View source for Simeiz Observatory

{{Short description|Former observatory on Kosh-Kaya, Crimea}}
{{Infobox observatory}}

'''Simeiz Observatory''' (also spelled '''Simeis''' or '''Simeïs''') was an [[astronomy]] research [[observatory]] until the mid-1950s. It is located on [[Mount Koshka]], [[Crimea]], by the town of [[Simeiz]].

Part of the [[Crimean Astrophysical Observatory]], it is currently used for [[laser]] based studies of the orbits of [[satellite]]s.

The [[Minor Planet Center]] (MPC) credits Simeiz Observatory as the location where a total of 150 [[minor planet]]s were discovered by astronomers [[Grigory Neujmin]], [[Sergey Belyavsky]], [[Vladimir Albitsky]], [[Grigory Shajn]], [[Nikolaj Ivanov (astronomer)|Nikolaj Ivanov]], [[Pelageya Shajn]], [[Praskov'ja Georgievna Parchomenko|Praskov'ja Parchomenko]], [[Alexander Nikolaevich Deutsch|Alexander Deutsch]] and [[Evgenij Fëdorovič Skvorcov|Evgenij Skvorcov]].

As of 2017, the discovery of the minor planet {{LoMP|369010|{{mp|(369010) 2007 OK|2}}}} is directly credited to Simeiz Observatory by the MPC.<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />

== History ==
[[File:Simeiz RT-22.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Radiotelescope RT-22 at Simeiz]]

The Simeiz Observatory was founded by Russian amateur astronomer [[Nikolai Sergeevich Maltsov|Nikolai Maltsov]], who later became a honored member of the [[Russian Academy of Sciences]] and after whom asteroid [[749&nbsp;Malzovia]] was named. In 1900, he built a tower for refractor at his land plot near [[Simeiz]]. In 1906 – a tower with dome for Zeiss double [[astrograph]]. Both towers are preserved and being used nowadays. In 1908, Maltsov handed his observatory to [[Pulkovo Observatory]] as a present. In 1912, the first astrophysical department of Pulkovo Observatory was officially opened at the south of Russia. Simeiz observatory is situated at the level of 360&nbsp;m above sea level at southern mountainside of the Crimean mountains, at [[Mount Koshka|Koshka mountain]]. A main building was restored after the Second World War on the basis of old building in modernized style with balconies decorated by columns.

Research of interstellar space and star formation zones, discovery of star rotation, creation of stellar catalogues of radial velocities, study of chemical composition of stars and the Sun brought the world publicity to Simeiz Observatory. The results of research of stars and the Sun represents an independent value.

The department provides observing facilities for astronomers of international community and for its own staff. The following projects currently run:
# Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
# Multi-wavelength monitoring of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)
# Solar and stellar activity investigations
# Molecular lines observations at mm wavelengths

== Discoveries ==
Minor planets, whose discovery is directly credited to the observatory (rather than a particular astronomer).<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 0.9em; width: 270px;"
|+ [[Minor planet]]s discovered: 1&thinsp;<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
|-
| {{mp|(369010) 2007 OK|2}} || 18 July 2007|| {{small|{{LoMP|369010|list}}}}
|}

In the 1950s the observatory issued several lists<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/Dic?Sim%20NNN |title=Dictionary of Nomenclature of Celestial Objects |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2024 |website=CDS Portal |publisher=University of Strasbourg |access-date=28 September 2024 }}</ref> of galactic emission nebulas, published by G. A. Shajn and V. F. Gaze (also transliterated Hase) in the Ukrainian "Bulletin of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory" (Izvestiya Krymskoi Astrofizicheskoi Observatorii) and known collectively as the Simeis catalogue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=sim&NbIdent=cat&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit%20id |title=sim |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2024 |website=CDS Portal |publisher=University of Strasbourg |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> The catalogue includes Simeis 57 (the Propeller Nebula in [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://astro.i-net.hu/content/propeller-nebula-simeis-57 |title=The Propeller Nebula - Simeis 57 |author=Gábor Tóth |date=2014 |website=Gábor Tóth Astrophotography |publisher= |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> and [[Simeis 147]] (the Spaghetti Nebula in [[Auriga (constellation)|Auriga]]).

== See also ==
* {{section link|List of minor planet discoverers|Discovering dedicated institutions}}

== References ==
{{reflist
|refs=

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 4 September 2016
  |access-date = 27 December 2016}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120304064403/http://zn.ua/SCIENCE/lyudi_i_zvezdy-13342.html ''People and Stars''] History of Simeiz Observatory, Nikolay Semyon "Mirror of the week" No. 42, October 1998 {{In lang|ru}}
* [http://ziv.telescopes.ru/rubric/observatories/index.html?pub=1 ''Crimean Astrophysical Observatory''], a detailed history of Simeiz and Crimean Astrophysical Observatory by Petr Pavlovich Dobronravin {{In lang|ru}}.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090302121917/http://www.crao.crimea.ua/?q=briefhistory ''Brief history''] Brief history of Simeiz and Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2002MmSAI..73..626C History of minor planet observations at the Crimean astrophysical observatory],  [[Lyudmila Chernykh|L. I.]] & [[Nikolai Chernykh|N. S. Chernykh]] (2002)

[[Category:Astronomical observatories in Ukraine]]
[[Category:Astronomical observatories built in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Minor-planet discovering observatories]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Crimea]]