatory
Organization	Comenius University Faculty of Mathematics ;
Observatory code	118
Location	Modra, Slovakia
Coordinates	48°22′24″N 17°16′26″E / 48.37327278°N 17.27402056°E
Established	1988
Website	[1]
Telescopes
0.60-m
0.60-m	reflector
0.20-m	solar refractor with H-alpha filter
0.25-m	educational Newton telescope
	Location of Modra Observatory
	Related media on Commons
	[edit on Wikidata]

Astronomical Observatory of Modra (-Piesok) (Slovak: Astronomické observatórium Modra (-Piesok)) , also known as the Modra Observatory or Astronomical and geophysical observatory in Modra, is an astronomical observatory located in Modra, Slovakia. It is owned and operated by the Comenius University. The scientific research is led by the Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics.

The asteroid (11188) Modra discovered in this observatory is named in the honour of the town [2].

Longitude: 17°,27402201 E
Latitude: 48°,37319778 N
Altitude: 531.10 m o.s.l.

About

Astronomical and Geophysical observatory of Comenius University is located near town of Modra and in the mountain range of Little Carpathians. The 3.5 hectare area contains several buildings and scientific instruments surrounded by beech forrest. It lies on the middle trias quartzitic bedrock. It is accessible via tourist trail or by the private paved road from Zochova chata. The main administrative buidling with the dome on the top contains 0.60-m Zeiss telescope with CCD camera and 0.20-m solar telescope with H-alpha filter. Within walking distance there are several buildings and pavilions with scientific devices, such as magnetic pavilion (measurement of the Earth magnetic field), seismic cell with the seismograph, solar telescope dome, dome with the Schumann resonances registration device and meteor pavilion of photographic and video meteor detection. The upper building with the 5-m dome has a small telescope for the educational purposes and registration devices for GPS and forward scatter meteor radar of the Bologna-Lecce-Modra network (transceiver-receiver-receiver). The lower building, standing next to the pond, has a small convention center and housing facility for guests. Since 1988 continuos weather and meteorological observations are done and the data provide unique and homogenous climate record of the site. Further planned development of the observatory involves the building of the open-air amphitheatre.

Education and research

As a part of the Comenius University, the observatory provides research opportunity for students and the staff offers guidance for the Master and PhD theses. The research is mainly aimed at the interplanetary matter. More than 160 asteroids were discovered from the observatory including two Near Earth Objects 2005 GB34 and 2008 UW5. The observation time is mostly assigned for the photometry of asteroids and comets and astrometry. The first observation of transiting extrasolar planet in Slovakia was performed at the observatory. The solar physics researchers perform solar prominence and chromosphere features observations in the H-alpha line. The observatory is also a member of the European bolide network and itself develops its own TV meteor grid. Besides photographic all-sky cameras, fish-eye all-sky semi-automated meteor detection devices are located at Modra observatory and near Tesárske Mlyňany. In addition to meteor detection, real time all-sky camera is able to detect also other phenomena, such as atmospheric sprites and elves (TLE).

Main operation and administrative building of Modra observatory
Winter time at the Modra observatory
Lower building of the Modra observatory complex
Leonid meteor shower detected at Modra observatory, bolides on single photographic plate
Sprites detected above horizon at Modra observatory
Active solar area as seen from Modra observatory
Comet 17P/Holmes from Modra observatory
Comet C/2004 Q2 Machholz from Modra observatory