The Oude Sterrewacht Leiden (Old Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands)
is an observatory with a very long history.
At this observatory Jan Oort worked as a director between 1945 and 1970.
Jan Oort was the driving force behind the development of
radio astronomical research in the Netherlands.
In the beginning of 1944 Henk van de Hulst stayed at the Observatory for
a few months. It was here that Oort asked him to study the recently discovered
radio emission from the Universe, to see if there exists a particular
wavelength where more radio emission could be expected than elsewhere
and that could thus serve as a beacon for radio astronomical observations.
It was also here that Henk van de Hulst made public his prediction on
april 15 1944 at a meeting of the Dutch Professional Astronomy Club (NAC).
And it was at this Observatory that the first maps of the Galaxy were
created and published.
At this moment, the Old Observatory building is being renovated.
Op het ogenblik wordt de Oude Sterrewacht gerenoveerd.
[website Sterrewacht Leiden]
[website Amateur Group Leidse Sterrewacht, Dutch only]
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