Eastern Anatolia Observatory
| Organization | Astrophysics Research and Application Center, Atatürk University |
|---|---|
| Location | Karakaya, Erzurum, Turkey |
| Coordinates | 39°47′N 41°14′E / 39.783°N 41.233°E |
| Altitude | 3,170 m (10,400 ft) |
| Website | https://atasam.atauni.edu.tr/ |
 | |
Eastern Anatolia Observatory (Turkish: Doğu Anadolu Gözlemevi, shortly DAG) is a 4-meter telescope, ground-based astronomical observatory of Atatürk University in Erzurum, Turkey.[1]
The project to establish an observatory in Erzurum is conducted by the Astrophysics Research and Application Center of Atatürk University with the scientific and technical coordination of TÜBİTAK National Observatory and financial support of the Ministry of Development, Government of Erzurum Province, 40 universities and seven observatories in the region. It is the country's biggest project for astronomy, astrophysics and space science.[1]
The observatory will be built on a land of 2,500 decares (2.5 km2; 0.97 sq mi) atop Karakaya Hill at 3,170 m (10,400 ft) above sea level within the Konaklı Ski Resort 25 km (16 mi) south of Erzurum.[2] It will host Turkey's first infrared telescope.[1] The telescope will have an active primary mirror of 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and will be equipped with adaptive optics (AO) technology.[1][3][4] The contract for the construction of the telescope has been awarded to the Belgian company AMOS in 2014. The request for tender for the design and construction of the rotating hemispherical dome to house the large telescope was won by the Italian company EIE Group Srl in November 2015.[4] The completion of the observatory is scheduled for end 2019.[2]
The 4 meter telescope reached technical first light in 2024,[5] and completed initial testing in September 2025.[6] The facility has since expanded to include the 0.5 m ATA050 telescope and two 0.3 m telescopes for monitoring atmospheric turbulence supporting visible and near infrared observations as the observatory progresses towards scientific operations.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Erzurum'a gözlemevi kuruluyor". Sabah (in Turkish). 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
- 1 2 İpek, Turgay (2015-11-27). "Erzurum'da Karakaya Tepesi'ne dev gözlemevi kuruluyor". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2016-09-08.
- ↑ Jolissaint, L.; et al. (June 2016). "The design of an adaptive optics telescope : the case of DAG" (PDF). Atatürk University. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
- 1 2 "Doğu Anadolu Gözlemevi Projesi, Döner Kubbe Tasarımı Ve Alımı İhalesi Tamamlandı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2015-11-27. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
- ↑ Yesilyaprak, Cahit; Keskin, Onur; Gucsav, Bulent; Cetni, Derya Ozturk; Kurucolak, Mehmet (2024-09-11). "DAG telescope first light commissioning status". In Marshall, Heather K.; Spyromilio, Jason; Usuda, Tomonori (eds.). Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X. Vol. 13094. SPIE. p. 221. Bibcode:2024SPIE13094E..1PY. doi:10.1117/12.3030690. ISBN 978-1-5106-7511-7.
- ↑ Thomas, Solal; Bastin, Christian; Gabriel, Eric; Lousberg, Grégory; Flebus, Carlo; Tortolani, Jean-Marc; Méant, Laurence; Albart, Pierre; Pirnay, Olivier; Orban, Sabrina; De Ville, Jonathan (2025-09-18). "Alignment and optical performances of Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG) 4m-class telescope". In Hallibert, Pascal; Hull, Tony B.; Kim, Daewook (eds.). Astronomical Optics: Design, Manufacture, and Test of Space and Ground Systems V. SPIE. p. 41. doi:10.1117/12.3065656. ISBN 978-1-5106-9156-8.
- ↑ "Türkiye National Observatories" (PDF). 2026.