An aerial view of the completed LOFAR-BG station shows the low-frequency and high-frequency antennas as well as the computing container. Source: Kamen Kozarev (IA with NAO, BAS) The construction of the two antenna arrays and the associated infrastructure for LOFAR-BG – Bulgaria’s first professional radio telescope and part of the pan-European LOFAR radio telescope network – has been successfully completed. The project was realised as a result of international collaboration between the Institute of Astronomy with National Astronomical Observatory (IA with NAO) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, AstroTec Holding B.V. and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). The facility, located in the immediate vicinity of the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, will be the 53rd station in the European network and the first in [...]

Over 70 astronomers from five countries are discussing their scientific achievements at the forum from 13 to 18 September The 15th Bulgarian-Serbian Astronomy Conference began at the Creativity House of BAS in Varna with a review of the previous 14 Bulgarian-Serbian and Serbian-Bulgarian astronomy conferences presented by Milan Dimitrijević (Serbia). It is organised by the Institute of Astronomy with NAO - BAS and will run until 18 September, with the participation of over 70 astronomers, young researchers, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Austria and Turkey. This is the first time the conference has been held on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Traditionally, this bilateral forum – which has been organised since 1998 with hosting duties alternating between Bulgaria and Serbia [...]

The Institute of Astronomy with NAO - BAS marks its anniversary with new telescopes and major scientific projects The Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory (NAO) at the Institute of Astronomy of BAS officially opened its doors on March 13, 1981. It is located in the central part of the Rhodope Mountains, at an altitude of 1,750 meters. The site was chosen for its remoteness from populated areas, clean air, low light pollution, and the large number of clear nights throughout the year. The observatory is open to visitors from March to October, and approximately 15,000 Bulgarians and foreign nationals visit it annually. It is accessible not only by car but also via forest trails marked on the European hiking map as Route E-8. Over the decades, [...]

The FoReRo2 instrument mounted on the 2-meter telescope at NAO Rozhen Light from distant astronomical objects often travels billions of years before reaching Earth. It carries information about its source encoded in its intensity, color, and polarization. In recent years, interest in polarimetric and spectropolarimetric observations has grown significantly, leading to the development of new specialized instruments. FoReRo2 is an instrument mounted years ago on the 2-meter telescope at the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory which allows precise measurements of polarized light from stars, comets, small bodies in the Solar System, and other interesting astronomical objects. It is currently the only one in Southeast Europe that offers conditions for spectropolarimetric observations on a 2-meter class telescope. The instrument provides excellent opportunities for both scientific [...]