Automation of observations and data processing in the Odessa Observatory (early 70s of the 20th century)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to highlight the issue of the introduction of electronic computers for processing the results of astronomical observations at the Odesa Astronomical Observatory in the early 70s of the last century, using the methods of source studies and historiographical analysis with the help of the systematic approach. The use of electronic computers for astrometric calculations, ephemeris calculations, processing of electrospectrophotometric observations, calculations of the results of observations of variable stars and artificial Earth satellites is shown. The installation of electronic computers «Nairi» in the astronomical observatory (March 1969) necessitated the development of programs for processing the results of observations. By November 1969, the development of programs for processing observations on the Odesa meridian circle and their adjustment were completed. L. L. Vahushchenko, V. A. Siniaiev, N. M. Suprunets, and M. P. Krasnenko participated in this work. Calculations of the results of observations were carried out on the «Nairi», «Nairi-S », «Nairi-K » and «Promin» machines. It was established that the observatory’s material and technical base, due to a lack of revenues from the state budget, required additional allocations from other sources of funding. Thanks to the receipts of funds from the economic contract, the material and technical base was replenished and in 1972 a computing department was created, which in 1973 grew into a computing center. The algorithms developed for variable stars were applied in parallel to observations of the brightness changes of the artificial Earth satellites. Observations of the artificial Earth satellites were performed on a single-channel satellite electrophotometer manufactured at the Odesa Observatory. The processing of observation results was carried out within the framework of the international cooperative program SPIN (photometric research of satellites). The leadership of the work on processing data from observations of variable stars and artificial Earth satellites by V. M. Hryhorevsky, the coordinator of SPIN, a student of one of the most famous Ukrainian astronomers, the founder of the Odessa school of variable star researchers, Professor Volodymyr Platonovych Tsesevych, was noted. The materials given in the article, based on the example of the Odesa Astronomical Observatory, prove the perspective of the research of the early stage of the introduction of automation technologies in other domestic astronomical institutions.