Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences (AISAS)

NEWS

2026/09/13: the AISAS and its LSO are planning to organize the LSO Summer Internship Program also in year 2027. An announcement can be expected in April 2027. You can express your interest to take part also in advance sending an email to rybak at astro.sk and an announcement email will be sent to you in 2027 directly.

GENERAL INFORMATION

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The internship will consist of lectures on Lomnicky Stit Observatory itself, on the LSO observing instruments and their principles (coronagraph, Lyot filter, CoMP-S instrument), on coronagraphic observations of the Sun (pointing system), on the LSO data reduction: CoMP-S data, and lectures on research of solar activity. Some hands-on exercises on the coronagraphic spectroscopic observations of prominences and analysis of the spectroscopic data of prominences will be part of the internship as well. The more detail plan of the intership can be found at the internship time plan page. Moreover, you can check web pages of the LSO summer internship program 2026 for more pictures, videos, and more detail logistic information about the program.

FEE & ACCOMMODATION & FOOD

Fee: the internship is free of charge for the selected students.
Accommodation: free of charge (3 double rooms, shared bathroom and kitchen).
Food: cost of food, purchase of food, its delivery to the observatory and cooking is at the expense and duty of the students (at the Lomnicky Stit mountain, there is only a cafe in the building of the cable car company, not a restaurant. So no food can be ordered there). Moreover, no food delivery services can provide you with food at the LSO.

OBSERVATORY DETAILS

The observatory is located at the Lomnicky stit mountain summit in the High Tatras at the altitude of 2633 m asl (3D scan of Lomnicky stit summit area). It can be reached only by the commercial cable cars operating from Tatranska Lomnica to the Lomnicky stit. The observatory building is quite small with really small rooms and a general feeling there might be not very comfortable for some people. You can check the indoors of the LSO in advance by viewing the LSO virtual guided tour (PDF file). Besides the students, there will be another 1 to 3 staff persons more at the LSO.

Students will be accommodated in a double sleeping room (two separate beds) with a fully equipped bed (bed sheets, quilt, pillow). The bathrooms (WC, washing basin, shower) and the kitchen (gas stove, electric oven, microwave oven, kettle, fridge, utensils, cups, cutlery) are shared. Potable water and mineral water for drinking is available as well.

There is no restaurant at the Lomnicky Stit. So, the students have to purchase and transport to the LSO all the foodstuff they will need themselves. Just some basic ingredients will be available from our resources (e.g. salt, sugar). Cooking is also up to students.

A wireless internet connection will be provided for student's devices.

TRAVEL

To reach the LSO, you have to travel at first to Tatranska Lomnica (train, bus, car). Then, you have to use three subsequent cable cars from Tatranska Lomnica to Lomnicky stit summit. The total cost of the cable car ticket is ~105 euros. Unfortunately, no financial support from the AI SAS is possible for your travel expenses. Details of the cable car transportation and purchase of the tickets can be found here (TXT file).

DATES

Expected announcement: April 2026

WARNING

Due to the high altitude and limited location of the LSO, we would like to advise students to apply only when they have no heart, lung, or low air pressure problems and with no fear of heights or closed spaces. Notice, please, that the air pressure at the mountain summit is only ~3/4 of the nominal pressure at the sea level.

The selected students should come to the LSO only if they have a perfect health status (no cold, etc.). Be aware that in case of health problems at the LSO, the rescue service possibilities are very limited and completely self-help (defibrillator is available). An external rescue might come to the LSO only in several hours during the cable car's regular operation in the daytime under appropriate weather conditions. During the night or under bad weather conditions (too strong wind) no external rescue service can come to the LSO.

HANDS-ON DATA

Example data of the CoMP-S observations of a prominence in the H I 656 and He I D3 lines are prepared for students. These data are photometrically reduced and calibrated in the intesinty and wavelength scales. Directory with data: directory. Expanations: TXT file. Students are free to read data and to try to get some results from them!

H I 656 nn

He I D3 587 nm

CONTACT

Jan Rybak, LSO, AISAS, Tatranska Lomnica (Slovakia).