Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences (AISAS)

NEWS

2024/04/30: announcement of the program and the web page.

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.

FEE & ACCOMMODATION & FOOD

Fee: the internship is free of charge for the selected students.
Accommodation: free of charge (2 double rooms, shared bathroom and kitchen).
Food: cost of food, purchase of food, its delivery to the observatory and cooking at the expense of the student (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). Also, no food delivery services can provide you with food at the LSO.

OBSERVATORY DETAILS

The observatory is located at the Lomnicky stit mountain in the High Tatras (2633 m a.s.l). It can be reached only by a commercial cable car 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 PDF file of the LSO virtual guided tour. 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, electricity oven, microwave oven, kettle, fridge, utensils, cups, cutlery) are shared. A Wi-Fi internet connection will be provided for your devices. Potable water for drinking is available as well. There is no restaurant at the Lomnicky Stit. So, you have to purchase and transport to the Lomnicky stit all the foodstuff you will need yourself, just some basic ingredients you can use from our resources (e.g. salt). Your cooking is also up to you. Besides up to 4 students, there will be another 1 to 3 persons more at the observatory.

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.

DATES

Announcement: 01/05/2024
Deadline for application: 14/06/2024
Decision on the selected students: 19/06/2024

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.

APPLICATION

Application for the course is simple; email the filled application form (TXT file) and your CV to rybak at astro.sk before 15/06/2024. You will hear from us no later than 19/06/2024 only in case of admission to our internship program.

CONTACT

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