The Director of the Astronomical Observatory, Prof. Dr. Luka Č. Popović, and the Head of the Scientific Council of the Observatory, Dr. Srđan Samurović, visited the City Municipality of Zvezdara on September 24, 2026, where they were welcomed by its President, Mr. Mihailo Dosković, with whom they discussed the upcoming activities of the Astronomical Observatory and issues in which the City Municipality of Zvezdara, within its competence, could provide support. Representatives of the Astronomical Observatory informed the President about certain issues related to the Observatory complex and the possibilities of resolving them with the support of the City Municipality of Zvezdara and other competent institutions. Plans for the coming period were also discussed, including the idea of renovating part of the complex and opening it to a larger number of visitors. One of the topics of the meeting was the UrbObseBel project, which is funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia in the period 2024-2026 and which deals with research into light pollution and its impact on the environment, ecosystems and human health. The project includes measurements and data analysis, as well as activities aimed at informing the public about the problem of light pollution and the possibilities for its reduction. The implementation of this project was also supported by the City Municipality of Zvezdara, and Mr. Dosković was presented with a copy of the recently printed Book of proceedings from the UrbObseBel project workshop dedicated to the problem of light pollution held in June 2025.
In particular, a scientific conference planned for April next year was discussed, for the organization of which the Astronomical Observatory also needs technical support. The conference will be held in the year of two significant anniversaries, 140 years since the founding of the Astronomical Observatory and 95 years since the opening of its complex at Zvezdara. These anniversaries are also of particular importance for Zvezdara, which owes its name precisely to the “Observatory” ("Zvezdarnica" in Serbian).
Mr. Dosković emphasized that the City Municipality of Zvezdara, within its competences and capabilities, will strive to help resolve the issues discussed and to provide the necessary support in the organization of the upcoming conference. It was agreed that cooperation would continue in the coming period, especially through activities that would enable as many people as possible to become familiar with the work of the Astronomical Observatory, especially children and young people.
