Rozhen NAO is the largest active scientific astrophysics complex in Southeast Europe. It is located at 1,750 m a.s.l. at Rozhen peak in the Rhodopes. It is 15 km from Chepelare. It offers a Visitors’ centre with a 18-cm demonstration telescope, a lecturing hall and a museum exhibition. The mirros of the big telescope is 2 m in diameter and weighs 80 t.

 In the early 1960s, Ministers decided to build the National Astronomical Observatory (NAO). After years of design, construction, installation and alignment of the telescopes, the Rozhen Observatory was opened in March 1981.

This is one of the most serious investments for the development of Bulgarian science and still represents the most expensive scientific investment of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The Observatory continues to this day to be the largest institution in Bulgaria for professional astronomical research, as well as the largest astronomical complex in southeast europe.The National Astronomical Observatory (NAO) Rozhen is an integral part of the Institute of Astronomy (IA) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). The scope of activity of the IA with the NAO includes fundamental scientific research in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, conducted through observations and theoretical studies of the origin and evolution of space objects.

The scope of activity of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences includes fundamental scientific research in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. The basis of this research is both observational data obtained with the telescopes of the National Astronomy and Astrophysics Institute, and results from observations of other telescopes (ground-based and space-based),covering the entire range of electromagnetic radiation.The main directions of research of the Institute of Astrophysics with the National Astronomical Observatory include observations and analysis of physical processes and phenomena in the widest range of space objects: near-Earth plasma; Sun and solar system; stars and star systems in the Galaxy; nearby galaxies; active galaxies; large-scale structure of the Universe.

The observatory has unique scientific equipment and facilities such as:

A 2 m universal reflecting telescope equipped with cameras for direct photography of star fields and a spectrograph for high-resolution stellar spectroscopy.

50/70 cm Schmidt telescope for photographing large areas (5o) of the sky;

60 cm telescope for electrophotometric observations;

30 cm telescope for chromospheric solar observations.

 Since June 2023, a new telescope for night observations with a primary mirror diameter of 1.5 m has been operating in NAO Rozhen.

 https://nao-rozhen.org/visit/fr4.html

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