The Last Meridian Circles of Pulkovo Observatory

Abstract

Meridian circles played a fundamental role in astronomy since their invention in 1704. Then, at the end of the XX century, this function had been taken over by space astrometry, when the Hipparcos mission demonstrated the advantages of space astrometry by achieving the milliarcsecond level of accuracy. This historical sketch describes the development of the last meridian circles at Pulkovo Observatory (St. Petersburg) in the last quarter of the XX century.