Assessment of astroclimate conditions of the Observation complex of the Research Institute of Astronomy of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Golubaev, AV, Zheleznyak, AP, Kaydash, VG
Kinemat. fiz. nebesnyh tel (Online) 2023, 39(4):89-98
https://doi.org/10.15407/kfnt2023.04.089
Language: Ukrainian
Abstract: 

The paper is dedicated to the comparison of modern astroclimate conditions (such as light pollution, the number of cloudless nights) of 14 astronomical observatories of Ukraine. The authors aimed to consider the prospects for further development of the observation complex of the Chuguiv observation station of the Research Institute of Astronomy of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The level of light pollution in selected observational astronomical facilities was investigated using the Global Light Pollution Map Data Bank. To analyze the statistics of cloudlessness of the sky in these sites the Weather Archive Database have been used. Independent measurement of the integral brightness of the sky background was carried out using a portable integral photometer. It was revealed that in terms of light pollution, the Chuguiv observational station of the Research Institute of Astronomy has the most favorable conditions for astronomical observations compared to other observatories of Ukraine. The results of measurements of the integral brightness of the sky background using a portable integral photometer showed a rather dark sky background for a plainland observatory at the Chuguiv observation station of the Research Institute of Astronomy, with the level of indicators similar to KrAO. A selective analysis of the weather archive database for the period 2017...2019 for the southern, western, eastern, and central regions of Ukraine showed that, on average, the statistics of the sky cloudiness is almost the same for these sites. Considering the results of astroclimate research, the absence of sources of significant light pollution at distances of 15...20 km from the Chuguiv observation station (and the appearance of such sources in the near future), we can conclude that it is worthwhile to modernize the observation complex of the Research Institute of Astronomy of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, in particular, the construction of a modern telescope of 1...2 m class on its territory.

Keywords: astroclimate, light pollution, observational astronomy
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