Observatory Hurbanovo

To a lot of institutions in our country which have important place in the history of scientific culture not only on our territory, but au over the world, belongs also the Observatory in Hurbanovo.

It was founded in the second half of the 19 century and its uninterrupted activity till nowadays, has significantly intervened in the lives of several generations. It‘s observational activity, production of the new cosmic notions, their popularization, has always served to the development of practical and spiritual mans forces to know much more the natural regularities of the surrounding world and their usage for mankind benefit. The significance of the Observatory in Hurbanovo is not only historical one. The observational results from more then 120 years ago are the same, actual even in the age of the cosmic flights. They give deeper perception in time of changes in physical substance of various celestial bodies in universe and they are a dignified step in the gradual uncovering of the secrets of infinity.

Introduction

First mention of Hurbanovo (Ó Gyalla, Stará Ďala) is to be found in historical documents as "possessio Gyala"in 1357. The rich archeologically discoveries in its territory, however, are evidence of a significant historic value. During past centuries there were 11 nationalities, occupying it. Hurbanovo is also connected with the names of its famous natives such as Karol Beše, an important geographer living on the break of the 17–18 century; Arpád Feszty, an excellent painter living at the end of the 19 century and Dr. Mikuláš Konkoly Thege – an astronomer, making Hurbanovo famous all over the world. In the present Hurbanovo is well known not only priks observatory but also for a brewery, producing the Hurbanovo‘s ”Zlatý bažant. The period, in which dr. Mikuláš Konkoly–Thege began his astronomical observations, was known with a great scientific–technical development. It was characteristic in astronomy that the recent physical gains are gradually coming into astronomy, although the standing astronomy at the time till the beginning of 19 century was oriented only to the description of celestial bodies‘movements and to the uncovering of their regularities. The new physical methods in astronomy (astrophotography, spectroscopy and spectral analysis) have stimulated the creation of a new astronomical branch – astrophysics, unlike the astronomy at the second half of the 18 century when the astronomer’s attention was concentrated to the research of the Sun, the Moon and the planets‘ surface (W. Herschel, Lord Rosse) at a development of big telescopes. Especially a discovery of spectral analysis (G. R. Kirchhof, R. W. Bunsen), practically done well since 1860, has been a tremendous contribution in getting to know of celestial bodies‘structure, construction and physical qualities. Simultaneously with spectral analysis, astrophotography, there were spectroscopic researches, important for a development of astrophysics, they have been realized by English astronomers John W. Herschel (1792–1871), William Huggins (1824–1910), Sir Joseph N. Lockyer (1836–1920), German astronomers Hermann C. Vogel (1841–1907), Julius Scheiner (1858–1913), Italian astronomer Angello Secchi (1818–1878) and the others. The principal mention for development of astrophysics belongs also to researches by Friedrich Zöllner (1829–1891) in photometric branch. It‘s allowed to introduce also the founder of astrophysical observatory In Hurbanovo, dr. M. Konkoly–Thege, next to famous names of these astronomers. He was positively evaluated already by his contemporaries like a pioneer in work in this new branch of astronomy.