His name is well known to the all astronomical world. Without exaggerating it is safe to say, that the words Маркарян, Markarian, Mrk, Mkn 1, Mkn 9, Mkn 231… and so up to Mkn 1500… have been already flashed in the scientific and popular magazines. These objects have been studied in all spectral ranges from γ–rays to radio to establish the physical nature of the activity of extragalactic objects. If you open now any astronomical magazine, including the Astrophysical Journal, you will find one or more articles, devoted to detailed investigation of one or another Markarian galaxies.
Now back to Byurakan. It is silent and empty. Only separate firmest astronomers have stayed in the Observatory.
Remembering the year 1966. It was the IAU Symposium No. 29, dedicated to topic «Non-stable phenomena in galaxies». It was the golden age of the Observatory and this Symposium gathered together the best astronomical forces from the former USSR and all over the world.
It was Markarian's appearance. He was talking about his new work of searching for galaxies with excess in UV-continuum in their spectra.
F. Zwicky assessed the true value of Markarian's work at once. F. Zwicky understood perfectly the sense of this work: he himself had examined by eye millions and millions galaxies, searching eruptive ones among them.
How rapidly the time flies! At the beginning of our Century we knew very little about galaxies. These diffuse spots have been divided to stars, like our Sun. And at last our entire Universe was populated by galaxies, basic building blocks of the Universe, which consist of stars, gas and dark matter.
However, new facts arose, which showed, that again things were not so well. Bright stellar-like condensation was discovered in the central part of some number of galaxies, the bright compact nucleus, which, evidently, plays some role in forming and developing of the whole galaxy.
At that moment B.E.Markarian had been working on detailed surface photometric investigation of some galaxies. It was a difficult and tedious work. Photographic images of galaxies were being obtained on photographic plates through different filters, measured by the microdensitometer in each point of the galaxy to get the brightness and colour distribution all over the galaxy. It meant it was necessary to measure the brightness at the same point of each image of the given galaxy in different colours. And such points were hundreds and hundreds…
In 1963, when it was the time for discovering quasars, B.E.Markarian had published his paper in the «Communications of the Byurakan Observatory», which essentially was the scientific basis of his, Markarian, survey. It was entitled «On the Nature of Galaxies with anomalous Spectral Features in respect of their type».
It is known, he wrote, that elliptical galaxies and central parts of S0, Sa and Sb spiral galaxies in most cases consist of type II stellar population and have large colour indices and spectral features typical for late spectral classes G and K. But there is a noticeable number of these galaxies, which have early spectral features - A, F spectral types. The existence among galaxies of type E, S0, Sa, Sb of definite category of objects, having relatively early spectral types than it would have been expected according to their morphological type and integral colour, was not doubtful.
Note, that it was written in years when obtaining weak spectra of galaxies had great technical difficulties, and the total number of such spectra, obtained in the most cases on photographic emulsion, was not more than a few hundreds.
A list of 40 such galaxies was given in his paper. Note that in this list all galaxies were included from the Seyfert list, published by him in 1943.
Analyzing the colours of 11 galaxies of this list having the necessary data, he discovered, that this galaxies in their central parts often show colour excess, especially in the UV-range of the spectrum.
«Normal» galaxies, on the contrary, usually become bluer when moving from their central part.
Examining the existence of large numbers of blue and red giant stars in the central parts of galaxies or the influence of emission lines on the colours of nuclei or nuclear parts of galaxies, as a possible reason for their blue colour, he came to a conclusion that these factors were not sufficient to explain the blue colours of the central parts of these galaxies.
That is why, he wrote, the examination of the data on the colours and spectra permits to conclude, that some part of galaxies produce a strong continuum in ultraviolet range of the spectrum, in addition to that usually due to type II population. The investigation brings to a conclusion, that this additional radiation, which probably represents a result of nuclear activity, has nonstellar origin and seems to accompany the formation of new subsystems of stars in the same galaxy.
The First Byurakan Survey – FBS
The question about nature and evolution of such galaxies arose. It might be solved, if we could answer to another question: how often the similar objects appear in the Universe.
At the same time the new 40”-52” Schmidt type telescope was put into operation. As usually, B.E. Markarian spared much time for the first observational experiences on this telescope. One 4o objective prism was prepared for the new telescope.
The idea on searching for galaxies with UV excess continuum was matured by B.E. Markarian. In his situation, for this purpose the low-dispersion spectra fitted best of all, obtained with the objective prism in combination with the wide-field telescope. He had the new 40”-52” Schmidt telescope with a field of view about 16 sq. degrees.
It would be noted that an objective prism was successfully used in astronomy for the spectral classification of stars still at the end of the 19th century.
But B.E.Markarian understood that using the 4o prism he could not solve his task. So he made the new, revolution step. He clearly imagined that spectral features in galaxies were at least in order and more powerful, than in the stars. Therefore the dispersion (refraction angle) might be decreased to increase the limiting magnitude of his plate. Examining the different variants he came to conclusion, that he could solve this problem, having «thin» objective prism.
So the additional 1o.5 and 3o prisms from uviol glass were prepared on B.E. Markarian’s initiative.
Well, the observational task was formulated.
B.E. Markarian used the thin 1o.5 low-dispersion (1800 A/mm near Hγ) and obtained the unwidened spectra, on which the galaxy's nuclei were easily detected on the surrounding background, or as now we say, on its host galaxies.
It was the first successful experiment in astronomical practice of using a thin objective prism for this purpose.
Because the emission lines in the spectra of galaxies have considerable wideness ~1000 km/s and more, some emission lines were easily detected with such dispersion.
Already the first photographic plates showed that galaxies with strong UV-continuum were selected very well among the ordinary «normal» galaxies. Limiting magnitude on the searching plates reached 17m-17m.5. It was enough for his goal.
In 1965-66 B.E. Markarian detected the first 70 new galaxies with strong UV-continuum. The first list was published in the Soviet magazine «Astrofizika». Later they got the name «Markarian galaxies». During the following years more than 200 such galaxies were detected by Markarian.
The selection procedure and classification of the discovered objects, suggested by B.E. Markarian, were outstanding by their efficiency, elegantness and simplicity. The intensity and length of the continuum in the galactic low-dispersion spectrum were suggested to use as a main criterion. Hence, the other name of his galaxies – galaxies with UV-continuum.
He created very simple and convenient classification, permitting to classify these galaxies, attracting only two (2!) parameters: length and intensity of the continuum and degree of the condensation (stellar-like) of the galactic image.
These scheme in due time hasn’t changed essentially and has been used successfully in many contemporary surveys.
Visual selection of galaxies was very simple and used the spectral and direct galaxy images. The survey plates were examined by using the 7x and 10x lenses. For the direct images, the blue and red charts of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS) were used, i.e. either spectral, or morphological features of selected galaxies and their colour were used.
Such a procedure allows to exclude from consideration the spectra overlaps on each other, plate defects and many other things, which could be understood as a reality. Usually each plate was scanned by eye by 3 observers.
The following classification parameters were used:
The first classification parameter – the intensity of UV-continuum from nuclear part or all galaxy uses the comparison of the red and blue parts of the low-dispersion spectrum on the Kodak IIa-F emulsion, which has a deep gap of sensitivity in the green part of spectrum. For the stars of spectral classes A0-A2, these parts of spectrum are equal on the red, panchromatic emulsions.
According to the intensity of UV-continuum all these objects were divided to three classes, 1, 2, 3.
The second classification parameter determines the degree of «stellarity» of the selected objects on the low-dispersion spectral images.
and their intermediate types «sd» or «ds».
The objects with the stellar-like and stellar nuclear parts or almost star-like objects were referred to «s» type. The most difficult problem was to differ irregular galaxies Irr I. They have almost «flat» profile, without narrowing to UV spectral part, since the continuum goes from the whole image, but not from only the nucleus.
Besides the basic (main) classification parameters, some additional features were used too: for example, the existence and strength of emission lines – e, e:, confident or suspected emission. The following groups of emission lines may be visible in low-dispersion spectra: Hα + [NII] λλ6548/83, Hβ+N1+N2, Hγ and [OII] λ3727.
The peculiar strange energy distribution in continuum was marked also. As usual, the candidates for QSOs and Sy-type galaxies have these peculiarities.
Some additional features were marked in the detailed descriptions: morphology of galaxy or its active part, interactions with other galaxies, belonging to double, multiple systems, etc.
This classification scheme was used in most of the survey works. See, for example, Case, University of Michigan and other surveys. It allows easily to introduce new parameters and include new subclasses of objects, see, for example, se, de subclasses in SBS).
Thus, the classification of a separate object can be done, as: s1e – it means stellar-like galaxy or its nuclear part, very strong UV-excess in continuum and the existence of emission lines.
B.E. Markarian’s classification often allows understanding physical nature of given object before obtaining its slit spectrum and creating samples of different types candidates for QSOs, Sy-type galaxies and so on.
B.E. Markarian’s classification for AGN may be really compared with the Hubble classification of galaxies.
In 1969, B.E. Markarian initiated a spectral survey of the all Northern sky at high galactic latitudes – the FBS.
The main goal of the Survey was to select all the galaxies, having the UV-continuum in their spectra to solve the problem of the spreading of such phenomena in the Universe.
Since then V.A. Lipovetsky began to work with him in his group and, after some time, the third member of the FBS group - J.A. Stepanian, came.
More than 2500 photographic plates were obtained, which were visually examined by eye. The Survey consists of 1133 4ox4o fields and covered all the Northern sky ~17,000 sq. degrees.
There are ~20,000 low-dispersion spectra on each photographic plate up to 17m limiting magnitude. It is necessary to choose among them some separate objects. It is very tiresome but fascinating work! In that time, it was necessary to do this work by eye for improving the searching techniques.
The next very important stage of this work was to obtain the slit spectra of all selected objects as well for their physical classification. It was the time, when it was very difficult to obtain slit spectra of weak objects. It was the time of the first image tubes – good amplifiers of images. Obtaining the slit spectra of weak objects in the Soviet Union just began.
That was why the first spectral observations were carried out in the USA by E.Ye. Khachikian and D. Weedman. They detected 8 new Sy-type galaxies. They confirmed the high efficiency of new searching method for selecting active galaxies.
Since 1969, the authors of the Survey began regular spectral observations – obtaining the slit spectra of the discovered galaxies with all large telescopes in the former USSR.
Before 1977 the follow-up spectroscopy of the Markarian galaxies was made mainly on the following telescopes: 1.25 m of the South Station of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute, 2.6 m of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and 0.7 m of the Astrophysical Institute near Alma-Ata.
Beginning with 1977 «the heavy artillery» – the 6 m telescope of SAO in Caucasus came into operation.
Now the weak objects from the Survey were being observed on it.
With developing the observational astronomy, the techniques of spectral observation changed – from image tubes, through the 1024-channel scanner BTA – up to CCD.
The ideologist and performer of main instruments was V.L. Afanasiev.
It was indeed the heroic time of the Soviet astronomy.
As a matter of fact, each work reflects the personality of his inspirer – and as a result – all the best forces of the Soviet astronomy took part in carrying out of this program.
The most leading astronomers in extragalactic astronomy took part in follow-up spectroscopy of Markarian’s galaxies.
Here are the following names, as M.A. Arakelian, V.L. Afanasiev, E.A. Dibay, V.F. Esipov, E.K. Denissyuk, I.M. Kopilov, V.Yu. Terebizh…, many of them at present fruitfully work in astronomy.
All programs worked in the fast rate, i.e. the quality of the slit spectra permits to get only redshifts and intensities of bright strong emission lines.
So may be it would be better to define the luminosities of survey galaxies, therefore to select the Sy type galaxies among them, to separate the dwarf galaxies from giants ones.
It is necessary to mention the activity of Denissyuk, who could discover more than 30 Sy-type galaxies with his small 0.7m telescope.
Thus, by the year 1990, there are spectral data for all Markarian galaxies.
Note that the Survey authors marked at the same time also all bright stellar objects with UV-continuum in the FBS plates. Among them – the quasar candidates, blue stars of high galactic latitude, peculiar stars, planetary nebulae. So, most of the quasars from the BQS survey had been marked in the FBS plates.
In this why, the following strategy of the Survey work was to be formed:
The using of the thin objective prism for searching for new population of weak objects had formed the new direction in extragalactic research – systematic search for new active extragalactic objects using low-dispersion (~1000 km/s and more) spectroscopy.
Let us note that the first efforts to do this in the West were in 1975, i.e. after 10 years after the beginning of the FBS.
The beginning of such works coincided with invention of new fine grain astronomical emulsions, which allowed increasing the limiting magnitude of the Survey at least by 2m in comparison with before having emulsions.
So, the statement of the problem in the following way permits to discover a large number of different types of objects, having characteristic feature of a strong UV excess radiation in their spectra.
According to the Catalogue of Markarian galaxies, about 1500 objects were discovered in FBS, including 181 Sy-type galaxies, 17 liners, 13 QSOs, 3 BL Lac type objects, 95 starburst galaxies, 26 isolated HII galaxies, 185 absorption lines galaxies.
Note that the goal of searching for stellar-like objects, i.e. quasars, has been put off for a while.
Therefore 13 quasars were included in the list mainly as an example of efficiency of using the new techniques for searching for different morphology objects.
Among the objects included in the Catalogue, there are 185 absorption line galaxies. In the most cases, there are stellar or star-like galaxies, which could be discovered by no means, except spectral survey.
The Universe after Markarian’s Survey
So, the Markarian survey filled the Universe with different types of active galaxies. For the first time, in principle it defined all types of active extragalactic objects, which exist in the Nature. Surprisingly, all other surveys of extragalactic objects, carried out much later and deeper, than Markarian’s survey, have not been selected new types of active galaxies.
The first large samples – the lists of active galaxies – for separate types of active galaxies, were created from the FBS survey for definition of surface and space density of these galaxies.
The appearance of a great number of sufficiently bright, accessible overall studying objects allowed to move to the nature of activity phenomenon in the galaxies.
There are some Markarian galaxies that were taken in different other Catalogues, for instance, in Morphological Catalogue of V.A. Vorontsov-Veliaminov. It means, that they had interesting morphological features. Other Markarian galaxies have the Zwicky names, as compact galaxies. Some of them are in the lists of Haro – blue galaxies with strong emission lines or in the Luyten lists, as the blue stellar objects. So, the existence of the strong UV-continuum has joined all these galaxies in one big family – active galaxies or with active nuclear parts. The presence of part of the Markarian galaxies in other surveys or Catalogues shows, that such galaxies may be stellar-like, compact, consist pairs or groups or have other interesting peculiarities.
So, Markarian has chosen the UV excess in continuum in the spectrum, as the main criterion for detecting active galaxies, not by chance. It was well bounded with physical nature of activity in galaxies.
It was clear really, in the time when the Survey was being continued, that the activity of the extragalactic objects having strong UV-continuum, appeared in two main ways. First, the activity connected with the source of non-thermal radiation in the nuclear parts of galaxies. They are the active galactic nuclei. Second, the activity connected with the star-forming processes. The source of gas ionization are the type O, B, Wolf-Rayet stars. The first type of activity have quasars, the Sy-type galaxies, Liners. The second type meets in the star associations or superassociations in spiral galaxies. If the source of enchasing star-forming activity is in the nuclear part of galaxy, these galaxies are named starburst galaxies.
The star formation regions were observed also in the dwarf galaxies. Some of them – isolated HII dwarf galaxies often living in one of the first stages or bursts of star formation.
One of the peculiarities of the active region of extragalactic objects is the need to recognize their compactness or stellarity, condensation to their host galaxies. There are compact or stellar-like nuclei of Sy-type galaxies. There are compact HII regions in giant galaxies or compact isolated blue dwarf galaxies.
The first samples of all these types of galaxies were created on the basis of the Markarian or FBS survey.
Sy-type galaxies
In the central parts of some spiral galaxies, the small stellar-like nuclear region is sometimes observed.
In 1943 Seyfert found in their spectra the broad relatively high ionization emission lines of the large range of ionization. There are the Sy-type galaxies, as we call them today.
These features – the broad emission lines of the large range of ionization arising in the small stellar-like bright nucleus were defined the type of objects, which we call now Sy-type galaxies. The appearance of most of Sy-type galaxies in the Markarian survey got the powerful rise for studying their samples, detailed investigation of different phenomena in them. Markarian survey gave an extremely efficient technique particularly for discovering of Sy-type galaxies.
Excellent works dedicated to investigations of Sy-type galaxies from Markarian’s lists were done by D. Osterbrock.
Quasars – QSOs
As we now know, part of the radiosources from 3C Catalogue are stellar objects without any fuzz near it. M. Schmidt solved the puzzle in 1963, identifying several bright emission lines in «radiostar» 3C 273 with the Balmer series emission lines, shifted in the optical range of spectra. It was clear, that this object was not a star and has high luminosity and lie on a very great distance from our Galaxy.
I think, if the first quasars were found in the Markarian survey, they most probably would not selected in a special population of extragalactic objects and Universe would be filled up only with galaxies with extreme bright, active nuclei.
Unfortunately, Markarian, for lack of essential time and forces, was interested in only diffuse objects. He had not purpose to search for stellar-like objects – quasars, although they might be easily selected from his plates. Many of them, by the way, were marked by him on the survey plates, but their investigation was left for the future. Therefore only 13 QSOs were picked up in his Catalogue.
He couldn’t fulfill this big program. It was done later by M. Schmidt and R.F. Green in their BQS - Bright Quasars Survey. Most of quasars from the BQS had been marked earlier by Markarian in his survey plates.
Galaxies with the Burst of Stars – the Starburst galaxies
The Sy-type galaxies and quasars had been recognized into separate classes before the Markarian Survey, however the galaxies with the burst of star formation in their nuclear region – starburst galaxies – were distinguished as new class of active extragalactic objects from the lists of Markarian’s galaxies. As V.Balzano wrote, «these objects, which were primarily selected from the Markarian lists, have spectra, characterized by strong, narrow, low-ionization emission lines. Their optical colors, emission-line properties… can consistently be explained by the presence of young, hot star population within these nuclei».
They are emission-line galaxies of high and moderate luminosity; their morphology is like Sy-type galaxies.
They have next burst of star formation in or near nuclear region. Emission lines and continuum most probably have thermal origin.
V. Balzano found 95 Markarian galaxies as of this class of objects. In the central part of this galaxies, there are groups of young hot stars; 40% of Markarian galaxies belongs to this type of objects in the luminosity range M=-17.5…-22.5.
So, a consequence of types of active galaxies and their correlation between each other begins to be visible.
BL Lacertae type objects
These are almost stellar-like galaxies without noticeable absorption or emission lines in their spectra. At first, they were selected from their strong radio radiation. They are very variable objects.
The most rare and interesting are objects without any spectral lines. Continuum has a non-thermal nature. Among all active galactic nuclei this objects are the most mysterious and difficult for searching objects. Until recently practically the only sources of new BL Lacertae type objects were radio surveys.
It can be suspected, that there is a population of «optical lacertides», radio quiet ones, i.e. star-like galaxies, having continuous spectrum without radio emission.
Three objects of this type – Mkn 180, Mkn 421 and Mkn 501 found in FBS, turned to be radio loud.
Special, a two-step searching for these objects was made in the FBS. Slit spectrum with moderate dispersion was obtained for BL Lacertae candidates. If the object does not show noticeable emission or absorption lines in the spectrum, then a very good spectrum with large signal to noise was obtained on the 6m telescope. Most of such objects turned out to be galaxies with very weak usually absorption features, often having spectral classes A and F. It was difficult to select this type of objects in optical survey, but three objects of this type were discovered in the Markarian survey.
LINERS
This new type of active galactic nuclei was selected spectroscopically by Heckman in 1980. There are 17 liners in the FBS. There are broad emission lines especially strong emission lines of low ionization having non-thermal nature typical for these galaxies. Good host galaxies with their stellar absorption lines are well seen usually in their spectrum. Very difficult objects for searching in optical surveys.
Isolated HII galaxies
These are strong emission line galaxies, having irregular structure, usually low luminosity, and small masses. The weakest representatives of this type of objects are named blue compact dwarf galaxies. In most of cases they have very weak continuum, therefore only a few objects of these type are included in Markarian’s lists.
There were many great astronomers in our country, but nobody, I repeat, nobody has a success to produce and solve such a tremendous observational task, as B.E. Markarian. The first part of the low-dispersion plates was obtained by Markarian himself. Hundreds and hundreds photographic plates, examined by eye. Millions and millions images.
Now all sky is covered by extragalactic objects surveys. One of them – the Second Byurakan Survey – initiated by Markarian and started under his leadership for searching for weak active objects, is being continued now. The survey’s epoch gave many interesting results and strongly defined more precisely our conception on active galaxies, their relative numbers and location in space in respect to the ordinarily normal galaxies.
It is a splendid work in our science, a work, which gave the basis of the new direction in extragalactic astronomy – systematic searching and investigation of active galaxies population.
It was the beginning, and the beginning was the Markarian survey.
FBS – the first survey in all over world, having basic intention to detect different types of active galaxies. It was the main source for new Sy-type and other types of AGN during 10 years after the beginning of the survey.
The main results of the FBS were published in the series of 15 papers in «Astrofizika» (about 1500 objects) and in the Catalogue of Markarian galaxies, in No. 62 of the Communications of the Special Astrophysical Observatory, when the main author of the Survey was dead.
The Way to the Top
This work could not arise on the empty place. For a long time B.E.Markarian had been going to his main work.
He had graduated from the mathematical branch of Yerevan State University very brightly and he was suggested to continue his studies in the Leningrad State University under leadership of the great scientist of the 20th century, the founder of the Probability Theory A.N. Kolmogoroff. But the fate ordered in different way. He became the post-graduate student at V.A. Ambartsumian; he was the professor of the Leningrad University at that time. He had spoken very little about this period of his life. It is known that V.A. Ambartsumian offered to the young specialist some topics for the investigation. Carefully studying the tasks, he chose one of them in the least studied direction «The Fluctuations in the Apparent Distribution of the Stars and the Cosmic Absorption». This work had been the theme of his doctoral thesis. In this work his talent as a mathematician and as an astronomer was shown. He managed with the new direction of the investigation excellently. That was the scientific style of Markarian's work – he chose the least investigated directions in the science, where it was possible really to advance forward in the investigations. The care and thoroughness in the investigations was surprising. The dissertation work of B.E.Markarian is in the library of the Byurakan Observatory, and now is outstanding for its completeness and beauty. The main results of this paper were published later in the first number of «Communications of the Byurakan Observatory». With this work, not only the scientific biography of Markarian himself was begun, but scientific history of the Byurakan Observatory. Later his life was not separated from the history of Byurakan.
In 1943, when the terrible War was being continued, the building of the Observatory began. It was the place with good seeing conditions on the slope of Mt. Aragatz near the Byurakan village. Down to the South in the misty haze, the Ararat Valley is spreading, and it seems, that the majestic Ararat hangs in the air. The feeling of lightness and space doesn't leave anybody in Byurakan. But then it was a deserted place, burned out of blinding sun. In the middle of summer – there was only heat, dry grass, wilting trees. The landscape went down as if from the pictures of Saryan, Minas, Zardaryan...
The people came and built a scientific town. Many things have been done by scientific personal with a great enthusiasm. B.E.Markarian was occupied with numerous organization questions.
Those were hungry and hard years, but at the same time it was the time of big hopes and perspectives. B.E. Markarian took part in coming into operation of all new telescopes of the building Observatory. It was necessary to care about new scientific specialists; he read the course in astrophysics in the Yerevan University. The old collaborators in the Byurakan Observatory, who graduated from the University in those years, remembered his splendid lectures.
Everything was new and the world was new, joyful and beautiful. It was the time of creation, building of the Soviet astrophysics.
Therefore there was not time to study only with scientific investigations.
In spite of these circumstances, in very this time, the cycle of papers was devoted to the detailed investigations of stellar associations, some of them together with V.A. Ambartsumian. They were the adherents. Some stellar associations were studied, their stellar content, the connection with the open clusters, the systems of Trapezium type. The number of these systems in our Galaxy was estimated. Very modest observational possibilities were used. Up to the present Markarian’s «Atlas of Open Clusters» made on 8” telescope of Schmidt system of the Byurakan Observatory and published by separate issue, is used.
The ideas about stellar complexes, named stellar associations by V.A. Ambartsumian, as young stellar systems, where the process of star-forming goes on just now were generalized and developed in these papers.
Thus, in astronomy firmly strengthened the term «stellar associations» in the contemporary meaning of this word, it was done just the necessary step, which coincided with the separate odd facts in the united slender picture.
When even up to now some astronomers confirm, that stellar associations were known earlier before these works, they are either true or not. It is undoubtedly that the predecessors were. But even on the Second Conference on Cosmogony in 1952, separate people from Moscow school insisted that the stellar associations – are the bright parts of the Milky Way, the corridors of visibility!
It may be argued if these systems fall to pieces or not, how the stars are formed and evolved in them, however the fundamental ideas about stellar association were founded in the Byurakan Observatory, which for the first time in turn stimulated their further intense investigations.
The fundamental direction of investigations of all the Byurakan Observatory began with these works. It was the study of non-stable processes in the Universe. The Universe became to live, it began to evolve…
V.A.Ambartsumian and B.E.Markarian got the State Prize of the First Degree for these fundamental works.
In that time, many important events took place in the Observatory. It was built, evolved, increased.
Step by step the main scientific interests of B.E.Markarian began to move to the field of extragalactic research. Partially it could be explained with the appearance of new, more powerful observational instruments, new 21”-21” Schmidt type telescope, measuring equipment, as well as the charts of the Palomar Sky Survey, the copy of which was got in Byurakan.
Among his first papers in the extragalactic research it was necessary to point out the works on study of non-stable phenomena in the galactic world – the study of non-stable chains and groups of galaxies. Important was the investigation of irregular M82-type galaxies, as well as morphological and colorimetric investigations of some galaxies, their surface photometry.
An impression created, that he search for new direction in his investigations…
He found it at the beginning of 60s…
During his life he had to do many various things: he was the scientific deputy director of the Byurakan Observatory (1953-1956), he had his lectures in the Yerevan University (1943-1956), much attention and forces had been given to social work and to work on our journals «Communication of the Byurakan Observatory» and in «Astrofizika». He was the president of the IAU Commission No. 28 in extragalactic research. And all these duties he did with a big responsibility and the sense of duty. But he had left all these jobs without any regret, when a desperate extremity in his participation was disappeared.
Because the Science was the only deep passion for him…
He didn’t have so many scientific papers, slightly more than 100. He wrote long and hard, his sentence often consisted of many other sentences. But the last version of his paper was perfect and was written by his flying impetuous writing.
He has been working up to the end of his life, actively continuing the main deal of his life – the survey works in the extragalactic region – his Second Byurakan Sky Survey.
His name entered the textbooks as on stellar astronomy so as on extragalactic astronomy during his life already.
What kind of man was he?
It is possible to use only high-style words. B.E. Markarian was an enthusiastic, infinitely devoted to science man, perhaps the last romantic, with great self-pretensions, always seeking new paths in science.
While he was speaking about his galaxies, a dream-like expression came to his face. Some kind of energetic field was surrounding him, making everybody to be in high spirits. The mere existence of such people in any institute could be considered to be a great success.
During seminars the lecturers were afraid of him; he had high demands to everybody, as well as to himself, even when speaking in a low, calm voice. To the people dishonest in science he was merciless.
In the everyday life he was characterized by lack of strive to material advantages, and he was completely unable to spare himself, which was typical for people of his generation.
I close my eyes and imagine an elderly tall man walking along the beautiful alleys of the Byurakan Observatory. And I come to think that the history of Byurakan hasn't come to its end and it will be continued...
Dr. Lidia K. ERASTOVA
Senior researcher, Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO), Armenia