Russian shelling damaged the Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine. Photos and videos

On the night of June 23, Russian shelling of Kyiv damaged buildings belonging to the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The blast wave blew out windows in the main building and doors in the building housing the ACU-5 horizontal solar telescope, which studies the spectrum of the Sun and its atmosphere.

This was reported by Daria Dobrycheva, astrophysicist and senior researcher at MAO, to Universe Space Tech.

Metal fragments from the warhead of a Shahed drone were found on the territory. These fragments are specially designed for maximum damage and scatter at high speeds after detonation. Fortunately, none of the employees were injured, and the scientific equipment remained undamaged. The inventory and damage assessment are currently ongoing.

The Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was founded on July 17, 1944. The observatory’s employees study the motion of celestial bodies, space geodynamics, the physics of stars and galaxies, and planetary systems. In addition, they study solar physics and atmospheric optics, develop astronomical instruments, and engage in astroinformatics. The observatory also houses an Astronomic&Space Information and Computing Center (ASICC).