Zelenchukskaya

There are two radio astronomical facilities in Zelenchukskaya.

The Zelenchukskaya Radio Astronomical Observatory was founded by the Institute of Applied Astronomy (IAA) in 2000 as one of three stations of the Russian VLBI QUASAR network. The sponsoring organization of the project is the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). The Zelenchukskaya Radio Astronomical Observatory is situated in Karachaevo-Cherkesskaya Republic (the North Caucasus) about 70 km south of Cherkessk, near the Zelenchukskaya village. The basic instruments of the observatory are a 32-m radio telescope equipped with special technical systems for VLBI observations, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo receivers, and an SLR system installed in 2011.

The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS) was founded in 1966 in Zelenchukskaya. At present it is the largest Russian astronomical center for ground-based astronomy. The main radio instrument of the Observatory is the radio telescope RATAN-600 (abbreviated from the RAdio Telescope of the Academy of Sciences). The antennae of RATAN radio telescope consist of a 576-m circle of 895 elements (2 x 11.5 m), which can be divided to four independent sectors (225 elements). Four different feed-cabines with secondary mirrors could simulteniously collect radio emission from these four sectors and be used in programs of Continuum, Spectral, and Solar observations.

altitude of location above sea level: 970 m
Diameter of the ZRAO telescope: 32 m
 minimum elevation:  -5°
geographic longitude: 41° 34′ 00″
geographic latitude: 43° 47′ 15″
RATAN-600:  ring of 895 elements with 576 meter diameter
 minimum elevation:  3°
geographic longitude: 41° 35′ 12.1″
geographic latitude: 43° 49′ 34.2″

Available observing mode: single dish, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).

Frequencies used currently:

Frequency band Observing mode
1250 – 130 MHz RATAN-600
1380 – 1720 MHz VLBI
2150 – 2500 MHz VLBI
2210 – 2290 MHz RATAN-600
4400 – 5000 MHz RATAN-600
4600 – 5500 MHz VLBI
7700 – 8700 MHz RATAN-600
8180 – 9080 MHz VLBI
10.5 – 11.9 GHz RATAN-600
20.4 – 22.9 GHz RATAN-600
22.02 – 22.92 GHz VLBI
28 – 32 GHz RATAN-600
28 – 34 GHz VLBI

Research programs: various galactic and extra-galactic programs, solar corona monitoring, geodetic measurements, active galaxies;

 

Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies