Reconstruction of Cook Equatorial telescope tower
UPD:
To develop culture, it must first be preserved.
With pain in our hearts, we watch footage of occupiers destroying cultural and historical monuments in Kharkiv, Kyiv and other cities. It's hard to believe that ancient architecture, picturesque streets and other places are simply disappearing from city landscapes.
We sincerely love Odesa and don't want the same to happen here. That's why by collective decision with the authors of projects "Student Open Space", "History Shelf", "Reconstruction of Cook Equatorial telescope tower" and "Litera 2.0", it was decided to redirect all collected funds to defend the city, namely to support the army and territorial defense.
The total amount is 89,278 hryvnias.
Thank you to all benefactors who supported these projects. Your funds will go toward preserving Odesa and its culture. We will report in detail about expenses on our social networks and website.
Ukraine is Europe's leading country by number of astronomical observatories. Just during the 19th-20th centuries, seven major observatories at scientific institutions were opened here, which still operate today. One of the oldest observatories is in Odesa. Recently, a telescope over a hundred years old was restored here, through which you can now see stars.
The Cook Equatorial telescope was purchased with funds from patron Ivanov. He was an employee of the medical faculty at I.I. Mechnikov ONU, who left his inheritance to the university for scientific purposes. Astronomy in Odesa practically began with this telescope. It was manufactured in 1886 by the English firm COOKE&SONS.
For its installation on observatory grounds, a tower was built with a marble floor inside decorated with astronomical symbols, and marble steps lead directly to the telescope, winding around the telescope column.
The tower roof is used for conducting tours and installing astronomical instruments when observing celestial bodies at night and the solar disk during the day. It has been repaired repeatedly, but the last repair was almost 30 years ago.
Today the roof condition is concerning: the roof has begun leaking, the ceiling beneath it, which has an unusual dome shape, is losing its original appearance. If it collapses, accessing the telescope will be impossible. Thus, the possibility of conducting tours for citizens and city guests will be lost.
The Cook Equatorial telescope is no longer suitable for scientific research, but is very valuable as a historical exhibit and part of tours. It's the only telescope remaining in the city. It's mechanical and already differs significantly from modern instruments.
"It's no longer possible to conduct observations in the city, so we do this in Mayaky. But children and adults interested in space come here. In recent years there have been many visitors, especially children: the younger they are, the more interested they are, so we strive to repair the tower roof as quickly as possible, since the Cook Equatorial telescope is the highlight of our tour program."
