Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences is the foremost astronomy organization and one of the oldest scientific institutions in the country. The major part of the institute is located in the village Ondřejov southeast from Prague, where it operates the largest Czech optical telescope and a number of other instruments. The Institute employs about 70 scientists plus a dozen of PhD students. Ondřejov Observatory represents a research campus with its own facilities such as a cafeteria, apartment houses for stuff and short term accommodation for visitors. A separate worksite is located in Prague that resides in a building within an academic campus at Spořilov.

Following its long history nowadays the Astronomical Institute emerges as a modern public research organization which is involved in a rich set of international projects in Europe and worldwide. On the national level the Institute carries out the major part of research in astronomy and astrophysics in the Czech Republic. During the recent two decades the international collaboration of the Institute has been greatly expanded and it currently represents a significant part of its research activities, including a close cooperation with European Southern Observatory (ESO), European Space Agency (ESA), International Astronomical Union (IAU) and other profesional organizations.