Press Release

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO)
Press release 30.11.2023

ANNIVERSARY SEMINAR COMMEMORATING BENIAMIN MARKARIAN'S 110TH ANNIVERSARY

In a tribute to the 110th anniversary of the famous astronomer Beniamin Markarian, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) hosted a special seminar.

Areg Mickaelian, the Director of BAO, presented an insightful overview of Markarian's pivotal research areas and highlighted his most significant scientific achievements. Following this, senior researchers at BAO, Sussanna Hakobyan and Kamo Gigoyan, shared their perspectives on Markarian's impactful contributions and recounted their memories about the revered astronomer.

Beniamin Markarian, born on November 29, 1913, in the village of Shulaver (now Shahumyan) in the Marneuli region of the Georgian SSR, stands as a towering figure in observational astronomy. Few astronomers rival Markarian's influence, placing him second only to the esteemed Viktor Ambartsumian in the realm of Armenian astronomy. Markarian's Survey and the Markarian galaxies are familiar to astronomers worldwide. To this day, astronomers globally are engaged in studying these galaxies.

It is worth noting that in 2011, Markarian survey (the First Byurakan Survey, FBS) was registered in the UNESCO “Memory of the World” documentary heritage list. It is one of the 12 UNESCO items in Armenia and one of the rare scientific heritage items of UNESCO in the whole world.

Meline Asryan