Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht: The Last Years
Christoph U. Keller
TL;DR
This paper recounts the final years of the Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht, highlighting its history and the circumstances leading to its closure in 2012 due to institutional decisions.
Contribution
It provides a historical account and analysis of the closure of a major astrophysics research institute after 370 years of operation.
Findings
The institute was the second-oldest university observatory in the world.
It was closed in 2012 without detailed justification.
The closure marked the end of a 370-year legacy.
Abstract
I describe the last years of the 370-year long life of the Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht, which was the second-oldest university observatory in the world and was closed in early 2012 after the Faculty of Science and the Board of Utrecht University decided, without providing qualitative or quantitative arguments, to remove astrophysics from its research and education portfolio.
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Taxonomy
TopicsHistory and Developments in Astronomy · Geophysics and Gravity Measurements