Prishtina Observatory (Albanian: Observatori i Prishtinës) is an observatory in Pristina, Kosovo, that forms part of the Palace of Youth and Sports building complex built in 1977 in dedication to discovery, scientific research and educational practice.
Observatori i Prishtinës | |
 Prishtina Observatory at night from the sky | |
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| Established | November 1977 |
|---|---|
| Location | Palace of Youth and Sports, Pristina, Kosovo |
| Type | Observatory |
History
editIt was first opened to the public in mid-November 1977 by a group called the Kosovo Young Researchers.[1] The observatory was used by passionate youngsters and scientific researchers in Former Yugoslavia, part of a cultural shift that brought new opportunities to people, including the scientific community of Kosovo. Its dome-shaped cupola gave the citizens of Prishtina a view of the stars, planets, meteorites and more.[2]
The observatory was not in use for decades, but the space has now been reclaimed by the Astronomy Club of Kosova (ACK).[3] The group initially came together only as lovers of astronomy, with simple tools that each member of the group had in their homes, slowly growing into a more serious group with scheduled meetings for stargazing, discussions about astronomy, and ways that the group can impact the community.[4]
On 13 July 2022, the observatory re-opened with the support of UNMIK and Pristina Municipality, after a 43-year gap.[5] The observatory opened its doors just a few days after NASA revealed the first five full-color images and spectrographic data from the James Webb Space Telescope.[6]
Gallery
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The stars align: Pristina Observatory re-opens after 43 years with UNMIK support". UNDARK (Press release). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ "Open Tours: Meet me at the Observatory of Prishtina". Manifesta 14 Prishtina. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ "Astronomy Club of Kosovo". archive.astronomerswithoutborders.org. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ "Observatory of Prishtina". Manifesta 14 Prishtina. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ Mottez, Fabrice (November 2023). "L'Astronomy Club of Kosova". L'astronomie Magazine. Société Astronomique de France. Archived from the original on 2023-12-03.
- ^ Zeqiri, Ardita (2023-07-14). "Observatory of Prishtina reopens its doors". Prishtina Insight.