The Observatory Sezimovo Usti
The Observatory Sezimovo Usti was founded in 1964 by Mr. Frantisek Pesta who was the leader of the astronomical circle in Sezimovo Usti. Mr. Pesta worked in Zakarpatska Rus from 1927 to 1939, and then he moved to Tabor.
The main scope of the observatory is the popularization of astronomy (lectures, chats, courses and observation for public). Since 1982 the sun activity observation has been taking place, and results have been being sent to Brussels, to Norway and to the other astronomical institutes. Results of all observations are available on the observatory web as well.
Since 1999 an association of amateur astronomers has been looking after the observatory. In 2002 the junior astronomical circle was founded, the observatory was equipped with new instruments and the building was partially reconstructed.
Results of Pesta’s studies of the mass meteoric fall close to Strkov are exposed in the observatory. Since 2018, a historical library and archive has been built, which is gradually being digitized.
The construction of a new modern observatory is currently being prepared.
The observatory's main activities
- popularization of astronomy and natural sciences
- publication activity
- implementation of exhibitions
- organization of seminars, expeditions, ...
- observation and evaluation of solar activity
- study of history
- organization of Geocaching meetings
- digitization of the archive of the Czech Astronomical Society since 1917
- partial digitization of the archive of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
- processing of the archive of Josef Jan Frič
- processing of the estate of astronomers: Jan Herman Otavský, Antonín Bečvář, Josef Štěpánek, ...
- processing of solar observations in Central Europe
- creation of a map of astronomically significant places
- museum of the history of astronomy and related fields - EXPO Borotín
Links to other observatory websites
- History of Astronomy Group
https://www.zrisehvezd.cz
- Geocaching meeting
https://www.cas100geo.cz
- Astronomical map
https://www.mapotic.com/rise-hvezd
History of astronomy
We are engaged in the processing and digitization of historical astronomical documents.
We are trying to save library collections, which include approximately 15,000 titles of books and periodicals from the Czech and Slovak Republics since the 16th century.
If copyright permits, we digitize archive collections, books and periodicals, primarily Czech and Slovak. In the same way, we digitized observations of solar activity, variable stars and meteors. This now contains an overview of more than 500,000 individual observations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
The results are used by astronomers, historians and the wider astronomical public.
For these purposes, we purchased the necessary equipment for scanning negatives, publications and documents from A7 to A0 format. This also applies to OCR software...
Here is a link to the digitized periodicals, but for our purposes it is only in Czech (you can use automatic translation):
https://www.hvezdarna-fp.eu/digitalni-archiv-periodik
Due to copyright and GDPR, the selection of published documents is rather brief:
https://www.hvezdarna-fp.eu/digitalni-archiv