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Our Place Until March 2009
Tartu Observatory was built upon a bishop’s castle that was destroyed in the Livonian war. The remaining castle ruins were used for building a foundation for the Observatory. No parts of this glorious burg are visible today, but the middle of the “Struve House” is supported on the foundation, which has caused it to curve in half. The Observatory’s buildings include observation pavilions and a coach house.
At first, the development of astronomy in Tartu was connected to applied astronomy, in the form of higher geodesy which deals with determining geographical coordinates by observing celestial bodies. A nine-inch refractor constructed by Fraunhofer in Munich made Tartu a world-famous centre of science. Today, top-level astronomy has moved to Tõravere Observatory and the Old Observatory has become a symbol of the town of Tartu, carrying the flag of Estonia.
You can find the website of the Old Observatory at www.obs.ee.
In 1802, the Academia Dorpatensis, which had been established by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolph in 1632, was reopened under the name of the Imperial Jurjev University. In the Statutes of Tartu University in 1799, the plan of a protestant university of Tartu already included a well-equipped observatory along with a library, medical faculty building, botanical garden and a clinic.
The field of academic astronomy owes thanks, first and foremost, to G.F. Parrot who, as a rector, coordinated everything in connection with the observatory from 1803 and looked for the best candidates of Europe for the office of professor of mathematics, which also included astronomy and geodesy at the time. G.F. Parrot had the idea of building a park and a campus on Toome Hill. The Observatory, projected by J.W. Krause, together with the main part of the old medical faculty building and the library in the choir of the Dome Church (now the University Museum) are the most beautiful and perfect buildings on Toome Hill, reflecting the world outlook of the time, enlightened and full of the joy of discovery.
Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (1793 – 1864) was the director of the Observatory from 1818 to 1839. He gained world fame by studying binary stars. On the basis of observations carried out in Tartu, he compiled a catalogue of binary stars that included 3,112 new binary stars. Struve was the first in the world to measure Vegan parallax of a fixed star, laying the foundation for measuring the distances of stars. In addition, he carried out geodesic measurements, including measurement of the Tartu “meridian curve” running from the North Sea to the mouth of the River Danube.
Fraunhofer’s nine-inch refractor
Struve’s successful scientific work gave him the opportunity to supplement the equipment of the Observatory. In 1824 a nine-inch lens telescope made by optician Fraunhofer arrived from Munich. The new telescope made it possible to use a mechanical driving gear to turn the refractor automatically, taking into account the apparent movement of the starry sky. Made using homogenous glass technology, the exact telescope was able to produce an image of such high quality for the first time. It was also the biggest refractor of the world until 1839.
Johann Mädler (also Maedler) (1794 – 1874) was the director of the Observatory from 1840 to 1865. Mädler was the first person to compile a full atlas of the Moon and Mars. He continued Struve’s work on binary stars, developing the world’s first theoretical pattern of the movement of star systems.
Ernst Öpik worked in the observatory from 1921 to 1944. After World War II, the Estonian astronomer, who would become world-famous, continued his work in the Armagh’ observatory in Ireland. His interests in astronomy were very broad, but his achievements in studying meteors and star evolution were especially significant. Öpik was the first to measure a the distance of a galaxy (M31, Nebula Andomeda) from the Earth.
Astronomy Club
The Tartu Observatory Astronomy Club was founded on March 5, 1996, with the aim of continuing and expanding the work of an astronomy club founded in 1948 and moved to Tartu Observatory in 1963.
Club meetings take place regularly at 5:15 PM, every first, third and fifth Tuesday of the current month, in the lecture hall of the Observatory. Participation is free to all.
At the meetings specialists make presentations about their fields. The universe, ancient Greek mythology, myths about the end of the world, the Apollo flights and Estonian astronomy are a few of the topics related to outer space that have been discussed. Information about past and future events can be found at http://www.obs.ee/obs/ring.html
The club has also helped organise five nation-wide Friends of Astronomy conventions. In addition to interesting lectures about astronomy and observations, the participants have enjoyed a musical Starry Sky by composer Urmas Sisask as well as hiking to different spots in Estonia.
Observatory’s chronology
| Chronology | | | 1807 | An observatory of the Imperial Jurjev University in Promenade Street is opened. J.W. Pfaff becomes the director. Herschel’s reflector and Dollond’s passage instrument are obtained. | | 1808 | Building of the Observatory on Toome Hill, upon the ruins of a bishop’s castle, is begun. | | 1810 | The observatory moves to Toome Hill. The geographical coordinates of the Observatory are determined. | | 1817 | The first volume of publications of Tartu Astronomical Observatory is published. | | 1818 | F.G.W. Struwe becomes the director. | | 1822 | Reichenbach’s meridian circle, one of the best instruments of the world at the time. | | 1824 | Fraunhofer’s Great Refractor is purchased – the world’s first exact telescope with a clockwork, the biggest refractor of the world until 1839. | | 1825 | Rebuilding of the observation tower. The Observatory acquires its current shape. | | 1827 | “Catalogus Novus” is published, a catalogue of binary stars compiled on the basis of Struve’s observations, including 3,112 new binary stars. | | 1837 | Struve is the first to determine the Vegan parallax of a fixed star, laying the foundation for further measuring the distances of stars. | | 1839 | Struve leaves Tartu to take up the position of director of Pulkovo Observatory. | | 1840...1972 | The director is Johann Mädler, the compiler of the first complete atlas of the Moon and Mars. | | 1872...1894 | The director is L. Schwarz. Repsold’s heliometer is purchased. | | 1894...1908 | The director is Grigori Levitski. Tartu seismology station is founded. | | 1894 | Konstantin Pokrovski becomes the director. | | 1911 | Zeiss’ refractor is purchased, the main telescope of the Observatory until the present day. | | 1913 | Taavet Rootsmäe, the first astronomer of Estonian origin, defends his dissertation. | | 1919 | Taavet Rootsmäe becomes director. | | 1921...1944 | The best-known Estonian astronomer Ernst Öpik works in the Observatory. | | 1924 | the first Calendar of the Observatory is published. From 1948 the Observatory is subordinated to the Academy of Sciences of the ESSR. | | 1964 | astronomers move to the new Tõravere Observatory. The Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the ESSR remains in the Observatory. | | 1975 | physicists leave the Observatory. A museum of astronomy, a branch of the Tartu Town Museum, is opened in the east hall. | | 1985 | the last astronomical observation takes place. Hugo Raudsaar takes pictures of Halley’s comet. | | 1994 | the Observatory is transferred to Tartu University. | | 1998 | Tartu University science centre AHHAA begins its activities in the Observatory. |
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