History
It is believed that the
development of astronomy at V.N.Karazin Kharkov National University
began in 1808, when a special room devoted to astronomy studies
was opened. In 1824 the Chair of astronomy was founded at Kharkov
University. P.A.Zateplinskiy (1794-1834) was the first head of this
department. In fact P.A.Zateplinskiy was the first Russian scientist
who was awarded a Ph.D. degree of the University of Paris ( the
famed Sorbonne. After he came back to Russia, he was nominated as
the first professor of astronomy of Kharkov University. In the middle
of the nineteenth century a great event took place in Russian astronomical
world: Vasiliy
Ya. Struve (1793-1864), the founder of Pulkovo Observatory, initiated
observations the major goal of which was to measure the degree of
arc of the so-called "Russian meridian". Astronomers of Kharkov
University took active part in this campaign under the supervision
of Prof. Shidlovskij A.P. (1818-1892).
In 1883 the permanent Astronomical Observatory of Kharkov University
was founded by Prof.
Levitskiy G.V. (1852-1917).For more than two decades, from 1894
to 1915, Ludwig
O. Struve (1858-1920), a grandson of the aforementioned astronomer
Vasiliy Ya. Struve, was the head of the Chair of Astronomy of Kharkov
University and the director of Astronomical Observatory. He was
a founder of Kharkov scientific school in the field of astrometry
and stellar astronomy. Honoured Scientist of Ukraine Prof. Evdokimov
N.N. (1868-1941), State Prize Winner of the USSR Kavrayskiy
V.V. (1884-1954), Honoured Science and Engineering Worker of the
RSFSR Kudrevich B.I. (18..-19..) were outstanding representatives
of this school. Famous astrophysicists Acad. Fessenkov
V.G. (1889-1972) (he was the founder of planetary astronomy at Kharkov
Observatory), Prof. Gerassimovich B.P. (1889-1937) (he was the Director
of Pulkovo Observatory in the 1930's),
American astronomer Otto Struve (1897-1963) (he was a son of Ludwig
O. Struve and he headed a number of American astronomical institutions
and served as President
of the International Astronomical Union in 1952-1955), Acad. of
Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Barabashov N.P.(1894-1971) were Prof.
Struve's students and disciples.
Acad. Barabashov N.P.,
the founder of the world wide-known Kharkov school of planetary
science, successfully continued researches of physical conditions
of the Moon and other planets of the solar system begun by Acad.
Fessenkov V.G.
Information about the Moon's surface, Martian atmosphere, studies
of the photometric properties of atmospheres of Venus, Jupiter,
Saturn obtained by the researchers of Kharkov Observatory in the 1930-60`s
ensured greater efficiency in the first planetary space program
planning. Astronomers of Kharkov National University took part in
the preparation and reduction of the results of almost all spaceborne
researches of the Moon, Mars, Venus and Halley Comet carried out
in the USSR. Acad. Barabashov was one of the editors of the three-volume
"Atlas of the Moon's far side". Hard work on the creation of data
output necessary for the design of spacecraft astronavigation systems
was performed in 1967-1988
by the scientists of Kharkov National University.
At the same time astrometrical position measurements were continued.
In 1935 the first spectroheliograph of our country was designed,
and then the Solar Patrol was organized, and the studies of solar
activity and solar physics were started. Since 1929 the Kharkov
Time Service that is a component of the International Time Service
began its daily routine work.
In
the late 1960's a new scientific trend (working out of ground-based
and space data processing technique) began to develop, and a number
of applied scientific tasks were solved, in particular, reduction
of space images of the Moon, Mars, Venus. Now on the basis of this
technique the studies of gravitational lenses are being carried
out.
Studies of the solar system bodies, based on the combination of
the Earth-based and space observations which are obtained as a result
of space missions of the Clementine (the Moon), Magellan (Venus),
and Global surveyor spacecrafts (Mars) are being continued. Information
about optical and radiophysical surface properties of the Moon and
Venus is used to result in their chemical-mineralogical and geological
characteristics. As a consequence, a lot of unique maps of the Moon
and terrestrial planets Mars and Venus are created by Kharkov astronomers
today. In addition, these works are accompanied by the diverse theoretical
and laboratory methods that can provide significant information
about the scattering of light reflected by the rough surfaces.
Astronomers of Kharkov National University work in close co-operation
with their colleagues from the special astronomical institutions
of Ukraine, Russia (and other countries of the former USSR), the
USA, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Poland.
Scientific research and educational process in Kharkov National
University are associated. About ten students finish their astronomical
studies every year. For five post-war decades about 400 qualified
astronomers graduated from Kharkov National University. Most astronomy
students are not going to make career in astronomical research,
nevertheless, about 50 of our graduate students have been awarded
the Candidate degree, and more than ten persons were awardet the
Doctor degree. It is important that joined observational and research
work of the scientists of Astronomical Observatory, the teachers
and astronomical students is actively encouraged.
Professor Yurij V. Aleksandrov
History in publications
Розвиток астрономії у Харкові на початку ХХ століття(1900–1917).
Створення та діяльність школи-майстерні точної механіки Харківського університету.
Астрономія в Харкові у роки громадянської війни періоду Української революції (1917-1921).
Центральна Українська обсерваторія у Харкові: До історії нереалізованого проєкту.
Династія Струве в історії астрономії України.
Людвиг Оттонович Струве. Заметки историка.
Астроном Людвіг Оттович Струве (1858-1920): наукова біографія.
Николай Николаевич Евдокимов. Документально-биографический очерк.
Звезда исключительной величины: Борис Петрович Герасимович.
Борис Павлович Остащенко-Кудрявцев. Документально-биографический очерк.
Отто Людвигович Струве. Документально-биографический очерк
Sic transit gloria mundi: Жизнь и творчество Отто Людвиговича Струве (1897-1963).
"Белой акации гроздья душистые...": Астроном Николай Федорович Бобровников.
До історії Харківської астрономії: наукова біографія Парасковії Георгіївни Пархоменко.
Історико-біографічне дослідження життя та творчості Бориса Євгеновича Семейкіна.
Наукова біографія астронома Григорія Лазаровича Страшного.
Український астроном-теоретик професор Олексій Іванович Раздольський (1877-1942): Наукова біографія.
Наукова біографія українського астрофізика Мстислава Сергійовича Саврона (1902-1943).
Наукова біографія українського астронома-теоретика, професора К.М.Савченка (1910–1956).
To the personalities of the Ukrainian astronomy: scientific work of Kostyantin Savchenko.
До історії Харківської астрономії: Леонід Леонідович Андренко.
Астрономічні дослідження у Харкові наприкінці ХІХ ст. - першій половині ХХ ст.