Vega (observatory)

The main activity of Vega is teaching astronomy to schoolchildren of Zheleznodorozhny. Employees of "Vega", in addition to group classes, give popular lectures for schools in the city. Up to 100-120 lectures are held per year. In addition, “Vega” holds a lecture conference “Vega Readings”, a contest “Era of Fantasy”, a city Olympiad in astronomy, and mass observations for city residents.

The main topics of the scientific and practical work of Vega are observations of the Sun , meteors , instrument making , photometry , spectroscopy .

Since 1981, in the city of Zheleznodorozhny, on the initiative of the AS “Vega”, an annual astronomical conference of students “Vegov Readings” has been held annually ^{[1] [3]} . In 2003, the conference received regional status. The number of its participants is increasing annually, school groups from different cities of the Moscow region and Moscow are joining the conference.

Since 1987, a competition of children's drawings and science fiction short stories "Era of Fantasy" ^{[1] has been held} . The competition involves drawings, stories, poems, computer graphics, costumes, theatrical performances. More than 1000 works take part in the competition annually. The best works of the competition are published in the art almanac.

Traditionally, Vega prepares and holds 4 major events every year:

1. City Astronomical Olympiad (November-January, since 1974),
2. abstract conference "Vegov readings" (May, since 1981) ^[3] ,
3. competition of children's science fiction story and drawing "Era of fiction" (March-April, since 1985),
4. an expedition to conduct astronomical observations in the Crimea (July-August, since 2001).

Since 2005, the Zheleznodorozhny television channel has launched the program “Talks and Shows Vega,” which talks about the observatory and space. It is prepared by employees and students of Vega along with journalists ^[4] .

In "Vega" demonstration astronomical observations are held for all comers, as well as a free astronomical lecture hall. In the 2004/2005 academic year, more than 100 lectures were delivered, attended by about 2,000 students ^[4] . As of 2005, 100 children were studying at Vega. Three graduates became professional astronomers ^[5] . A number of other graduates are also engaged in research work ^[3] .

The main instrument of the observatory is a 40-cm reflector of the Ritchie-Chretien system (since 1988). In addition, there is a 37-cm horizontal solar telescope (since 2004), an 11-cm AAAM astrograph and a number of other instruments ^{[1] [6]} . Krukovtsy make some settings themselves: an electro photometer , a photographic meteor patrol , a weather station , instruments for determining the brightness of the sky, transparency of the atmosphere, and others ^{[7] [3]} .

In the fall of 1972, the first lesson of the astronomical circle took place in the room of the House of Pioneers of the City of Zheleznodorozhny . Astronomy lover Mikhail Prokhorovich Tatarnikov became its creator and leader ^[5] . The area of ​​the room in which the circle was engaged grew along with its authority, and by the end of 1973 the circle already occupied the best premises of the Pioneer House. The first 13 years of the life of the astronomical circle passed in this room. Of the first circles, the most active were: Pankov Igor, Yesayan Ruben, Schegolkov Igor, Malashenkova Galya and Ivlev Oleg.

In early 1973, the director of the Pioneer House allocated funds, and the first telescope (a school refractor ) and visual aids appeared in the circle. Having the simplest telescope, the circle began to conduct mass observations for residents of the city. The telescope was carried out into the street, and everyone was watching into it.

In 1973, the question was first raised about the construction of an observatory. By the end of the year, it was possible to get a batch of illiquid optical and electrical measuring instruments from the Moscow Research Institute, and the circle members began to carry out practical and laboratory work. In the same year, the Astronomy Department of the Moscow City Palace of Pioneers presented Vega with a 4-inch refractor, which was also used by P.K. Sternberg . Observations with this telescope required space for its installation. Therefore, in 1974, circle members were engaged in the construction of an astronomical site. The site made it possible to conduct hardware observations. In 1976, a private solar eclipse was observed at this site, and in 1978 there were massive observations of a total lunar eclipse, in which more than 200 residents of Zheleznodorozhny took part.

In the 1974-75 academic year, the first city school Olympiad was organized and held. About 400 students took part in the Olympiad. In the spring of 1975, the circle unanimously decided to give the circle the name Vega.

In August 1976, as a result of the successful performance of the guys with their reports, Vega became the laureate of the 3rd All-Union rally of young astronomers. In 1977, the circle joined the GEOS program for the study of solar-terrestrial relations, developed at the Palace of Pioneers. In 1977-78, plants for the processing of solar spectra were developed and manufactured. In the spring of 1977, Vega organized and held the 2nd city astronomical Olympiad. In 1977, I managed to go to Odessa and bring from there a typical design of the observatory. The choice of the construction site has begun.

In 1978, in Chelyabinsk, the 2nd All-Russian rally of Scientific Societies of Students was held. "Vega" was invited to participate in it. The delegates of the rally were Andrey Astakhov and Julia Yarkova. The guys performed successfully and Vega became the winner of the rally.

In 1979, the 4th All-Union rally of Young astronomers took place in the Pioneer camp " Eaglet ". The Vega delegates were Shchiviev Valera and Andrey Astakhov. "Vega" was again among the laureates. In 1978, the leader of "Vega" was invited to participate in the All-Union meeting of the leaders of children's astronomical groups in the city of Simferopol. The report made by him aroused interest, and the meeting recommended that we thoroughly study and disseminate the experience of the Vega club. In early 1980, the 3rd City Astronomical Olympiad was successfully held.

In the summer of 1980, a large group of vegans built the observatory. By this time, it became known that the observatory will be built on the basis of an old residential building next to the 11th school under construction. During the summer, the vegans managed to make the foundations, erect all the walls and partitions under the ceiling, and concrete the floors. In the spring of 1981, Vega tried a new form of work with schoolchildren - holding city astronomical conferences. At the first stage, students write essays on various sections of astronomy, at the second, authors of the best essays read them to the jury and the audience. The conference was a success. In the 1990s, the conference began to be held every year and was called the Vegov Readings.

In July 1981, there was a total solar eclipse visible from the territory of the USSR. The eclipse band passed through western Siberia. Vegans began to prepare an expedition. Developed and approved in the Moscow branch of the All-Union Astoronomogeodesic Society a scientific plan of the expedition; made and tested instruments and installations, earned money for the road. The expedition was successful.

In 1981, Moscow hosted the International Competition for the best space project Small Intercosmos. The work of the vegists Shchieviev Valera and Odintsov Oleg aroused interest and were awarded with diplomas.

In the summer of 1982, the 5th All-Union rally of young astronomers took place in the city of Simferopol. The Vega delegation represented not only the city of Zheleznodorozhny, but also the entire Moscow region. The delegation included: Shcheviev Mikhail, Yelkina Julia and Kozyrevich Dima. The reports of the Vegovites aroused interest and Vega returned home as a rally laureate.

In February 1981, builders began work, reported unfinished walls and stopped, citing the lack of an act on the suitability of the foundation, and also demanded an approved project. After many attempts, they received an official conclusion - the foundation is bad, the walls are thin. The only way to break and do it all over again. On December 27, the builders started work - they broke the old building. In 1983, Vega holds the 4th city astronomical Olympiad. In 1984, Vega organizes and successfully holds the 2nd city astronomical conference for schoolchildren. The conference finale is held in the assembly hall of the Pioneer House.

In 1984, the Earth and the Universe magazine published an article by the head of the Vega association entitled The Vega Astronomical Circle ^[3] . In 1999, the article “25 Years of Vega” ^[8] was published there, and in other years a series of articles on individual events from the life of the association.

The builders of the observatory laid sewers and water pipes, made the roof, put the frames, glazed the windows. The building is not guarded, glass is broken, doors are broken, frames are pulled apart.

On May 25, 1986, the grand opening of the Vega Observatory took place.

In 1986, the 6th All-Union rally of young astronomers was to be held. "Vega" again represented the entire Moscow region and therefore the delegation consisted of five circle members and a leader.

In 1987, the 5th city astronomical Olympiad was held. In the spring of 1989, the 3rd city astronomical conference of schoolchildren was organized and held.

In 1988, a 40-cm reflector of the Ritchie – Chretien system , which had previously stood on Mount Maidanak , got into Vega ^[1] .

In 1993, the youth astronomical conference "Search-93" was held at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers. Alashkina Olya, an active participant in these works, reported on them in her report and won first place.

In 1994, the 6th city astronomical Olympiad was organized and held. In 1995, the second regional competition "Era of Fantasy" was held, which was a great success. In the same year, the next astronomical conference was held.

In December 1995, the observatory was transferred to the Young Technicians Station (SUT). In 1996, "Vega" for the first time takes part in the International Space Olympiad in the city of Korolev . In the same year, Vega organizes and conducts the 4th city astronomical conference. The conference was attended by representatives of Moscow and Balashikha .

1997 Vega began the successful holding of the 7th city astronomical Olympiad. With great success, the third regional competition of science fiction story and drawing “Era of Fantasy” was held. About two hundred works were received for this competition from Reutovo, Balashikha and Zheleznodorozhny. The 5th city astronomical open conference was organized and held. In October, the Vegans took part in the next International Space Olympiad in the city of Korolev.

Vegovtsi Murchenko Alexey and Suprun Ivan took first place at the XXII All-Russian Open Conference of Students “National Treasury of Russia XXII", which was held from March 29 to April 1, 2007 in the village of Nepetsino, Kolomensky District, Moscow Region.

On May 4, 2004, a horizontal solar telescope was put into operation with a mirror diameter of 37 cm and a focal length of 15 m ^[1] .

From March 28 to April 2, 2008, the finals of the XXXV All-Russian Cosmos Competition organized by the All-Russian Soyuz Aerospace Society took place in the Stupinsky district of the Moscow Region. It was attended by several hundred schoolchildren - the winners of the first, correspondence, stage. Three vegovtsev became the winners of the first stage and participants in the finale of "Space".

In April 2009, the final stage of the next All-Russian Olympiad of students in astronomy was held in the resort city of Anapa . It was attended by over 130 students from 36 regions of the country. Among them were vegovites who received diplomas of prize-winners.

• Astronomy in Russia

• Tatarnikov M. Astronomical circle "Vega" // Earth and the Universe . - 1984. - No. 2 . - S. 94-97 .
• Tatarnikov M.P. 25 years of "Vega" // Earth and Universe . - 1999. - No. 4 .

• Website "Vega"
• Site of the head of the school A. M. Tatarnikov
• Mug channel on youtube