What are the modern possibilities of amateur astronomy?
Not only this question will be answered by the lecture of Bc. Martin Mašek ‘Modern possibilities of amateur astronomy’, to which we cordially invite you. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 from 16:00 to 18:00 in auditorium 1.03 in the CPTO building.
Bc. Martin Mašek works at the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, where he is an operator of FRAM (Photometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) robotic telescopes. These instruments are primarily used to monitor the state of the Earth’s atmosphere for the Pierre Auger Observatories in Argentina and the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In addition to their primary purpose, the telescopes are also used for astronomical research during the remaining observing time – for example, to monitor variable stars, asteroids, comets and other interesting celestial objects.
Amateur astronomers can still play an important role in scientific research today. Due to the huge number of observable astronomical phenomena and objects, it is not within the capacity of professional observatories and research teams to cover all observations. This is where amateurs can play an important role – thanks to the increasing availability of high-quality equipment, including relatively small telescopes, they are able to systematically observe variable stars, eclipsing stars, comets, supernovae and other phenomena. Their observations often complement professional data, can help to detect unusual phenomena early on and in some cases contribute to the discovery of new objects. Thus, collaboration between the amateur and professional communities is an ever-present issue and can greatly enrich scientific knowledge.
The lecture is organised by the Department of Physics and the Centre for Support of Science Education of the Faculty of Science, UJEP.
Please confirm your participation in the lecture by 6 May 2025 by email to Eva Hejnová, Ph.D.: eva.hejnova@ujep.cz
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