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Byurakan Observatory In Armenia To Be Modernized And Operate At Its

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  • Byurakan Observatory In Armenia To Be Modernized And Operate At Its

    BYURAKAN OBSERVATORY IN ARMENIA TO BE MODERNIZED AND OPERATE AT ITS FULL CAPACITY

    YEREVAN, February 8. / ARKA /. Viktor Krivopuskov, head of
    Rossotrudnichestvo office in Armenia (Rossotrudnichestvo is a Russian
    state agency promoting Russia's cultural ties with the rest of the
    world), said to a news conference today that the modernized Byurakan
    Observatory in Armenia will start operating at its full l capacity
    by the end of 2013.

    Modernization of the observatory is envisaged by a joint
    Russian-Armenian agreement. Krivopuskov said at first stage two
    telescopes of the facility will be upgraded and in terms of some of
    their parameters they will be the best in the world. Then five small
    telescopes manufactured in Russia will be installed.

    "We hope that the additional equipment that is able to operate
    in a standalone mode will be put into operation in late spring",
    Krivopuskov said, adding that Armenia will be one of the main points
    of the international system of monitoring space debris and preventing
    asteroid and comet danger.

    Krivopuskov said the initial modernization cost of the facility
    estimated at 4.5 million euros, is expected to rise significantly.

    "We have the money and some of the equipment is manufactured and will
    soon arrive in Armenia; the other part will arrive in the second and
    third quarters of this year, "he said.

    Mikhail Kardashenko, director general of Russian Project-Technique
    company said Russian specialists visited Byurakan and saw that it is
    ready to accept the new equipment.

    "The president of the National Academy of Sciences told that the
    major instruments of the Byurakan Observatory will be ready for
    our modernization by May", he said, adding that this requires some
    investment fr om the Armenian side as well.

    Kardashenko also said that an agreement was reached on training of
    Armenian astronomers in Russia wh ere they will operate the same
    equipment which will be installed at Byurakan.

    The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory was founded in 1946 on Mount
    Aragats at an altitude of 1400 meters. -0-

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