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170 Years of Observational Astronomy in Greece: Telescopes and Instrumentation

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170 Years of Observational Astronomy in Greece: Telescopes and Instrumentation Mem. S.A.It. Suppl. Vol. 15, 210 Memorie della c SAIt 2010 Supplementi 170 Years of observational astronomy in Greece: telescopes and instrumentation P. Niarchos and A. Petropoulou Department of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR 157 84 Zografou, Athens, Greece e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. The most important milestones in the history of observational astronomy in Greece during the last 170 years are presented. In particular, the telescopes and observa- tion instruments that have been used or are in use in various observatories in Greece are mentioned, and their contribution to the development of research in astronomy and astro- physics is underlined. Key words. Observational Astronomy – Telescopes – Instrumentation 1. Introduction tronomers played a fundamental role in the sci- entific revolution that was forged in Europe Beginning around 600 BC, Greek philoso- during the Renaissance. phers and scientists developed a number of important astronomical ideas which helped form the foundation of modern astronomy. Among those Greek philosophers and as- tronomers we mention Pythagoras (500s BC), 2. Astronomy in Greece from Euxodus of Cnidus (370 BC), Aristotle (300s 1600-1840 BC), Heraclides of Pontus (387-312 BC), Aristarchus of Samos (200s BC), Eratosthenes During the Turkish occupation (lasted till (276 BC), Hipparchus (140 BC). Heraclides 1821), only some scholars, educated in and Aristarchus were way ahead of their time, Western Europe, translated books of european and their theories were not really accepted. physicists and astronomers and made com- Ptolemy (100s AD) expanded Aristotle’s ments on some books of ancient greek as- and Hipparchus’s theories. He published the tronomers. Others, like Benzamin of Lesvos Almagest, in which he presented his ideas and (1762-1824), distinguished mathematician, as- summarized those of his predecessors. In the tronomer and clergyman, embraced the mes- Middle Ages, Islamic scholars are often cred- sages of the then modern times and worked ited with preserving the scientific writings of passionately for the transfer of the new sci- Antiquity through the Dark Ages of Europe. entific knowledge to the young Greek peo- In this new light, the medieval Islamic as- ple. The first telescope (50mm) was brought to the occupied Greece by the scholar Theophilos Send offprint requests to: P. Niarchos Kairis (1784-1853). Niarchos & Petropoulou: Observational astronomy in Greece 211 3. Astronomy in modern Greece – Spectrometer of simple prism made by (1840-present) Ploessl in 1845. Donation of Sinas. – Astronomical spectrometer, made in 1884. The astronomy in modern Greece dates from Dimensions: 38×16×5 cm the foundation of the University of Athens – Filar micrometer with six eyepieces. It was in 1837 and the erection of the Astronomical made by Casella in 1850, the dimensions Observatory of Athens a few years later. are 17x9x6 cm and the material is brass. Around 1840, the national benefactor, Baron – Theodolite of the beginning of the 20th Georgios Sinas, Greek ambassador in Vienna, century, with length 24 cm, width 28 cm, decided to donate the Greek Government and base diameter 9 cm. with 500.000 drachmas for founding an – Sextant, for the determination of the alti- Astronomical Observatory in Athens. The tude and the azimuth of celestial bodies. place selected for the Observatory was a lo- – Stellar photometer with selenium cell. cation on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, fac- Made by Rougier around 1930, material: ing the Acropolis. The Observatory of Athens brass. foundation ceremony took place in June 26, – Kessel chronometer for sidereal time. 1842 Dimensions: 200×70×50 cm. It was made by Kessel in 1845. 3.1. The Astronomical Observatory of – Nautical clock of late 19th century. Athens Dimensions:16×16×7cm. It was used for astronomical observations and the determi- The first building of the Astronomical nation of the longitude in the sea. Observatory of Athens, known as Sinas build- – Mercury barometer Fortine for the mea- ing, was designed in 1842 by the architects surement of the atmospheric pressure. Theophil Hansen of Denmark and Edward Material: wood and brass. Dimensions: Schaubert of Germany, based on the sug- 120×15 cm. gestions of the Danish astronomer Heinrich Christian Schumacher. The cross-like neoclas- 2. The period 1855-1884 sic building had its sides oriented toward the After the resignation of professor Vouris, the four main directions of the horizon. There was Director’s duties were temporarily carried out a small dome for a telescope on the top of the for the period 1855-1858 by Prosessor Ioannis building (see Plakidis and Kotsakis, 1978). Papadakis of the University of Athens. In The building was completed in 1846. December 4, 1858, Director of the Athens Observatory was nominated the German re- 1. The first period 1846-1855 searcher Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt. His The Observatory’s founder and first Director mostly brilliant work is the Topographical Professor Georgios Vouris, using the Sinas do- Map of the Moon, ”Chaptre der Gebirge des nation, ordered in Austria and installed the first Mondes”, published in Berlin in 1978. In an instruments in the new building. The new in- area of two meters diameter, consisting of 25 struments were: parts and representing the visible surface of the – The 6.2” (158mm, f/15) refractor Ploessl. Moon, there were drawn about 30000 craters It was the main observing instrument dur- as observed with the 158mm Ploessl telescope ing the first period (1845-1902) of the (Schmidt, 1867, 1872, 1873, 1878). Observatory of Athens. It was also used for 3. The period 1884-1935 solar H observations in the period 1955- After the death of Julius Schmidt, the di- 1970. rectorship of the Athens Observatory was – Five small telescopes for observations of given to his collaborator Dimitrios Kokkidis comets. (1840-1896) for the years 1884-1890. In – Chronometers for civil and sidereal time. June 19, 1890, the Athens observatory – Set of meteorological instruments. became a governmental research centre 212 Niarchos & Petropoulou: Observational astronomy in Greece and its name was changed to National University of Athens, at the same time was Observatory of Athens (NOA). In addition nominated Supervisor of the Astronomical to the Astronomical Institute, two others Institute of the National Observatory of were created, the Meteorological and the Athens. Professor Plakidis made many efforts Seismological Institutes. Prof. Dimitrios to move the observations far from the city cen- Eginitis, an astronomer educated in France, tre. In 1936 the beginning of the Astronomical was appointed Director of the NOA (see Station Penteli was set, but the World War II Theodossiou et al., 2007). He ordered the significantly delayed the development of the purchase of modern instruments, educated station. the personnel, enriched the library with the 5. The Astronomical Station Penteli necessary and up-to-date books and arranged The Astronomical Station Penteli was founded for new buildings to be built in a neighbour in 1937 on the top of the hill named Koufos on area to the Thissio site of the Observatory. Penteli Mountain. Those years it was a remote Considerable was his contribution in accept- dark site, although it is only about 15km from ing the World Time Zone system and the the Athens Observatory. In 1955 the National Gregorian Style Calendar in Greece. He also Observatory of Athens accepted the donation organized the edition of the ”Annalles de offered by the University of Cambridge, the l’Observatoire National d’Athenes”. The new 62.5cm telescope designed by R. S. Newall and instruments purchased by D. Eginitis were: constructed by the firm Thomas Cooke & Sons in 1868. It has a tube about 9m long and a – 16cm Meridian Circle ”Syggrou”. German-type equatorial mounting (with a total The new meridian circle of NOA, made weight about nine tons). After completion of by the French firm Gautier, was bought in the new building and the 14m diameter dome, 1896. The optical system of the refractor in 1959, the telescope was installed in its new had a diameter of 16cm and focal length home, the Astronomical Station Penteli. 200cm. The meridian circle was exten- sively used for the time service of NOA since its installation in 1896 up to 1964. – The new telescope - 40cm Refractor ”Doridis”. 3.2. The present status The new 40cm telescope of NOA was made in 1902 also by Gautier. The tele- There are several optical telescopes operating scope was named ”Doridis” in honour of its in various observatories in Greece. Six of them donator. It is a refractor with double achro- have a primary mirror greater than 50cm in matic lenses of 40cm diameter and its focal diameter. We briefly present four of them, length is 5m. The Doridis refractor was ex- which are used by professional astronomers tensively used for observations of planets, for observations in various research fields. moon, and comets, for astrometry and for variable stars photometry. Stephanion Observatory – Newtonian Telescope. In June 1971, the 30-inch (76-cm) Cassegrain A small telescope provided with an astro- reflector of the University of Thessaloniki stat and micrometer for double stars ob- was installed at Stephanion Observatory, in servations; it replaced in 1891 the refractor northern Peloponnese. Key photometric obser- Ploessl. Donation of Ionides, a Greek who vations of variable stars (flare stars, cepheid lived in London. It was made by Browning variables, RS CVns, etc) have been undertaken in 1882 and the mirror diameter is D=200 in co-operation with large ground and space mm. instruments. More info at http://www. stephanion.gr/asteroskopeion.htm 4. The period 1935-1964 After the death of Professor D. Eginitis Kryoneri Observatory in 1934, Stavros Plakidis, Professor in the The Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics Niarchos & Petropoulou: Observational astronomy in Greece 213 (IAA) of the National Observatory of Athens instruments include optical CCD imaging (NOA) operates a 1.2m Cassegrain telescope cameras, Near Infrared Camera, high reso- the main observing instrument of NOA from lution Echelle Spectrograph and Adaptive 1975 till 2008.
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