History

1922 The Astronomical Observatory of the University of Latvia (UL) is founded.
1946 The Astronomy Sector of the Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences (AS) of the Latvian SSR is established, from which the Radioastrophysics Observatory was later formed.
1950 The time service of the Astronomical Observatory of the Latvian State University (LSU) resumes regular work.
1955 A radio astronomy working group is established in the Astronomy Sector.
1957 Visual observations of artificial satellites of the Earth begin at the LSU.
1958 The Astronomy Sector becomes the Astrophysics Laboratory of the AS of the Latvian SSR. Optical observations of stars and radio observations of the Sun begin at the laboratory's Baldone observation base.
1959 Photographic observations of the satellites begin at the LSU.
1963 The first 55 cm diameter reflecting telescope is installed at the Baldone observation base.
1965 The AFU-75 satellite photographic camera was developed, manufactured in more than 120 copies. It was installed at many satellite observation stations in the USSR and other countries.
1966 The Schmidt telescope pavilion was completed at the Astrophysics Laboratory and the telescope was assembled.
1967 Regular observations with the Schmidt telescope began at the Baldone observation base.
1968 The Astrophysics Laboratory of the Latvian SSR AS was transformed into the Radioastrophysics Observatory. The LSU Time Service ranked first among the USSR time services in terms of observation accuracy.
1970 A double telescope pavilion was put into operation at the Baldone observation base, in which two 55 cm diameter mirror telescopes were installed.
1972 Regular observations with 55 cm diameter mirror telescopes and the RT-10 radio telescope began at the Baldone observation base.
1973 The LSU Astronomical Observatory begins laser ranging of the satellites.
1974 The Baldone observation base begins observations of the Sun with the RT-1 radio telescope.
1987 The Astronomical Observatory begins regular observations with the new generation laser telescope LS-105.
1992 The journal Baltic Astronomy begins to be published, in which Latvian astronomers also publish.
1994 The Space Geodesy Sector separates from the UL Astronomical Observatory, on the basis of which the UL Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics is established.
1996 The UL Astronomical Observatory joins the European network of permanent GPS stations.
1997 The Latvian AS Radioastrophysics Observatory is merged with the UL Astronomical Observatory and the UL Institute of Astronomy (IA) is established.
1998 The Institute's satellite observation station becomes a member of the International Laser Ranging Service.
2001 The General Catalogue of Carbon Stars of the Galaxy compiled by Baldone astronomers is published in the journal Baltic Astronomy.
2005 The main mirror of the Schmidt telescope is re-coated with aluminium. The satellite laser ranging station becomes a member of the European network EUROLAS.
2006 The first sky images are obtained with the charge-coupled device installed in the Schmidt telescope.
2008 Nine new asteroids are discovered with the Schmidt telescope. These are the first asteroids discovered directly in Latvia.
2012 The association “Fotonika-LV” of three LU institutes (Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, Institute of Astronomy, Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics) launches a three-year project.
2013 Latvia becomes a cooperating country of the European Space Agency.
2016 With the funds of the “Photonics” project, a new charge-coupled device was installed on the Schmidt telescope, as well as a modernized LS-105 laser telescope.
2018 The modernization of the RTS-2006 time interval measuring device was completed at the satellite laser ranging station.
2019 The Institute of Astronomy moves to the Science House of the UL in Riga. The scientific project “Development of Quantum Optics and Photonics at the University of Latvia” has been launched at the Institute (until 2023).
2020 Latvia becomes an associate member state of the European Space Agency. The Laboratory of Nonlinear Optics and Photonics is established at the IA.
2024 The Institute of Astronomy becomes a structural unit of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Latvia.