Astronomical Observatory on Kolonický sedlo

The Astronomical Observatory at Kolonický m S edl e is a branch of the Vihorlat Observatory in Humenné. It is located in an area with a very low level of light pollution. This makes it an extremely suitable place for astronomical observations not only for the public, but also for professional work.

The observatory was established in 1986 when astronomers from Humenne visited the site to observe Mercury's passage through the solar disk. The view of the starry night sky and the growing light pollution in Humenné prompted them to build an astronomical observatory here. With the expansion of equipment and the construction of the main building (1999) and the planetarium (2012), it grew into today's observatory.

One of the astronomical instruments in the observatory is the Vihorlat National Telescope (VNT), today the second largest telescope in Slovakia. VNT is a mirror telescope with a main mirror diameter of 1 meter and is used to observe various types of variable stars, which is the main professional work station observation program. In addition to the VNT, there are five other telescopes. These include the 50 cm Žiga telescope belonging to the PJŠafárik University in Košice.

In addition to instruments and equipment for professional observation, the observatory also has a powerful tool in the field of education and popularization in the field of astronomy - the planetarium. It was built on an project Carpathian Sky was commissioned for that use in 2012. You can display a virtual night sky , films in full screen projection or give lectures on various astronomy topics.

On the evening observing for the public are reserved two telescopes on a concrete platform, which can accommodate about 15 people. In the observatory, they conduct observations, as well as other events for schools and the public, only on request on working days.