What do the scientists of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine study and what discoveries have they made in recent years? What contribution do amateurs make to the development of astronomy? Why is it important to popularize astronomy? How to choose an amateur telescope and where is the best place to observe the sky? About this on the air of the program "GUESTtime" of the radio station "Kordon" – the official online radio of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine – told the head of the laboratory of methodological and informational support of education and science in astronomy (MIZON-A) of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine, candidate of pedagogical sciences Mykhailo Lashko.
As the scientist said, the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine represents virtually all areas of modern astronomy. In particular, they study:
- Earth's rotation;
- the large-scale structure of the Universe, galaxies, and their evolution;
- star formation and evolution of stars;
- planets and small celestial bodies;
- the Sun (by the way, the Solar Physics Department owns a solar telescope which, despite its respectable age (it was created back in the 1960s), is still one of the ten best solar telescopes in the world);
- exoplanets and planetary systems around other stars.
Besides their own research, the Observatory actively popularizes astronomy. They conduct educational events – excursions, lectures, demonstrations of celestial bodies through telescopes – for the spring and autumn International Astronomy Day, the spring and autumn equinoxes, the International Moon Observation Night, as well as within the framework of the international initiative "100 Hours of Astronomy" (to not miss upcoming events, follow announcements on the Observatory's website). They share their achievements and involve amateur astronomers.
Why is this necessary? Because for 10 years (from 1991 to 2001) astronomy was not taught at all in Ukrainian schools. And this negatively affected the adequacy of Ukrainians' understanding of the world we live in. "A whole generation has grown up almost completely lacking basic natural science knowledge," says Mykhailo Lashko. "The result of this gap is the popularity of astrology and various conspiracy theories: about the flat Earth, the 'Nibiru planet,' extraterrestrial aliens, the end of the world. Many people do not even question these and do not seek scientific explanations, but easily believe in nonsense."
Meanwhile, real science can be just as astonishing as fiction. And the scientist spoke about two of the greatest recent achievements of astronomers at the Observatory.
1. In 2020, scientists of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine, as part of an international research team, analyzing large data sets obtained from a space telescope using machine learning methods, discovered a new type of objects – exocomets. So far, these have been found near one star – β Pictoris. Since the 1990s, only exoplanets, i.e., planets around other stars, were known. To date, thousands have been discovered. Some are similar to gas giants like our Jupiter, others to rocky planets like Earth or Mars. And humanity has learned that besides exoplanets, exocomets can also orbit other stars. Ukrainian astronomers made a significant contribution to this discovery. But exoplanets are also not overlooked at the Observatory: several such objects have been discovered in recent years.
2. Some results of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine scientists are obtained independently, solely by their own efforts. Among them is the study of important astronomical events of the past. For example, the Observatory investigated the evolution of a globular star cluster in the constellation Pegasus (catalog name Messier 15), which, it turned out, directly influenced the history of the Solar System, including Earth. This star cluster is the oldest (its age is estimated at 11–13 billion years, making it almost as old as the Universe itself) and contains hundreds of thousands of stars. Therefore, it has great mass and gravitational influence. By modeling the motion and measuring the characteristics of this cluster, the authors of the study concluded that between 300 and 330 million years ago (geochronologically at the end of the Paleozoic era) it passed relatively close to our planetary system. Although this distance can only be considered small by astronomical standards: in reality, it was 10–20 parsecs (1 parsec equals 3.26 light-years, and a light-year is the distance light travels in a year at a speed of about 300,000 kilometers per second, which is the highest speed in the Universe). While passing by, this globular star cluster gravitationally disturbed the outer layers of the Oort cloud (a kind of shell surrounding the Solar System and consisting of the "building material" from which the planets around the Sun never formed), pushing some icy bodies (asteroids and comets) into outer interstellar space, and others into the inner layers of the Solar System. As a result, the planets of the Solar System experienced a massive bombardment by asteroids. "At the final stages of the research, colleagues came across an article whose authors studied the age of craters on the Moon and Earth – and the puzzle came together. Moreover, it became clear what could have caused the largest mass extinction of living species and other changes on Earth in its history. This also provides us with a lot of information about the asteroid-comet threat and concerns the safety of all humanity," emphasizes Mykhailo Lashko.
The scientist also gave some advice to amateur astronomers who are taking their first steps in their hobby:
- "Currently, amateur telescopes of various designs are sold. Choose depending on your preferences and financial capabilities. But I would advise to avoid cheap models with plastic optics: they will bring no benefit – only disappointment, which will discourage you from observing, because the image resolution there is not the best."
- "For astronomical observations within the city, there is an obstacle – light pollution. Both amateur astronomers and professional astronomers suffer from it. There is no way around it in the city. Options are to choose places with less light pollution or to leave the city. At least 50–100 kilometers away, if we talk about Kyiv. The farther, the better. And there – in a village or at a dacha – you can start observations. There are currently no special places for amateur astronomers in Ukraine. But in Namibia, a whole business has been built around this: so-called astrofarms were created, where, in addition to hotel rooms, tourists are offered paid telescopic observations – of any duration and on any instruments."
According to Mykhailo Lashko, scientists of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine willingly cooperate with amateur astronomers: "Amateurs are sometimes better equipped technically than specialists. There are also amateur observatories in Ukraine that can compete with academic researchers. However, visual observations have become quite rare in professional astronomy – digital radiation receivers are mainly used now. But amateurs already attach cameras or smartphones to telescopes (using special mounts). In general, cooperation with amateurs in astronomical research is quite old – it dates back to the 19th century. Moreover, many amateur astronomers later became specialists and made outstanding discoveries. For example, English astronomer William Herschel had a musical education but discovered the planet Uranus. Edwin Hubble, who discovered the stellar structure of the Andromeda Nebula, studied law before becoming interested in astronomy. Vesto Slipher, the discoverer of redshift in galaxies, and Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto, started as amateurs. Amateurs are one of the pillars of astronomy. Worldwide, they are actively collaborated with. Because there are few professional astronomers, but a large army of amateurs who help a lot. For example, they process huge data sets obtained from modern space telescopes, which would take specialists thousands of years if they worked alone. And they discover new comets, variable stars, and other interesting objects."