Maidanak observatory - Maidanak users

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MAIDANAK

Longitude: 66° 53' 47''
Latitude: 38° 40' 22''
Altitude: 2593 m
Phone: +998 95 5050683
SMS alert:
Phone: +998 95 1423358
Phone: +998 95 1773116
E-mail:

E-mail:

Host institution: UBAI

UBAI

33 Astronomicheskaya str.,
Tashkent, 100052, Uzbekistan
Phone: +998 71 2358102
Fax: +998 71 2344867
E-mail: info@astrin.uz

Maidanak users

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Observation schedule

AZT-22

ZEISS-600(North)

ZEISS-600(South)

Maidanak Report

It is a great pleasure for us to inform our colleagues, collaborators and the whole Maidanak community on activities taken place at Maidanak in 2014. In this report we will highlight the main achievements in 2014 and our plan for 2015. In 2014 observations began on April 22. Planned observation according to time-table began on June 1st. Most observations were carried out on AZT-22 and Zeiss-600 (both "North" and "South" telescopes).

AZT-22 observations

Observations were performed since April 22 until November 30. Total amount of observation nights is 158; see Table 1.
The observations carried out for the following projects:

GRB
Nearby galaxies
Gravitational lenses
Seyfert galaxies
AGN Monitoring
Asteroids (NAOJ)
NEOs
Young stars
Blazars

Month	Number of nights
April	4
May	19
June	24
July	30
August	31
September	28
October	16
November	6
Total	158
Table 1: Monthly statistics of observation nights for AZT-22 in 2014.

ZEISS-600 observations

"North" telescope
Observations were performed since April 22 until November 30, but first test observations were performed in February. Total amount of observation nights is 174; see Table 2. On this telescope the observations mostly for projects related to asteroids and exoplanets searching were carried out.

Month	Number of nights
February	1
April	4
May	22
June	27
July	30
August	31
September	28
October	20
November	11
Total	174
Table 2: Monthly statistics of observation nights for Zeiss-600 in 2014.

"South" telescope
On this telescope the observations mostly for projects related to studies of asteroids and blazars were carried out.

Taiwan Automated Telescope (TAT) activities

TAT is in good condition. We continue to remotely observe with TAT despite some difficulties with Internet access to Maidanak. Telescope is equipped with cloud sensor and we are working to make meteo information to be available for whole Maidanak community as soon as possible.

Current situation and plans for future

We also are happy to announce that in March 2014 we signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" between National Astronomical Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and UBAI in Beijing on astrophysics research aimed to develop scientific collaboration between our two countries in astronomy. In frame of this Memorandum we are going to significantly improve the facilities at Maidanak observatory and, of course, to upgrade instruments. For instance, we already passed the first step in approving in Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences the project aimed to install 10kW solar power station at Mt. Maidanak. In frame of this project we also will improve the Zeiss-1000 hardware and dome to reduce power consumption. The mirror of Zeiss-1000 telescope are already sent to China in December 2014 for re-coating. NAOC also kindly agreed to supply us with solar panels for the project. We deeply appreciate it!

For better communication with Maidanak we also installed four new terminals. You may call now Maidanak day and night, send messages for alarm observation, etc.

We also are happy to announce that in 2014 government of Uzbekistan invested around 70 000 USD in improvement and repair of Zeiss-1000 and Zeiss-600 domes at Maidanak. We expect that in 2015 we will get approximately the same amount to further improve Maidanak's facilities.

Dear colleagues and Maidanak community, we deeply appreciate your help to make Maidanak even better place for our fruitful collaboration in Universe exploration!