During World War II, the Pulkovo Observatory was evacuated to Central Asia, and in Tashkent, Shcheglov established a precise timekeeping service at the Tashkent Astronomical Observatory. This was crucial for navigation and wartime operations. In the 1960s, the observatory evolved into an astronomical institute, and by the 1970s, construction of the Maidanak High-Altitude Observatory commenced. Although considered high-altitude, the site is actually situated in a mid-mountain region, at an elevation of 2,500 to 2,600 meters above sea level.
Perched at 2,650 meters above the Gissar mountain range, and located 45 kilometers from the city of Shakhrisabz, the Maidanak Observatory is managed by the Mirzo Ulughbek Astronomical Institute. The observatory, which opened its doors in 1970, is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including the largest 1.5-meter telescope in Central Asia. The clear and crisp mountain nights provide exceptional conditions for astronomical observations, making it one of the premier sites in the Northern Hemisphere for clarity and precision in stargazing. Notably, more than 80 asteroids, four comets, and a new minor planet named «Samarkand» (discovered by Uzbek astronomers in July 2010 and included in the International Minor Planet Catalog) have been identified here.
The journey from Samarkand to the observatory, which passes through Kitob, takes nearly four hours. The initial part of the trip is relatively smooth, but the remainder involves traversing a heavily damaged highway, originally constructed in the early 1960s and never repaired since. This road was initially built for a military observatory that monitored satellites, while the astronomical observatory was later constructed about five kilometers away from the military site.
Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with a call to “Driver, turn off your lights!” to prevent light pollution, which is essential for maintaining optimal observational conditions. The choice of location for the observatory was based on factors such as the number of clear nights per year, atmospheric stability, and vertical transparency. The Maidanak site boasts one of the best astroclimatic conditions in the former Soviet Union, surpassing even Crimea’s GAISh station and the Zelenchuk Observatory in the Caucasus, which was selected primarily for economic reasons due to its logistical advantages.
While the sky at Maidanak remains clear both in winter and summer, the transitional seasons can occasionally bring inclement weather. Despite these challenges, the observatory continues to offer invaluable contributions to the field of astronomy, providing researchers with pristine conditions for their celestial observations.
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