Astronomy and occultations in Slovakia Jaroslav Gerbo Observatory

Astronomy and occultations in Slovakia Jaroslav Gerboš Observatory Banská Bystrica, Renáta Kolivošková Observatory and planetarium Prešov SOPi. Z 2019, Warszawa

Polish / Slovak language differences ładny / vadný = nice / faulty (wadliwy) zavsze / zavše = allways / sometimes (czasami) zachód / záchod = west / toilet (WC) ubikacja / ubikácia = toilet-WC / hostel (schronisko) podoba sie / podobá sa = like it / is similar (przypomina) mieszkanie / meškanie = flat, apartment / delay (opóźnienie) szukać / „šukať“ = looking for / „fuck“. . . Joke (żart): Pan szuka mieszkanie? Nie, pán mešká šukanie! Mr. , are you looking for an apartment? No, I’m late fucking!

Astronomical facilities Slovak Academy of Sciences, Universities Bratislava / Košice Planetaria Observatories Slovak Astronomical Society Slovak Union of Astronomers

Scientific facilities Astronomical institute of Slovak academy of science: Stará Lesná – solar section Skalnaté Pleso – interplanetary mass, stellar section - the largest Slovak telescope - 1, 3 m Lomnický štít – solar corona, meteorology Bratislava – field office Comenius University, Bratislava + observatory Modra 0, 7 m and 0, 6 m telescopes University of P. J. Šafárik, Košice

(Public) planetariums and observatories Very dense network – ~300. 000 people and ~3000 km 2 per 1 observatory Many observatories were build in socializm to spread the „scientific worldview“ 2 areas of activity: - popularization and education – for schools and public - proffessional work – observations Special position = Slovak central observatory Hurbanovo

Slovak Astronomical Society Created: 16. 12. 1959 The main mission: popularization and dissemination of scientific knowledge from the field of astronomy and related natural sciences Sections: Branches: Interplanetary mass Banská Bystrica Occultations and eclipses Bratislava Sun Hlohovec Stars Hurbanovo Astronomical photography Prešov History Tatranská Lomnica Light pollution Žilina Comissions: Pedagogic Terminology

Slovak Union of Astronomers Created: 1970 The main mission: astronomical observations, popularization and development of astronomy, disseminating scientific knowledge from astronomy and related disciplines, contribution to raising the professional level of its members, taking care of talented young people, contribution to the preservation of cultural values and the protection of the environment Branches: Banská Bystrica Banská Štiavnica Bratislava Detva Humenné Hurbanovo Kysucké Nové Mesto Nitra Rimavská Sobota Roztoky Snina Sobotište Spišská Nová Ves Žiar nad Hronom individual members

Polisch – Slovak cooperation PTMA / SOPi. Z – conferences Occultation expeditions – Aldebaran 02/1998 Rimavská Sobota, Aldebaran 04/1998 Lodz, Kriváň 2003, Graze occultation „Dukla“ Total solar eclipse Balaton 1999 KOLOS conference (Kolonica) – yearly Variable practicum (Kolonica) – yearly Video meteors (Modra) Other conferences. . .

Polisch – Slovak projects (2004 -2018) Main aims: Astronomical education, creation and development of astronomical infrastructure, excursions, Dark sky park Bieszczady, . . . Projects: Astronomical days in Sanok, Let’s get to know each other (trough the stars), Festival of Science&Culture, We build bridges from a stars, Sky of Carpats Bieszczady, Sky and stars, Rhytm of the nature, Mobilny Elektryk, Astro-tourism, Space on the palm of your hand, . . . Slovak participants: Vihorlat observatory, Observatorium and planetarium Prešov, Observatorium Kysuce, Observatorium Roztoky, High school Snina, Unitur Snina, NF teleskop, POS Svidník, Stakčín community. . . Polish participants: Association POLARIS, MOA Nepolomice, Mechanical school Sanok, Sanok community, Wiszniowa com. , Lutowiska com. , Lyceum Lesko, County Jaslo, PIG Krosno, Association Horyzonty Rzeszow, Arboretum Bolestraszyce, Electro-mechanical school Nowy Sacz, . . .

Polish partners Mind cooperation SVK-POL 2005 Conference „Astronomy in XXI century and its teaching“, 2010.

Realization of projects Participants of project „We build a bridges from a stars” 2004 Workshop EU-HOU Prešov 2006 workshop EU-HOU Krakow 2007 Visit Young discovery club

„Get to know universe in planetarium“ Participants of the international conference

Position observations in Slovakia Total occultations Graze occultations Asteroidal and TNO occultations Exoplanets Planet occultations Jovian moons Transits of Mercury / Venus Lunar eclipses Solar eclipses. . .

Total occultations by the Moon History: 60’s of the last Century – start of campaigne 1961 Observatory Valašské Meziříčí – coordination of Czechoslovak stations SZ >100 The 1 st world area - 1962 The 1 st Slovak station – SZ 109 – Bratislava Now ? active stations - ? observers Double stars Number of observations Number of observers

Graze occultations The 1 st observation - J. Gerboš, 4 contacts – Jan. 30. 1993 The 1 st observation of the group – only reapearences (each observer 1 contact) – Oct. 15. 1995 The 1 st complete observation – Jan. 29. 1996 – 13 observers – 35 contacts 1 succesful graze observation per year in Slovakia - 22 expeditions 1993 – 2018 Organization of observers – Rim. Sobota, Kysucké N. Mesto, Ban. Bystrica, Žiar n. Hronom

Aldebaran 1998 -04 Lodz

Asteroidal occultations Low precision prediction in the past observations in database of Frappa after 1997 Lictoria – Mar. 9. 2002 – 1 st (? ) positive observation (Prešov, Skalnaté Pleso) Tercidina – Sep. 17. 2002 - 13 observations Next positive observations – Fringilla 2003, Io 2003, Hekate 2005, Vienna 2005, Viola 2007, . . . Now >50 positive observations Most active observers: M. Korec and P. Delinčák

Tercidina, Sep. 17. 2002 • • • 13 positive observations 6 CCD cameras P. Rapavý in hospital

177 Irma occults TYC 1866 -01091 -1 (triple star)

Jovian moons PHEMU 2003 3 stations 8 events CCD (Oscar/SBIG ST 8)

Venus transit 2004 - schools

Lunar eclipses Contacts of shadow and craters (predictions in czech almanach) Low accuracy of observations – low contrast of the shadow Popularization Photos Photo: J. Mäsiar, 21. 1. 2019 Postprocessing: M. Harman

Solar eclipses Partial solar eclipse – popularization, photos. . . Total solar eclipse – expeditions (since 1954 – Poland) - measuring the length of the aunts - graze occultation - corona research Photo: S. Kaniansky, 2017

Thanks for attention