Ataturk University Observatory of Eastern Anatolia (OEA) telescope, which is one of the important objectives of Turkey's Vision 2023 and the National Space Program Project has reached  Erzurum.

The construction and establishment of OEA, which is carried out within the Astrophysics Research and Application Center, is successfully carried out by Atatürk University under the auspices of the Presidency. The 100-ton DAG telescope, which set out from Italy and set out to Erzurum on February 22, following special permits and official procedures at the Customs Directorate, arrived in Erzurum with a 7-truck convoy in parts.

Rector Çomaklı: "Our Country's Most significant Basic Science Investment"

Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, Turkey's 4-meter-diameter telescope with the largest international R & D was pointed out that the most significant investment in basic science infrastructure of our country. Rector Çomaklı, who stated that they have left another important stage behind in DAG, said: “Today, we are witnessing the arrival of the 4-meter diameter DAG Telescope from Italy to Erzurum. Despite the pandemic process; Customs and shipping operations were completed in about 2 weeks by obtaining special permissions from Turkey and abroad, and despite the winter weather conditions, it was successfully brought from Istanbul to Erzurum in 4 days. Our equipment for 7 trucks carrying the DAG Telescope is approximately 100 tons; After the road improvement and asphalting works to the DAG campus located at the Konaklı summit, it will be kept in the new hangars of our university until it is released in June ”.

Precise and Specially Coated 4-Meter  Mirror Also Coming In June

Çomaklı stated that the technical team that will come from abroad together with the ATASAM team will start the installation works with intensive work this year: “After the mechanical - electronic - optical tests, depending on the weather conditions at the DAG campus at an altitude of 3170 meters, we plan to receive the first light at the end of this year. Our 4-meter precision and specially coated mirror will also depart from Russia at the end of June and be brought to Erzurum and then taken to the DAG campus. I would like to state that we will share that important and sensitive process with you. On this occasion, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this process and wish it to be beneficial for our country ”.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE - 26.02.2021