Ondřejov Observatory
| Ondřejov Observatory | |
|---|---|
 Historic cupola of the Ondřejov Observatory | |
| Organization | Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic |
| Code | 557 |
| Location | near Ondřejov, Czech Republic |
Coordinates | |
| Altitude | 500 m |
| Established | 1898 |
The Ondřejov Observatory (pronounced [ˈondr̝ɛjof]; Czech: Observatoř Ondřejov) is the principal observatory of the Astronomical Institute (Astronomický ústav) of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. It is located near the village of Ondřejov, 35 km southeast of Prague.
The facility was constructed in 1898 by Czech amateur astronomer Josef Jan Frič as a private observatory. Frič donated the facility to the Czechoslovak state on October 28, 1928 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its independence. The observatory, located at an altitude of 500 m, away from the air and light pollution of urban Prague, was administered by Charles University until the founding of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1953, which from then on operated it as part of its Astronomical Institute in conjunction with other Czechoslovak observatories.
It has been responsible, amongst other scientific achievements, for the discovery of numerous asteroids, more recent works of astronomers from Ondřejov include examination of the trajectory and origin of the Chelyabinsk meteor.
External links
Media related to Ondřejov Observatory at Wikimedia Commons- Astronomical Institute, responsible for the observatory
- Photos of the observatory
- Photos of the observatory2