| Crimean Astrophysical Observatory | |
| Location: | near Nauchnyi, Crimea |
| Coords: | 44.7267°N 34.0159°W |
| Telescope1 Name: | TST-1 |
| Telescope1 Type: | Solar telescope |
| Telescope2 Name: | TST-2 |
| Telescope2 Type: | Solar telescope |
| Telescope3 Name: | Shain telescope |
| Telescope3 Type: | 2.6-metre telescope |
| Telescope4 Name: | AZT-11 |
| Telescope4 Type: | reflector |
| Telescope5 Name: | 1.22-m |
| Telescope5 Type: | Babelsberg telescope |
| Telescope6 Name: | AZT-8 |
| Telescope6 Type: | reflector |
| see |
The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO, obs. code: 095) is located at Nauchnij research campus, near the Central Crimean city of Bakhchysarai, on the Crimean peninsula. CrAO is often called simply by its location and campus name, Crimea–Nauchnij, still ranks among the worldwide most prolific discovery sites for minor planets.
CrAO has also been publishing the Bulletin of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory since 1947, in English since 1977. The observatory facilities (IAU code 095) are located on territory of settlement of Nauchnyi since the mid-1950s; before that, they were further south, near Simeiz. The latter facilities still see some use, and are referred to as the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory–Simeiz (IAU code 094).
As of 2016, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) gives a total of 1286 numbered minor planets that were discovered at the Crimea–Nauchnij observatory site during 1966–2007. Most of these discovery are credited to the Russian/Soviet astronomers Tamara Smirnova, Lyudmila Chernykh, Nikolai Chernykh, Lyudmila Zhuravleva, Bella A. Burnasheva, Nikolaj Efimovič Kuročkin, Lyudmila Karachkina, Natalʹja Vitalʹevna Metlova and Galina Ričardovna Kastelʹ. As a peculiarity, British astronomer and long-time MPC director Brian G. Marsden is also credited with the co-discovery of 37556 Svyaztie at Nauchnij in 1982, as a symbolic gesture of the astronomical collaborations and friendships between the East and the West during the Cold War.
The MPC also credits the discovery of the following minor planets directly to the observatory (rather than to one of the above listed astronomers):
| important; height: 205px;" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 October 1971 | |||
| 16 September 1971 | |||
| 16 September 1971 | |||
| 20 August 1966 | |||
| 11 October 1971 | |||
| 9 August 1970 | |||
| 16 September 1971 |
| important; height: 205px;" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September 1971 | |||
| 10 August 1970 | |||
| 28 September 1973 | |||
| 23 September 1971 | |||
| 10 August 1970 | |||
| 20 August 2001 | |||
| 10 August 2007 |