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1842 - The Athens Observatory foundation |
Around 1840, the national benefactor, Baron Georgios Sinas, ambassador in Vienna, expresses his intention to make a donation for science development in Greece. He takes advice from his friend, the Austrian ambassador in Athens Prokesh-Osten, whose secretary is the physicist and astronomer, professor Georgios Vouris. The decision of Georgios Sinas is to donate the Greek Government with 500.000 drachmas for founding an Astronomical Observatory in Athens.
The Observatory of Athens foundation ceremony in June 26, 1842, the day of a Solar Eclipse, is a magnificent official event. Persist the King of Greece Otto, members of the Government and of the Greek Church. A large crowd of people fills up the vicinity of the place selected for the Observatory, a location on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, facing the Acropolis. Following the panegyric speech by professor Vouris, the foundation stone is set under music sounds and cannonade by a Danish frigate anchored in Piraeus port. |
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The first building and instruments |
The first building, known as Sinas building, is based on a project presented by Edward Schaubert and prepared by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen. For the final project, the opinion of professor Vouris and of the well known astronomer Schumacher was taken into account. The cross-like neoclassic building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The
building was completed in 1846.
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The Observatory of Athens (1842, project).
The Acropolis is behind on the left side and the Nymphs hill is on the right.
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Georgios Vouris, the first Director, 1846-1855 |
The inspirer of the Athens Observatory, professor Georgios Vouris becomes its first Director. Using the Sinas donation he orders in Austria and installs the first instruments in the new building:
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| 6.2" (158mm, f/15) refractor Ploessl |
| 3.7" meridian circle Starke-Fraunhofer |
| five small telescopes for comets |
| chronometers for civil and sidereal time |
| set of meteorological instruments |
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For the first time, after many centuries, a Greek astronomer has the ability to present scientific work based on original observations. Professor Vouris publishes a number of papers in Astronomische Nachrichten. Unfortunately, a large part of his work on about 1000 star positions remains unpublished. He also determines the coordinates of the Athens Observatory that becomes fundamental for the cartography of Greece. |
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1855-1858 |
After the resignation of professor Vouris, Director of the Athens Observatory is nominated Ioannis Papadakis. |
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