Source: astronomy2009.org
Three large optical telescopes established in Turkey have begun test observations.
The first is the largest optical telescope in the country, boasting 122 cm aperture. It was founded at Çanakkale Astrophysics Research Center by the State Planning Commission. The other telescopes feature apertures in the 100 cm and 60 cm regions, and fit within the National Research Council framework.


The official opening ceremony was performed by Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim. These new instruments are very important to Turkish astronomy, and IYA2009 supporters join together in congratulating all those involved.

Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (COMU) is one of Turkey’s leading universities in the field of Astronomy. It has an astrophysical observatory called Canakkale Astrophysics Research Centre (CARC) which is the youngest but the strongest one now with its the biggest optical telescope of Turkey. A 122 cm telescope, the largest one in Turkey, which was manufactured in Germany as a part of COMU project funded by the DPT (State Planning Commission), reached Çanakkale on 27 August, 2009 after a seven day journey. Completing customs procedures on the same day, the CARC took delivery of the telescope.
After examining the telescope, Prof. Osman Demircan, head of the CARC, pronounced his belief that the new telescope would make a vauable contribution to important scientific studies.

The new telescope will be used initially for photometric and spectroscopic observation of variable stars. Using photometric imaging, light curves for different types of variable stars (such as eclipsing binaries, spotted stars, pulsating variables) and small planets in the solar system will be obtained. Later on, spectra of variable stars and asteroids will be captured with a spectrograph. Using the spectrograph, the energy distributions, radial velocities, chemical abundances, line profile variations and atmospherical features of the targeted variable stars will be measured.

Once the telescope to be used for the official opening program was held by a scientific event on October 6th.

Approximately the same dates  two telescopes called T60 and T100 were established at TUBITAK National Observatory. The 60 cm telescope (T60) will be robotic and the 1.0 m one (T100) will be fully automated. They will be dedicated mostly stellar photometry and photometry of small bodies of the solarsystem but T100 telescope will  also be available for astrometry of NEAs.

IYA2009 Activities at CARC

Many astronomy activities (Astronomy Summer Camp, Space Studio-II and short video) and public observation days planned for celebration IYA2009 at CARC by head of ePOD and IYA2009 coordinator Arif Solmaz . Created a special web site for the planned events. Education and public outreach unit is coordinating these events with Physics and Astronomy Community students. This website includes many IYA2009 resources like projects and announcements, news & images, educational astronomical presentations etc. Finally, CARC ePOD team is ready for the latest special project of IYA2009 Galilean Nights which encourages people all around the world to participate in stargazing events from 22-24 October 2009, and experience for themselves the same sense of awe and wonder that Galileo must have felt!

For more details about this news please visit Arif Solmaz’s blog page on Cosmic Diary.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 11:43 am and is filed under Astronomy, English. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.