Hello!
Let us introduce ourselves!
The origins of Haagaar Observatory began in the late 70s and early 80s when Ola Smedstuen and Jan Olav Langseth decided to start an astronomy association. At Bergstoppen, Jan Olav had a telescope mounted on a cast plate, a Celestron 8” we think it was, and in that connection received an article in the local newspaper Oppland Arbeiderblad. Ola had read the article and then contacted Jan Olav. Together with other people interested in astronomy, GOTAF was founded; in Norwegian “Gjøvik og Toten Astronomiske Forening” as means “Gjøvik and Toten Astronomical Association”. The association was then founded on 28 April 1980.
Photo: Svenn Erik Hoylie
Here was the association’s oldest member at the time on the left, Ansgar Larsen who was born on 21 June 1889, so he saw Halley’s Comet twice…! Here he received a diploma for his efforts and became an honorary member.
Jan Olav Langseth on the right.
Photo: Svenn Erik Hoylie
Here are some of the members who were there in the beginning; Ola Smedstuen on the left, Ivar Mediås in the middle and Bjørn Langfjæran on the right.
For close to ten years, the association held meetings at Gjøvik Gymnasium before they started building the Haagaar Observatory around 1990.
So, for close to 30 years, the observatory has been used for observing and teaching school classes. But the ravages of time have eaten away at the building and equipment, so an extensive rebuilding and modernization has been ongoing since 2019 and is still ongoing, and will probably be for the foreseeable future with the rapid development of technology now a days.
See this link for more information about the project: Reconstruction of the observatory.
Today we are a fine group of amateur astronomers who spend a lot of time and energy running the observatory.