CME impact above Ondrejov

On October 3rd, a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) was hurled toward Earth by a powerful X9.1-class solar flare. It struck our magnetosphere a few days later, adorning the sky with colorful swirls. On October 7th, Vlastimil Vojáček captured the aurora borealis, creating a special atmosphere at the Ondřejov observatory.

Night of Scientists 2024 at Ondrejov Observatory

[ Astronomický ústav AV ČR, Ondrejov 2024-09-27] As part of the Night of Scientists 2024, the Cherenkov telescopes located at the Ondřejov Observatory were also presented to the public. Jakub Juryšek and Dušan Mandát showcased the SST-1M project to attendees and explained related physical phenomena (the formation of particle showers, methods of observation, processing, and more). Last but not least, they answered curious questions from both young and adult visitors from the general public. Night of Scientists 2024 at Ondrejov Observatory Night of Scientists 2024 at Ondrejov Observatory ( read the corresponding article on Facebook in czech … )

Detection of enhanced very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from Markarian 421

Thomas Tavernier (on behalf of SST-1M Consortium), 15. 3. 2024 We report a significant increase in gamma-ray flux from Markarian 421 above 2 TeV. This observation was conducted through stereo observations using the 2 SST-1M IACTs currently in commissioning at the Ondrejov Observatory. The observations extends from 13 March 2024 20:53 to 00:20 UTC resulting in a livetime of approximately 3.3 hours, during which a detection significance of 6.8 sigma was achieved with notable excess up to 7 TeV. The observed flux from Markarian 421 reached levels typically observed from the Crab Nebula, suggesting a substantial increase compared to our...

The first Cherenkov telescopes in the Czech Republic to observe the Crab Nebula

[ Czech Academy of Sciences, 2022-05-13] Two new high-energy gamma-ray Cherenkov telescopes are now observing the skies from the observatory of the Astronomical Institute of the CAS in Ondřejov, Czech Republic. The largest optical telescopes in the country, they are currently focusing their attention on the Crab Nebula. After completing a trial run, plans are to move the telescopes from Ondřejov further away from civilisation to higher altitudes in South America. At the observatory in Ondřejov, two identical telescopes are observing some of the highest-energy photons emitted in space, i.e., particles of light produced during very turbulent processes following supernova explosions or...

Not only the James Webb Space Telescope has hexagonal mirrors

[ Astronomický ústav AV ČR, 2022-02-18] Mirrors for the second SST-1M (Small-Sized Telescope) telescope with a primary mirror diameter of 4.3 meters designed for the detection of Cherenkov radiation are currently being installed at the Ondřej observatory. Energetic electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, does not pass through the atmosphere. When a gamma photon passes through the atmosphere (as well as when a charged particle with high energy passes), a shower of secondary particles and Cherenkov radiation is produced. These sensitive telescopes with high temporal resolution can detect this Cherenkov radiation from the atmospheric shower. The sources of...