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Observatories and Instruments

Special Astrophysical Observatory

Ground-Based Optical Observatories

The Russian Academy of Sciences' principal ground-based optical observatory, sited in the northern Caucasus and home to the BTA-6, a 6-meter telescope that was the largest in the world from its 1975 completion until the 1990s. It remains one of the largest optical telescopes ever built in a single fixed mounting of its era's design.

Facts
Observatory Type
National astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, set up in 1966 1
Location
Bolshoi Zelenchuk Valley, Greater Caucasus, near Nizhny Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia 1
Operational
from 1966 1
Measures
Radio frequency observations from 610 MHz to 30 GHz via the RATAN-600 radio telescope, plus optical observations via the BTA-6 2
Operating Principle
BTA-6 is a 6 meter altazimuth mounted reflecting telescope known as the Large Altazimuth Telescope, first light in 1975 1
Classification
Observing Band
Radio 1
Observing Band
Optical / Visible 1
Connections

Operated By

Source Wikipedia: Special Astrophysical Observatory - Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Located In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Special Astrophysical Observatory - Wikipedia
  • Lead section, first sentence, facility description clause
    The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science (SAO RAS) is an astronomical observatory, set up in 1966 in the USSR, and now operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
  • Lead section, second sentence
    Based in the Bolshoi Zelenchuk Valley of the Greater Caucasus near the village of Nizhny Arkhyz, the observatory houses the BTA-6 and RATAN-600, an optical and radio telescope, respectively.
  • Lead section, first sentence, founding year clause
    The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science (SAO RAS) is an astronomical observatory, set up in 1966 in the USSR, and now operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
  • BTA-6 section
    The BTA-6 (Bolshoi Teleskop Altazimutalny, or Large Altazimuth Telescope), with first light in 1975, was for years the world's largest single primary mirror optical reflecting telescope.
  • Article text: band optical
    an optical and radio telescope, respectively
  • Article text: band radio
    an optical and radio telescope, respectively
  • In Group: Optical Observatories of Europe, Lead sentence
    The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science (SAO RAS; Russian: Специальная Астрофизическая Обсерватория) is an astronomical observatory, set up in 1966 in the USSR, and now operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
  • Operated By: Russian Academy of Sciences, Article text: operator
    The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science (SAO RAS; Russian: Специальная Астрофизическая Обсерватория) is an astronomical observatory, set up in 1966 in the USSR, and now operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: RATAN-600 - Wikipedia
Lead section
Quote, Lead section
Radio frequency observations can be made in the 610 MHz to 30 GHz frequency band, though primarily in the centimeter waveband, with an angular resolution of up to 2 arcseconds.
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