In a village around 30 kilometres from Kosovo’s capital, students and citizens flock daily to the country’s first observatory and planetarium.
Until last year, a small plot in the heart of Rashince in the Shtime municipality that used to grow corn has transformed into a hub for astronomy enthusiasts, now home to the country’s first observatory and planetarium.
This pioneering facility, set up by the Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo, AOK, with funding from the municipality of Shtime and the Ministry of Education, has captured the imagination of students and citizens alike, receiving dozens of visitors daily.
Professor Milaim Rushiti at the first observatory in Kosovo. Photo: Milaim Rushiti
Physics Professor Milaim Rushiti, who donated his property for the project, says it was his childhood dream to make space accessible to young minds in Kosovo.
“I didn’t consider the material implications; I just wanted kids to have what I never did growing up,” he said, recalling the 1999 solar eclipse he watched through a piece of welding glass.
Rushiti donated the land to the municipality on behalf of Astronomy Outreach Kosovo Club.
“The municipality had funds but couldn’t invest in private land, so I offered the land in the name of the organisation to make the project a reality and they accepted it as a gift,” he explained.
Planets of the solar system within the observatory. Photo: BIRN
A visit here offers more than just stargazing – it’s a journey into the cosmos, with activities like solar observation through telescopes, workshops on operating astronomical equipment, and scientific screenings in the planetarium.
For stargazing purposes, students and other visitors are also given lectures on the solar system and can watch documentaries in the planetarium.
The planetarium, with a 9-metre dome, can accommodate up to 50 people and is equipped with a sound system and projection technology.
“It’s truly exhilarating to see the awe on the kids’ faces when they experience the shows for the first time,” the Club wrote about children’s visits to this planetarium.
Pupils watching a documentary inside the planetarium. Photo: Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo.
“We’ve been swamped with visitors, hosting three or four groups a day since school started,” Rushiti emphasised.
“As a physics student, I saw a telescope for the first time after 30 years when the club was opened in 2015”, he further added.
With a budget of over 300,000 euros and support from American telescope manufacturer Celestron and other U.S. donors, the observatory has become a hub for many people.
At its opening, the Astronomical Observatory of Kosovo received numerous donations from astronomy enthusiasts and congratulatory messages from well-known figures.
Astronomy Outreach Kosovo was founded in 2015 by Pranvera Hyseni, who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
A child looking through a telescope from the observatory space. Photo: Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo.
Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, one of the few people to have walked on the Moon, sent a video message for the opening of Kosovo’s National Observatory and Planetarium.
“We want to wish you all the best in Kosovo with the new Planetarium and Observatory. We think that what you are doing for the young people is such a wonderful opportunity for them and for you and thank you very much for giving your time, money to open this observatory. It will be a great blessing for people in Kosovo,” he stated, adding that “hopefully one day we might be able to come and visit.”
Brian May, the guitarist of the band Queen and a distinguished astrophysicist also sent a message for the opening of Kosovo’s National Observatory and Planetarium.
“I am calling you to congratulate you on the inauguration of the first observatory in Kosovo. Astronomy will triumph thanks to your hard work and persistence over the last five years. I wish you a wonderful future in astronomy.”
Swiss astronomy enthusiast Rodrigo Araya inside the observatory. Photo: BIRN.
AOK also brings international contributors, like Swiss volunteer Rodrigo Araya who goes by Rodri van Click, who found himself drawn to Kosovo’s remarkable enthusiasm for science.
“The number of girls interested in science here surprises me,” he said. “A girl once told me, ‘Of course,’ as if it was obvious.”
The Swiss astronomy enthusiast who is a contributor and donator to this club also gives inspiring lectures to student visitors about lunar and space missions, sharing his personal experiences from encounters with international astronauts.
“I remember the Facebook page of AOK was full of events, the activity to do outreach in schools, and another gap showed up because in my school nobody ever showed up with a solar telescope so i was thinking ‘hey, those people are doing much more than anyone ever did”.
Student Isra Gashi spending time inside the observatory. Photo: BIRN.
Isra Gashi, a student in the Physics program at the University of Prishtina, “Hasan Prishtina” is one of the many girls who are part of this astronomy club. She recalls how her interest in this field began.
“Whoever among us kids got hold of the TV remote first, I’d switch it to Explorer Science channels and watch astronomy documentaries.”
Gashi says it was her mother who enrolled her in this club almost six years ago, after noticing her interest in astronomy.
“My family is very supportive; they’re happy that I enjoy being part of this club,” Isra Gashi said.
“My mind is always in a frame that the cosmos has a lot more to offer which needs to be discovered. It’s an interest that gives me a viewpoint and a never-ending wanting to know more,” she concluded.
On July 2022 Kosovo’s first astronomical observatory in Prishtina centre reopened after 35 years in disuse thanks to the efforts of the local Astronomy Club. This observatory was first set up in 1977 but functioned only for 10 years until 1987.