The astronomical dome of the Brno observatory is awaiting renovation of the facade and interior

Brno – The two astronomical domes of the Brno Observatory and Planetarium are set for facade repair, roofing work, and interior reconstruction. Repairs costing approximately 1.3 million crowns will begin in mid-August and last until the end of September, said Jiří Dušek, the director of the observatory, to ČTK. According to him, visitors will hardly notice the work, as the restrictions will only affect the domes used for observation. The city council approved the investment at its last meeting.

The domes began construction in 1948 at the Královopolská Machinery Works and were completed six years later. "The tube was created in a workshop at the Faculty of Science on Kotlářská Street and was then rolled to Kraví Hora. Interestingly, the telescope was taken care of by Luboš Perek, who brought the designs for a 50-centimeter reflector from the University of Leiden. Because he was totally mobilized in an aircraft factory during the war, he managed to redraw the design to a mirror with a diameter of 62 centimeters and a focal length of 278 centimeters," said Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

The most visible will be the facade repair of both domes and the roofing work. "Inside, high-voltage electrical and water systems will be replaced, and new heating will be installed to ensure comfortable year-round operations, specifically astronomy education, astronomy clubs, and other club activities," added Deputy Mayor Tomáš Koláčný (Pirates).

The southern dome was once a public observatory, while the northern one was a university facility until mid-2020. It is there that the modernization of the telescope, which was once the largest telescope in Czechoslovakia, is currently being completed, allowing it to be operated remotely without the presence of an observer. The reconstruction aims to ensure that the astronomical telescopes in both domes serve for decades to come.