In collaboration with the
International Astronomical Union

Hoa Lac, Vietnam

The Hoa Lac Observatory of the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) was commissioned in June 2018. It hosts a 50 cm (f/8) Ritchey-Chrétien reflecting telescope equipped with a CCD array in the focal plane.

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Geographical position

Hoa Lac high-tech park, Km29, Thang Long Freeway, Thach That, Hanoi, Vietnam

Location

Lat. N 21.0219444, Long. E 105.5419444. Elevation 14m above mean sea level.

General description

Hoa Lac Observatory has been recently established under the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC). It is equipped with a 50cm (f/8) Ritchey-Chrétien reflecting telescope equipped with a CCD array in the focal plane. The purpose of the observatory is to foster interest in astronomy among the population at large, and particularly university students, by giving amateur astronomers the opportunity to observe the sky. It is the largest observatory in northern Vietnam.

A part of the sky seen from the Hoa Lac Observator

Fig. 1. A part of the sky seen from the Hoa Lac Observatory. © Pham Viet Dung

Brief inventory

  • A 50 cm (f/8) Ritchey-Chrétien reflecting telescope.
  • A Fli-PL 16801 (CCD).
  • An Echelle 0007 Sheliak spectrograph.
  • A 9 m–diameter dome.
  • A 100-seat planetarium.

History

Construction started in 2015 and Hoa Lac observatory went into pilot operation in June 2018. According to the official website, it will open to the general public in the second quarter of 2019.

Present use

The observatory, though modest in scale compared to other observatories in the region, provides better access to information about astronomy and space technology and will, in the long run, contribute to education and even to astronomical research.

Links to external sites

Vietnam National Space Center, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

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About the author(s)

Nguyen Thi Thao lives in Hanoi (Vietnam)
Contributions by Doris Vickers

 
 


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