VSA was created eight years ago in Visnjan Observatory, and has since then
affirmed itself as a "serious" astronomy school in Croatia. Through the years, VSA has
gone through many students. Despite many financial and other problems, VSA
survived the first, tough years, and now regularly teaches pupils and students every
year.
Since 1989. VSA has been gathering students from all over former Jugoslavia,
especially from Petnica, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Split, and Ljubljana. VO's cooperation
resulted in an exchange of teachers between Osservatorio Ramanzacco and VO.
Also, it has become a tradition to bring teachers from other countries here to give
lectures about a wide specter of astronomical topics. At the first VSA's Italian
teachers were here often from Osservatorio Ramanzacco and from Asiago. We've
also had a few Russian teachers here, especially Prof. Genadij A. Andreev.
The whole idea of VSA was based around building an astronomy school different in
its way of work from the other ones. The main goal was to build an atmosphere similar
to the ones in the world's big observatories in which students could do some serious
scientific work as well as improve their astronomical knowledge. It is very important to
acquaint teachers and students. This makes it possible for them to start their scientific
career very early. Leaders and students work together in tems in order to reach a
common goal.
VSA tries to keep in step with the world's
astronomical standards. Thus, where astro
photometry took the main place before, now
there's CCD astrometry. Also, a great
improvement in the quality of the outgoing
work was caused by all the computers being
connected to the Internet. With new
technology, VO has now completely automatized the telescope. Because of this the
results achieved at VO are at the same level as the world's largest amateur observatories.
Since the beginning VSA has given special attention to meteors, especially the Perzeids which
are at their maximum at the time of VSA. Every year Visnjan sends a lot of information about
meteors to the International Meteor Organization. Now VSA has got into the routine of sending
this information to IMO, and acclaimed itself as the best astronomy school in Croatia. With the
delivery of the telescope with a one meter mirror, new horizons will be opened.
Listing of participants of former VSA
Index of scientific papers from VSA
Back to VSA main page 
Back to VO main pageLast update on 08.10.1996.