Press Release

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO)
Press release 12.12.2023

JUBILEE WORKSHOP OF THE BYURAKAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY AND RUSSIAN ASTRONOMY CENTER

On December 8, the jubilee workshop dedicated to the decade-long collaboration between the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Russian “Astronomical Center” was held at the BAO. The event featured five reports.

The workshop opened with the report of Areg Mickaelian, director of the observatory, which was dedicated to the Armenian-Russian cooperation in the field of Astronomy. Then, the leaders of both sides of the project, Haik Harutyunian and Mikhail Kardashenko, presented a joint report on the restoration and operation of the Saravand base of the Applied Astronomy Center.

From the Russian side, the reports of Vladimir Agapov, Yevgeny Biryukov and Denis Demyanov were dedicated to the use of modern techniques for the increase of the observations efficiency. Georg Tuparev, who came to Armenia from Bulgaria for this purpose, participated in the workshop, whose company is involved in the development of control programs for modern telescopes. Issues of further cooperation were also discussed during the workshop.

“Astronomical Center” company, which today has observatory bases in Namibia, Morocco, Cuba and elsewhere in addition to the Russian Federation, represented by the general director Mikhail Kardashenko, stated that the observatory base in Byurakan is very important for them and they will continue to cooperate closely in the future. with Armenian astronomers.

It should be noted that this cooperation commenced ten years ago, on November 30, 2013, with the installation of an entire observation complex, specialized for the detection and registration of fast-moving bodies in the sky at BAO. This marked the beginning of the observation of space around the earth in this location. In order to carry out these works, the Center of Applied Astronomy was organized in the BAO, where during the last ten years these observations, which in astronomical jargon are called the observation of space debris, have never stopped.

Meline Asryan