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Prishtina Observatory

Coordinates: 42°39′42″N 21°09′31″E / 42.66164°N 21.15868°E / 42.66164; 21.15868
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Prishtina Observatory
Observatori i Prishtinës
Prishtina Observatory at night from the sky
Map
EstablishedNovember 1977; 47 years ago (1977-11)
LocationPalace of Youth and Sports, Pristina, Kosovo
TypeObservatory

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.

History

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It 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 (2 years ago) (2022-07-13), 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]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The stars align: Pristina Observatory re-opens after 43 years with UNMIK support". UNDARK (Press release). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  2. ^ "Open Tours: Meet me at the Observatory of Prishtina". Manifesta 14 Prishtina. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  3. ^ "Astronomy Club of Kosovo". archive.astronomerswithoutborders.org. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  4. ^ "Observatory of Prishtina". Manifesta 14 Prishtina. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  5. ^ Mottez, Fabrice (November 2023). "L'Astronomy Club of Kosova". L'astronomie Magazine. Société Astronomique de France. Archived from the original on 2023-12-03.
  6. ^ Zeqiri, Ardita (2023-07-14). "Observatory of Prishtina reopens its doors". Prishtina Insight.

42°39′42″N 21°09′31″E / 42.66164°N 21.15868°E / 42.66164; 21.15868