A new telescope for nighttime observations is expected to be delivered and installed at the National Astronomical Observatory (NAO) "Rozhen" by the end of the summer. The current telescope will soon be retired after years of service.
This month also marks the beginning of regular observations with the solar telescope. For the first time, the observatory now has an instrument capable of monitoring the behavior of cosmic particles.
Nikola Petrov, Director of NAO "Rozhen", explained:
"We now have a detector for the so-called secondary cosmic ray flux—a neutron monitor that is directly related to the observation of cosmic particles, including solar activity. The instrument is operational and providing data, along with an automatic weather station. It’s a very new project, so more long-term data will be needed for thorough analysis. But yes, combined with the solar telescope, this is a major accomplishment we’re proud of."
The new telescope will be installed in a dedicated observation tower.
"The funding for the new telescope comes from a European roadmap project, coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Science. We expect the project to be completed by the end of August or early September," said Petrov.
Astronomers are already planning for next year, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Spain. A scientific expedition is being organized to observe the event on site.
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