Along with the Dolphinarium and the Seaside Garden, the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium is another must-see for the guests of the Black Sea port of Varna. The observatory carries out a wide range of astronomical and astrophysical assignments – from dynamics and physics of heavenly bodies from the Solar System, to extragalactic research exploring asteroids and comets, different types of stars and variations, near and distant galaxies, quasars (very energetic galactic nuclei) etc. Last year was very successful for the observatory. We won two first prizes at prestigious international competitions, Observatory Director Svezhina Dimitrova says.

“For a 46th year in a row, the Varna Observatory has been enriching the knowledge of both the residents and guests of Varna in the sphere of astronomy. We work mostly with pupils that come in groups from across Bulgaria, but we receive many adult visitors as well. Last year, our colleague Veselka Radeva with the team of pupils that she leads, won two first prizes at the NASA international competition for building colonies in space. Owing to sponsorship, the pupils and their leaders had the chance to attend the International Space Development Conference in San Diego and to present their projects at this prestigious scientific forum. Further on, at the International Astronomy Olympiad, one of the Varna pupils won a silver medal. This comes as great recognition for our work, here at the observatory, with pupils from Varna and the region, with whom we do plenty of problem-solving in astronomy. Currently, the third pan-Bulgarian campaign is underway, for the search and tracking of dangerous asteroids, part of the NASA international program, so we are very busy right now. This year we celebrate the 450th birth anniversary of Galileo Galilei and we plan to present exhibitions, competitions and other events to mark the occasion. This month we launch a competition for an essay, a photo collage or a photo with the heading The Sun, the Moon and Light marking the 45th anniversary since a man landed on the Moon for the first time, and in connection with the International Year of Light in 2015.”

Svezhina Dimitrova remarks that the Varna Planetarium enjoyed keen interest from Russian tourists in 2013. It becomes stronger by the year. “They visit not only Russian-language lectures but also Bulgarian-language ones, and this is rewarding for us”, she says. In the guest book tourists write about their impressions and most of them praise the work of the observatory staff.

English Daniela Konstantinova