Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics
The Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics was established in 1982, when the amendment 1268/1982 was approved by the Greek Parliament. It is one of the five Sections of the Department of Physics of the Aristoteleion Univerity of Thessaloniki. It consists of two independent and closely collaborating units, of The Laboratory of Astronomy and the Division of Mechanics. The current Director of the Section is Assoc. Professor Loukas Vlahos. The Laboratory of Astronomy, or as it used to be known The Department of Astronomy, was founded in 1943, four (4) years after the foundation of the Chair of Astronomy at the University of Thessaloniki. The Observatory, the building that hosts the Laboratory of Astronomy, was inaugurated in 1961.
The first Director and founder of the Laboratory was the Academician John Xanthakis. He was succeded by Professor and, later Academician, George Contopoulos, and by Professor Basil Barbanis. Professor Sotirios Persides has also served temporarily as Director. Currently, Acting Director of the Laboratory of Astronomy is Professor Nikolaos K. Spyrou. Today the scientific personnel of the Laboratory of Astronomy consists of nine (9) Members of Staff and six (6) Postgraduate Students. The research activities undertaken by the above staff include “General Theory of Relativity”, “Astrophysics (Classical and Relativistic)”, “Dynamical Astronomy”, “Cosmology” and “Observational Astronomy”. More than 400 scientific papers have been published by the members of the Laboratory in international refereed journals.
For more information, please visit http://www.astro.auth.gr