Short History of Tuorla Observatory
In 1925, Yrjö Väisälä became Professor of Physics
at the newly founded University of Turku, assuming in 1927
responsibilities for Astronomy, and in the 1950's founded Tuorla Observatory. In many ways
Väisälä can be thought of as the father of space
research in Finland. Väisälä was truly forward thinking
in the use of space for scientific research. He proposed in 1946, at a
meeting of the Academy of
Finland, the use of rockets or balloons with on-board flashes so
that geodetic triangulation could be made even between the continents,
and suggested that artificial satellites would be even better. The
next year he was already doing experiments with small rockets, and
giving interviews explaining how artificial satellites could be used
to explore the solar system, and beyond!
Yrjö Väisälä (1891-1971)
On 17 April 1950 the caretakers of the Tuorla farm consented to the
request by Yrjö Väisälä to move the Observatory of
the University from Iso-Heikkilä to Laukkavuori in Tuorla. In
1951 Väisälä completed his detailed plans of the
observatory including meterological and optical instruments. The
observatory was officially founded on 29 April 1952. The 71 metre
long optical tunnel was built between 11 February 1952 and 31 May
1952. During 1953 a vertical tunnel was built inside a concrete pilar,
which was 27 metres from the bottom of the tunnel or 15 metres from
groundlevel, and 6 metres in diameter. It took a further 7 years,
before the concrete pilar was completed with a dome on top of it. The
older section of the present Observatory building was completed in
1957. Research activities during the leadership of
Väisälä included setting up the geodetic triangulation
network for measuring distances, optical work, Zenith tube studies of
polar motion, detections and orbital calculations of minor planets and
comets. Professor, Academician Väisälä was the
directory of the observatory until his death on 21 July 1971.
Väisälä was a superb optician, using the tunnel under
the hill at Tuorla Observatory,
from which interference measurements defining the length standard for
geodesy were made and later adopted internationally. The highest
quality optics were produced, Väisälä being one of the
few in the world who could produce the demanding corrector glasses for
Schmidt telescopes. Väisälä actually thought of the
Schmidt-type telescope several years before Schmidt, and included the
design in his lecture notes on optics, but thought the idea so obvious
he didn't publish it further! Väisälä, together with
Liisa Oterma, who later became professor at Tuorla, discovered more
minor planets in their most effective years than all the other
observatories put together.
Prof. Liisi Oterma became director of the Observatory after
Väisälä. In 1971 a new 60cm reflector was erected.
During the 1974 nationalisation of the Turku University, the
Observatory lost its independent status and became part of the
Department of Physical Sciences.
Prof. Vilppu Piirola was the director of the Observatory in
1978-80. Piirola broadened the research activities of the Observatory
with polarised stellar systems.
Prof. Mauri Valtonen became the director of the Observatory in
1980. The scope of the research was vastly broadened with Active
Galaxies became a significant field at the observatory. Stellar
dynamics and optics stayed as vital field of research. In 1989 the
Observatory buildings were enlarged, and in 1991 Tuorla became once
again an independent research institute under the direct jurisdiction
of the University. In 1990-1995 and 2000-2001 Valtonen was on leave
from directorship of the Observatory, during which time Professors
Pekka Teerikorpi, Seppo Mikkola and Chris Flynn took up the
directorship. In 1995 the Tuorla staff member Vilppu Piirola was
appointed to the directorship of the
Nordic Optical Telescope, serving through till 2002.
Prof. Esko Valtaoja took over the reigns from Mauri Valtonen in
2002; much of the research is now part of a push into space-based
astronomy and astrophysics; Valtaoja's appointment was as a new chair
in space-based astronomy. Yet another new building was added to the
hill, containing 12 new offices and 2 flats for visitors and
observers; a mm Solar radio telescope was installed and
commissioned. In 2002 Tuorla Observatory turned 50!
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