The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO,
obs. code:
095) is located at Nauchnij research campus, near the Central Crimean city of
Bakhchysarai
Bakhchysarai ( crh, Bağçasaray, italic=yes; russian: Бахчисара́й; ua, Бахчисара́й; tr, Bahçesaray) is a town in Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and annexed by Russia as the Re ...
, on the
Crimean peninsula. CrAO is often called simply by its location and campus name, Crimea–Nauchnij, still ranks among the worldwide most prolific discovery sites for
minor planets.
CrAO has also been publishing the ''Bulletin of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory'' since 1947, in English since 1977. The observatory facilities (
IAU code 095) are located on territory of settlement of
Nauchnyi
Nauchnyi ( uk, Научний; russian: Научный; crh, Nauçnıy) is an urban-type settlement in the Bakhchysarai Raion of Crimea. Population:
References
External links
*
Bakhchysarai Raion
Urban-type settlements in Crimea
...
since the mid-1950s; before that, they were further south, near
Simeiz
Simeiz ( uk, Сімеїз, russian: Симеи́з, crh, Simeiz) is a resort town, an urban-type settlement in Yalta Municipality in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and incorp ...
. The latter facilities still see some use, and are referred to as the
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory–Simeiz (IAU code 094).
Observatory leaders
* 1945–1952:
Grigory Shajn
Grigory Abramovich Shajn (russian: Григорий Абрамович Шайн) (April 19, 1892 – August 4, 1956) was a Soviet/Russian astronomer. In modern English transliteration, his surname would be given as Shayn, but his astronomical d ...
- head of construction, the first director of the Observatory at Nauchny.
* 1952–1987:
Andrei Severny.
* 1987–2005: Nikolai Steshenko.
* 2005 – present: Alla Rostopchina-Shakhovskaya (Romanova).
List of discovered minor planets
As of 2016, the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
...
(MPC) gives a total of 1286 numbered minor planets that were discovered at the ''Crimea–Nauchnij'' observatory site during 1966–2007.
Most of these discovery are credited to the Russian/Soviet astronomers
Tamara Smirnova,
Lyudmila Chernykh,
Nikolai Chernykh,
Lyudmila Zhuravleva
Lyudmila Vasilyevna Zhuravleva (russian: Людмила Васильевна Журавлёва, uk, Людмила Василівна Журавльова, Ljudmyla Vasylivna Žuravljova; born 22 May 1946) is a Soviet, Russian and Ukrainian ast ...
,
Bella A. Burnasheva
Bella Alekseïevna Bournasheva (Бэлла Алексеевна Бурнашева, b. 1944) is a Soviet–Russian astronomer credited with the discovery of several asteroids.
The minor planet 4427 Burnashev 44 may refer to:
* 44 (numb ...
,
Nikolaj Efimovič Kuročkin,
Lyudmila Karachkina,
Natalʹja Vitalʹevna Metlova
This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 nu ...
and
Galina Ričardovna Kastelʹ
This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 nu ...
. As a peculiarity, British astronomer and long-time MPC director
Brian G. Marsden is also credited with the co-discovery of
37556 Svyaztie at Nauchnij in 1982, as a symbolic gesture of the astronomical collaborations and friendships between the East and the West during the Cold War.
The MPC also credits the discovery of the following minor planets directly to the observatory (rather than to one of the above listed astronomers):
Gallery
See also
*
List of asteroid-discovering observatories
*
*
List of observatory codes
*
Simeiz Observatory
References
External links
CrAO's website
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories built in the Soviet Union
Buildings and structures in Crimea
*
Minor-planet discovering observatories