Kazakhstan Expands Telescope Network to Spain, Uzbekistan

Kazakhstan is set to expand its international telescope network with new installations at the Teide High-Altitude Observatory in Spain’s Canary Islands and the Maidanak Observatory in Uzbekistan.

Maxim Krugov, research engineer at the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute in Almaty, said the project is being carried out jointly with Astrotechpribor, which will install a 115-cm telescope at Teide and an 80-cm telescope at Maidanak, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

“These telescopes are links in Kazakhstan’s growing network. Their locations were chosen to match Earth’s rotation, ensuring continuous observation and eliminating monitoring gaps,” Krugov explained.

Kazakhstan is also developing the Assy Observatory near Almaty. Under the Astrohub project, more than 100 telescopes from various scientific teams are expected to be installed by 2030, with local students and institute staff participating in the work.

The Teide Observatory, founded in 1964 on Tenerife at 2,400 meters, is renowned for its astroclimatic conditions and international collaborations. The Maidanak Observatory, established in 1970 at 2,650 meters near Shakhrisabz, is known for high-quality atmospheric conditions and unique geography.

Last year, Kazakhstan also installed a telescope at the Obstech International Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, now part of the global southern sky monitoring network.