National Observatory of Athens

National Observatory of Athens
(Greek: Εθνικό Αστεροσκοπείο Αθηνών)

Logo of the National Observatory of Athens
Established	1842 (1842)
Research Type	Basic
Field of Research	Astronomy Physics
Location	Athens, Greece 37°58′23.99″N 23°43′12″E / 37.9733306°N 23.72°E / 37.9733306; 23.72
Website	http://www.noa.gr

National Observatory of Athens
The National Observatory of Athens on top of the Nymphs' Hill, Athens
Organization	Public institution
Code	066
Location	Thissio, Greece
Coordinates	37°58′23.99″N 23°43′12″W / 37.9733306°N 23.72°W / 37.9733306; -23.72
Established	1842
Website http://www.noa.gr
Telescopes Kryoneri Observatory 1.2m Cassegrain telescope Helmos Observatory 2.3m Ritchey–Chrétien telescope

The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) (Greek: Εθνικό Αστεροσκοπείο Αθηνών) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern Europe.

History

1842-1858: The first years - G. Sinas, G. Vouris

1842 - The Athens Observatory foundation

Around 1840, the national benefactor, Baron Georgios Sinas, ambassador in Vienna, expresses his intention to make a donation for science development in Greece. He takes advice from his friend, the Austrian ambassador in Athens Prokesh-Osten, whose secretary is the physicist and astronomer, professor Georgios Vouris. The decision of Georgios Sinas is to donate the Greek Government with 500.000 drachmas for founding an Astronomical Observatory in Athens.

The Observatory of Athens foundation ceremony in June 26, 1842, the day of a Solar Eclipse, is a magnificent official event. Persist the King of Greece Otto, members of the Government and of the Greek Church. A large crowd of people fills up the vicinity of the place selected for the Observatory, a location on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, facing the Acropolis. Following the panegyric speech by professor Vouris, the foundation stone is set under music sounds and cannonade by a Danish frigate anchored in Piraeus port.

The first building and instruments

The first building, known as Sinas building, is based on a project presented by Edward Schaubert and prepared by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen. For the final project, the opinion of professor Vouris and of the well known astronomer Schumacher was taken into account. The cross-like neoclassic building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The building was completed in 1846.

Georgios Vouris, the first Director, 1846-1855

The inspirer of the Athens Observatory, professor Georgios Vouris becomes its first Director. Using the Sinas donation he orders in Austria and installs the first instruments in the new building:

• 6.2" (158mm, f/15) refractor Ploessl
• 3.7" meridian circle Starke-Fraunhofer
• five small telescopes for comets
• chronometers for civil and sidereal time
• set of meteorological instruments

1855-1858

After the resignation of professor Vouris, Director of the Athens Observatory is nominated Ioannis Papadakis.

1858-1884: The "classical" epoch of J. Schmidt

In December 4, 1858, Director of the Athens Observatory is nominated the German researcher Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt. Utilizing the Sina's family donation, J. Schmidt takes care of the instruments repairing and maintenance. He enriches the Observatory's library with many scientific books and journals. Some of them are donated by observatories. Schmidt starts the editing of Publications of the Observatory of Athens.

During the 25 years of his work in the Athens Observatory, he performs more than 70000 observations of variable stars and discovers few periodic variables and two Novae stars. Most of the results are published in the Astronomische Nachrichten journal.

For many years, J. Schmidt studies the planets Mars and Jupiter and draws the changes on their surfaces. He observes the bright comet of the 1860 and two years latter discovers a periodic comet. The clear sky allows him to make thousands observations of meteors. He also has the opportunity to observe a number of Solar eclipses and many eclipses of Moon.

The Topographical Chart of the Moon (Chaptre der Gebirge des Mondes) published in Berlin, is perhaps his mostly brilliant work. In an area of two meters diameter, consisting of 25 parts and representing the visible surface of the Moon, there are drawn about 30000 craters as observed with the 158mm Ploessl telescope. Significant is also his study of the crater Linne showing apparent morphological changes.

Julius Schmidt reorganizes the meteorological service of the Observatory of Athens. He performs meteorological observations in many places in Greece and regularly sends data to the Observatory of Paris. These results are presented in his work "Beitrage zur Physikalischen von Griechland" (1864).

Very significant is his interest in the field of seismology. With the help of volunteers, he records more than 3000 earthquakes and publishes his "Studienn uber Erdbeben" (1975). So well, few years he observes the Santorini volcano, since the erection in 1866, and publishes the study of this and of three other volcanos (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli) in 1874.

Julius Schmidt makes some journeys with the aim of geographical studies and performs archeological investigations to discover the ancient Troy.

1884-1890: D. Kokkidis

Dimitrios Kokkidis undertakes temporary the direction of the Observatory of Athens in 1884.

Because of the financial situation of the Observatory (the funds of the Sinas family donation are already exhausted), Dimitrios Kokkidis has very limited possibilities for administrative and scientific activity. He continues regular meridian circle observations for the purpose of time service and observes solar spots. He successes to expand the meteorological stations network to few places far from Athens.

1890-1934: The Observatory "renaissance" - D. Eginitis

With a special law of the Greek Parliament in June 19, 1890, the Athens Observatory becomes a governmental research center and its name is changed to National Observatory of Athens. With this law, Dimitrios Eginitis is appointed Director of the NOA. In addition to the Astronomical Institute, two others are created, the Meteorological and the Seismological Institutes.

The Eginitis' very first care is to find founds and donations. He gets a credit from the University and performs a restoration of the observatory building and of its old instruments. Because of the economical situation in Greece, the governmental aid is very limited. Eginitis organizes national committee that in few years succeeds to collect a considerable sum from fellow-Greeks. Among the generous donators are D. Doridis, A. Syggrou, M. Korgialenios, P. Stefanovik, E. Zarifis, K. Mavromichalis, A. Skouzes, and N. Hrysovelonis.

With the collected funds, the Thissio site of the Observatory is expanded, a neighbor area is bought and three new buildings are erected. So well, new instruments are ordered and installed in NOA, a 16cm meridian circle and a 40cm refractor. Another telescope, a 20cm reflector is donated by K. Ionidis.

D. Eginitis reorganizes the meteorological net adding about hundred of new stations and creates a seismological service. He organizes the edition of the "Annalles de l'Observatoire National d'Athenes".

Eginitis plays a significant role in the political and academic life in Greece. He is Minister of Education in 1917 and in 1926, and is the founder of the Academy of Athens in 1926. Considerable is his contribution of in accepting the World Time Zone system and the Gregorian Style Calendar in Greece.

1935-1964: The astrophysics in NOA - S. Plakidis

Stavros Plakidis works in the Observatory since 1915. In 1927 S. Plakidis is promoted to assistant astronomer and in 1928, with the recommendation of professor Eginitis, he continues his studies for two years in Greenwich, Cambridge, Paris, Strasbourg, and Heidelberg. In 1931 he is proclaimed Doctor of Mathematics and is nominated regular astronomer of NOA.

In 1935 Stavros Plakidis is elected Professor in the University of Athens and at the same time is nominated Supervisor of the Astronomical Department of NOA. In two years the NOA changes two Directors, firstly is nominated professor Nikolaos Kritikos, then Ilias Mariolopoulos. In 1937, Director of NOA is nominated Georgios Chors.

Professor Plakidis is already well-known astronomer and continues his work in the field of the observational astrophysics. He publishes many papers in famous astronomical journals. Very well-known is his work on long-period variable stars in collaboration with professor Sir A. S. Eddington.

Stavros Plakidis makes many efforts to move the observations far from the city center. In 1936 the beginning of the Astronomical Station Penteli was set. But, the II World War significantly delayed the development of the station. At the end of his, about a half century, active carrier in NOA, he could see the results of this task, the new 63cm telescope in Penteli used extensively by the astronomers of the Institute.

In 1999 the names of the institutes of NOA were updated, as follows:

• Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development
• Institute of Geodynamics
• Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing

In 2003 the Institute of Astroparticle Physics "NESTOR" became the fifth institute of NOA

Emilios T. Harlaftis worked as a research fellow (1997–1998) at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Observatory of Athens.

The Observatory as seen from Acropolis.

Premises

The National Observatory of Athens has two buildings:

• The Central Premises

The central premises of the National Observatory of Athens are situated on top of Lofos Nymphon (Nymphs' Hill) at Thissio. Nymphs' Hill borders with Philopapou Hill and is opposite to the Acropolis and the Athenian Agora.

• Penteli's Astronomical Station

Penteli's Astronomical Station is situated on 'Lofos Koufou' at 'Palaia Penteli'

The NOA Weather Station

The National Observatory of Athens handles the most antique weather station of Greece, which is located at Thissio and that is affected by the urban heat island (UHI) of the city, especially during summer and spring.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Climate data for IERSD-National Observatory of Athens (Thissio), 107 m asl (1961-1990)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	12.9 (55.2)	13.6 (56.5)	16.0 (60.8)	20.3 (68.5)	25.3 (77.5)	29.8 (85.6)	32.6 (90.7)	32.3 (90.1)	28.9 (84.0)	23.1 (73.6)	18.6 (65.5)	14.7 (58.5)	22.34 (72.22)
Average low °C (°F)	6.5 (43.7)	6.9 (44.4)	8.4 (47.1)	11.6 (52.9)	15.4 (59.7)	20.1 (68.2)	22.5 (72.5)	22.3 (72.1)	19.2 (66.6)	14.9 (58.8)	11.4 (52.5)	8.3 (46.9)	13.96 (57.12)
Precipitation mm (inches)	44.6 (1.756)	48.3 (1.902)	42.6 (1.677)	28.2 (1.11)	17.2 (0.677)	9.7 (0.382)	4.2 (0.165)	4.6 (0.181)	11.9 (0.469)	47.7 (1.878)	50.6 (1.992)	66.6 (2.622)	376.2 (14.811)
Source: National Observatory of Athens[7]

References

1. ^ Katsoulis B.D., Theoharatos G.A. (1985). "Indications of the Urban Heat Island in Athens, Greece". Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 24, Issue 12, pp.1296-1302
2. ^ Katsoulis B. (1987). "Indications of change of climate from the Analysis of air temperature time series in Athens, Greece". Climatic Change, 10, 1, pp- 67–79.
3. ^ Repapis C. C, Metaxas D. A. (1985). "The Possible influence of the urbanization in Athens city on the air temperature climatic fluctuations at the National Observatory". Proc. of the 3rd Hellenic-British Climatological Congress, Athens, Greece 17–21 April 1985, pp.188–195.
4. ^ Philandras C.M, Metaxas D.A., Nastos P.T. (1999). "Climate variability and Urbanization in Athens". Theoretical and Applied Climatology, vol. 63, Issue 1–2, pp.65–72.
5. ^ Philandras C.M, Nastos P.T. (2002). "The Athens urban effect on the air temperature time series of the National Observatory of Athens and New Philadelphia stations". Proc. of the 6th Hellenic Conference on Meteorology, Climatology and Atmospheric Physics, Ioannina Greece, 25–28 September 2002, pp.501–506.
6. ^ Repapis C.C., Philandras C.M., Kalabokas P.D., Zerefos C.S. (2007). "Is the last years abrupt warming in the National Observatory of Athens records a Climate Change Manifestation?". Global NEST Journal, Vol 9, No 2, pp. 107–116.
7. ^ "Climatological Information for the National Observatory of Athens, Greece", NOA climatological table, web: [1].

External links

The official site of the National Observatory of Athens (in Greek) The official site of the National Observatory of Athens (in English)

The Central Premises in Google Maps The Penteli's Astronomical Station in Google Maps

A short history of the National Observatory of Athens and its instruments (in English)

Sources

• (English) The National Observatory of Athens
• George N. Vlahakis, Early attempts at weather prediction and climate description in 19th century Greece

Coordinates: 37°58′24″N 23°43′12″E / 37.97333°N 23.72000°E / 37.97333; 23.72000