Rozhen Observatory

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox Observatory

|name = Rozhen Observatory

|image = 250px

|caption = Large Telescope Dome of the Rozhen Observatory

|organization = Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

|location = Near Chepelare, Bulgaria

|coords = {{coord|41.6932|24.7389|format=dms|type:landmark_region:BG|display=inline,title}}

|altitude = 1759 m

|weather =

|established =

|closed =

|website = [http://www.nao-rozhen.org/ NAO-Rozhen]

|telescope1_name = Ritchey-Chretien-Coude telescope

|telescope1_type = 200 cm

|telescope2_name = Cassegrain telescope

|telescope2_type = 60 cm Cassegrain reflector

|telescope3_name = Schmidt telescope

|telescope3_type = 50/70 cm

|telescope4_name = Solar Coronagraph telescope

|telescope4_type = 15 cm

}}

Rozhen Observatory ({{langx|bg|Национална астрономическа обсерватория - Рожен}}, НАО-Рожен; {{langx|en|National Astronomical Observatory - Rozhen}}, NAO-Rozhen), also known as the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory, is an astronomical observatory, located in the Smolyan Province, 90 kilometers south of the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The nearest town, Chepelare, is 15 kilometers away. The observatory is owned and operated by the Institute of Astronomy of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). It was officially opened on 13 March 1981, almost 20 years after Bogomil Kovachev – a professor of astronomy at BAS, known as its founder – had started working towards that goal. The Observatory is one of the largest in Southeastern Europe and has an active team of about 50 astronomers. It is the principal center for astronomical research in Bulgaria.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} The minor planet 6267 Rozhen, was discovered at, and named after the observatory.

With its total cost of over $10 million at the time, it still remains to day the largest one-time investment in scientific infrastructure that Bulgaria ever made.

;Telescopes

• 200 cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope (supplied with Coude focus){{Cite web|url=http://www.nao-rozhen.org/telescopes/fr_en.htm|title = Telescopes}}
• 150 cm Ritchey-Chrétien-Nasmyth telescope
• 60 cm Cassegrain telescope
• 50/70 cm Schmidt camera
• 15 cm Solar telescope

File:Bogomil Kovachev in 1987.jpg, founder of the Rozhen Observatory, with a group of visiting Bulgarian scholars in the summer of 1987]]

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