Please help save the Rozhen Observatory, Bulgaria.

Dear friends of Astronomy,

The Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory (NAO) is the greatest astronomical complex in South-East Europe. There are 3 telescopes made by Carl-Zeiss, Jena: a 2-m reflector, one of the largest in Europe, a 60-cm Cassegrain, a 50/70-cm Schmidt telescope, and a 15-cm Solar Lyot coronagraph.

Rozhen NAO places Bulgaria among the nations with their own facilities for space exploration. Rozhen telescopes are used for observations of a wide variety of astronomical objects: Solar system bodies (comets, planets, asteroids), stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Astronomers, students, PhD students, and their lecturers use the entire infrastructure of the Observatory for research and training.

The results of this research are published in prestigious international specialized journals. Regarding scientific indicators, Bulgaria ranks 43rd in the Physics and Astronomy area and 40th in the Astronomy and Astrophysics category among about 200 countries in the period 1996-2013 (according to Scimago Journal & Country Rank Scimago ). This is due to the high professionalism of the Bulgarian astronomers and to the availability of good astronomical infrastructure, such as Rozhen NAO!

To function normally, the telescopes of Rozhen NAO need permanent technical care, since the maintenance of the telescopes and their equipment is an integral part of the scientific process and, therefore, requires adequate and regular funding.

That is why, pressed again by the adverse financial conditions, we, the astronomers of the Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory – Rozhen, as well as of the other astronomical centres in Bulgaria, are forced to address all who are concerned that NAO proceeds to fulfil its mission as a research and education centre. Yes, it concerns the equipment of the NATIONAL Astronomical Observatory and NOT the scientists themselves.

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