Astronomical Society Vega - Ljubljana

The Astronomical Society Vega - Ljubljana (Slovene: Astronomsko društvo Vega - Ljubljana, ADV) is a Slovenian non-profit astronomical society based in Ljubljana. It was founded on 21 May 2001 and is closely linked to the astronomy club of Gimnazija Šentvid, a secondary school in the Šentvid district of Ljubljana. Many former members of the school club have gone on to join the society, and some serve as mentors to the next generation of young natural scientists, creating a continuous pipeline between school-level and adult amateur astronomy in the region. The society is named both after Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, and after Jurij Vega, the celebrated Slovene mathematician, physicist and artillery officer in the Habsburg army. The star itself is not named after Jurij Vega; its name is much older. ADV is active in observational astronomy, astrophotography and public outreach. Its members and club participants observe and photograph transient phenomena such as lunar eclipses, comets, aurorae and supernovae, often from the Šentvid observatory. The society publishes news and reports on its official website, covering events such as the total lunar eclipse of 7 September 2025, the appearance of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) in October 2024, auroral displays over Slovenia in 2023 and 2024, and a supernova discovered in the spiral galaxy M101 in May 2023. A notable technical achievement is the construction of a radio telescope by members and club students, successfully tested on 22 September 2014. Designed and built in-house under the mentorship of Andrej Lajovic, with contributions from Klemen Blokar, Jure Varlec and others, it was completed for only 600 euros and is described as the first radio telescope built in Slovenia for observing the hydrogen line at approximately 1420 MHz. The society also hosted a visit by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams on 7 October 2014, during which members and club participants spoke with the guest for over three hours. Prominent figures in the society include co-founders Zorko Vičar, Peter Mihor and Mitja Šiška. Zorko Vičar served as the first president for seven years and has been a long-time mentor and spiritual leader of the club. Klemen Blokar has been president since 2010 and is a club mentor. Andrej Lajovic leads the radio telescope project and mentors the club. Gregor Vertačnik served as president from 2008 to 2010. The society operates as a private, member-based organisation rather than a commercial company, but it functions as a brand-like entity in Slovenian amateur astronomy, with its own identity, website and public profile.

The Astronomical Society Vega - Ljubljana was founded on 21 May 2001. It grew out of and maintains close ties with the astronomy club of Gimnazija Šentvid, a secondary school in Ljubljana's Šentvid district. The relationship is symbiotic: many former club members, now adults, joined the society, and some of them serve as mentors to current club students, ensuring continuity in amateur astronomy education in the area. The society is named after both the star Vega and the Slovene polymath Jurij Vega. The star's name predates the mathematician, but the dual reference reflects the society's dual focus on astronomy and Slovenian scientific heritage. From its early years, the society engaged in observational activities and public outreach. Zorko Vičar, one of the co-founders, served as the first president for seven years and has been a long-time mentor and guiding figure. Other co-founders include Peter Mihor and Mitja Šiška. Gregor Vertačnik served as president from 2008 to 2010, and Klemen Blokar has been president since 2010. A major technical milestone came on 22 September 2014, when members and club students successfully tested a radio telescope they had designed and built themselves. The project was mentored by Andrej Lajovic, with contributions from Klemen Blokar, Jure Varlec and others. Built for only 600 euros, it is described as the first radio telescope for observing the hydrogen line at approximately 1420 MHz built in Slovenia. This project demonstrated the society's capacity for hands-on technical education and innovation. On 7 October 2014, the society hosted NASA astronaut Sunita Williams at its observatory. The visit lasted over three hours, during which members and club participants discussed a wide range of topics with the guest. In subsequent years, the society continued to report on and observe significant astronomical events. These include a supernova in the spiral galaxy M101 in May 2023, auroral displays over Slovenia in November 2023 and May 2024, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) in October 2024, a celestial spiral phenomenon in March 2025, and a total lunar eclipse on 7 September 2025. These activities are documented on the society's official website, which serves as a public record of its observational and educational work. The society remains a private, member-based organisation, not a commercial enterprise, but it functions as a recognizable brand in Slovenian amateur astronomy.

• Society founded

• Gregor Vertačnik becomes president

• Klemen Blokar becomes president

• Home-built radio telescope successfully tested

• NASA astronaut Sunita Williams visits observatory

• Supernova discovered in galaxy M101

• Aurora borealis observed over Slovenia

• Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS observed

• Total lunar eclipse observed

Non-profit amateur astronomical society focused on observation, education and public outreach in Slovenia.

• Radio telescope for hydrogen line observation

  Home-built radio telescope, first of its kind in Slovenia, built for 600 euros.

1. 1Astronomsko društvo Vega – Ljubljana official websitead-vega.si
2. 2Wikidata entrywikidata.org
3. 3Slovene Wikipedia articlesl.wikipedia.org