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Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace in Chisinau, Moldova

Once built to inspire young Soviet minds through astronomy, this dome now stands as a quiet relic of a vanished era.#astronomy #observatories #section-Atlas
Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace

Threats to astronomical observatory sites around the world from light pollution are growing, but the existing skyglow standard for site protection dates to nearly a half-century ago. Astronomers are considering a new standard to replace it given advances in lighting technology.

Read more about what's at stake for astronomy and how this effort developed: http://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/toward-a-new-standard-for-astronomical-observatory-site-protection

#Astronomy #NightSky #DarkSkies #SiteProtection #Observatories #LightPollution

The light pollution of Tucson, Arizona can be seen in the backdrop of this photo of Kitt Peak National Observatory, with the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope featured prominently. In addition to being an aesthetic blight, light pollution poses one of the greatest risks to astronomical research at Kitt Peak, drowning out the natural starlight and the light from distant asteroids, comets, galaxies, quasars, and other objects in the night sky. Creator: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Tafreshi (CC BY 4.0)

The International Astronomical Union notes the need to update the 1980 joint CIE-IAU light pollution metric for astronomical observatory sites and "is currently considering drafting a resolution based on these recommendations to be submitted for approval at its next general assembly in 2027."

https://iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann25010/

#Astronomy #Observatories #LightPollution

Møllehøj (Mill Hill) in Skanderborg, Denmark

The highest point in Denmark has been a matter of dispute for over 80 years.#mounds #observatories #mountains #section-Atlas
Møllehøj (Mill Hill)

🎙️ ✨ The Art of Being Random – Ravioli in London, Unscripted Conversations, and Writing Magical Short Stories

One moment, we’re talking about hats. The next, it's #London's skyline, ravioli, and why my mom—at 70+—decided to start writing magical short stories for kids and the young at heart.

Welcome to Random and Unscripted #Podcast, where Sean Martin and I embrace the art of wandering conversations.

In this episode, we explore #creativity, #storytelling, and why the best ideas often come from unexpected places.

Storie Sotto Le Stelle started as a small project—just a few whimsical tales blending #Tuscan nostalgia with fantasy. Now, it’s a growing collection of stories where enchanted gardens, talking animals, and #AI #Robots ran #observatories all coexist.

What does it take to be creative? A little madness, a lot of curiosity, and, apparently, a habit of talking to imaginary friends.

📺 https://youtu.be/57WNcH8fdg4?feature=shared

🎧 Tune in and subscribe for never ending randomness: https://randomandunscripted.com/episodes/the-art-of-being-random-ravioli-in-london-having-unscripted-conversations-and-writing-magical-short-stories-for-kids-and-the-young-at-heart-random-and-unscripted-with-sean-martin-and-marco-ciappelli

Storie Sotto Le Stelle: https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/

🔗 The Art of Being Random – Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco

Let’s talk: What sparks your creativity?

#Storytelling #Creativity #Podcast #Unscripted #StorieSottoLeStelle #travel #music #food #technology #cybersecurity

I-Link Town Observation Deck in Ichikawa, Japan

Just outside Tokyo, a 45-story-high observatory with a stunning view of Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji.#observatories #section-Atlas
I-Link Town Observation Deck

Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Hat Creek, California

The first radio telescope dedicated to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.#observatories #astronomy #section-Atlas
Hat Creek Radio Observatory

Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju-si, South Korea

The place nearest Seoul where it’s easy to get a good look at North Korea.#telescopes #northkorea #observatories #section-Atlas
Odusan Unification Observatory

"The industrial #megaproject is planned to be located just 5 to 11 kilometres from telescopes at Paranal, which would cause irreparable damage to astronomical observations, in particular due to light pollution emitted throughout the project’s operational life. Relocating the complex would save one of Earth's last truly pristine dark skies." (via @esoastronomy)

https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2501/

#Astronomy #Observatories #Paranal #ESO #DarkSkies #LightPollution

Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Cawston, British Columbia

One of Canada's premier radio observatories sits in a radio-quiet valley outside Penticton.#science #astronomy #observatories #telescopes #section-Atlas
Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory

Radio Optical Observatory ROT54 in Orgov, Armenia

An observatory with a 54-meter-wide radio telescope sits in the mountains of Armenia.#telescopes #abandonedobservatories #abandoned #observatories #section-Atlas
Radio Optical Observatory ROT54

LOOK!

These odd plots represent the first data from the SKA-low telescope working as an interferometer.

Data comes from two stations (each with 256 antennas) where the signal is correlated. That little kink is the radio galaxy Centaurus A.

SKA is starting to come online!

SKA-low features these odd-looking antennas that resemble Christmas trees. 256 of them sit in a ‘station’ which acts as a single unit. Once construction is complete (end of decade) there will be 512 stations separated by distance creating a large virtual telescope.

SKA-low is the Australian side of the project and will feature over 131,000 antennas to cover the low-frequency bands.

This will complement SKA-mid, located in South Africa which will have an interferometer made of dish antennas and cove a huge bandwidth up to 15 GHz.

📸 SKAO

#RadioAstronomy #Astrodon #SKAO #Observatories #Telescopes

Plot showing frequency in the x-axis and time on the y-axis. The data presented is the correlated signal of a polarisation parameter between two SKA-low stations. It looks like several wavefronts that are almost parallel and diagonally leaning.

Plot showing frequency on x-axis and phase on y-axis. The data points form several almost straight lines starting from top left or bottom right. Three of the middle lines have a link in them which is representative of an interesting radio object in the telescope beam.

A woman crouching down next to many antennas. The antennas are metallic and look like giant coat hangers that have been welded together to form a Christmas-tree shaped structure.

Aerial view of a circular structure in the middle of the red earth desert in Australia. The structure is a metallic mesh that has been laid out in the ground. On top of it, several antennas are being installed. Five humans, dwarfed but the structure are walk griping jt too and their car is nearby.

_The Evening Post_, 27 August 1924:
“EPOCH MARKING”
THE CITY TELESCOPE
OBSERVATORY AT KELBURN
THE OPENING CEREMONY
The City Council’s nine-inch astronomical telescope, which has been installed in a temporary building in the grounds of the Observatory at #Kelburn, was officially opened yesterday afternoon by the Mayor, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. Interesting addresses were delivered on the occasion.
The Mayor said he was very pleased to see so many citizens assembled at the opening of the observatory. Wellington was the first municipality in the Dominion that had extended its activities to the realm of astronomical science, in the purchase and setting up of a telescope.…
…
Councillor W. H. Bennett expressed the opinion that the event they were taking part in that day was a sign of the progress of the city—a milestone in Wellington’s journey to becoming one of the chief cities of the Southern Hemisphere.
The Mayor then formally declared the observatory open, and the visitors spent some time in inspecting the new city telescope.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19240827.2.118
#OnThisDay #OTD #PapersPast #Telescopes #Observatories #NewZealand

Black-and-white photo: The instrument on its mounting. 1924. Description: A view from behind of Wellington City Council’s new 9-inch telescope in Kelburn. Its temporary installation was opened to public view last week, and the heads of some people can be seen in the photo, all wearing hats. Citation: Supplement to the Auckland Weekly News, 4 September 1924, p. 42. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19240904-42-06. https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/id/245935

_The Evening Post_, 26 August 1924:
VIEWS OF MARS
SIGHTSEERS AT ROSLYN
AIR IN POOR CONDITION
(BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL TO THE POST.)
DUNEDIN, This Day.
Fully 200 persons went to #Roslyn Observatory on Saturday evening in the hope of viewing #Mars through the 12in telescope of the Otago Institute. The sky was quite clear, but a wavy current in the atmosphere made visibility poor. Nevertheless, the Roslyn instrument enabled visitors to see the glint of the south polar snowcap and shaded markings. “We have seen no traces of straight lines, corresponding to the so-called canals,” states a local authority, “but it was scarcely to be expected that we should see them under the conditions of our observation. The observations of these canals are erratic. In some cases small telescopes have been more successful than larger ones. It is difficult to say what are the conditions under which the canals can be best seen. Our conditions cannot be compared, for example, to the conditions in Arizona, but that is no fault of the telescope. The fact that we are not seeing the canals is no argument that they do not exist.”
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19240826.2.61
#OnThisDay #OTD #PapersPast #MartianCanals #Observatories #Dunedin #NewZealand