Heliocentre of the Institute for Material Science Problems at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is located in the village of Katsiveli, Crimea.
The heliostation was established in 1967 to study the power of the sun. This particular location was chosen for a number of reasons and factors: the atmosphere, the highest flow of solar radiation in the entire Crimea and the almost complete absence of clouds.
The machine concentrates the sunlight by using its 12,000 mirrors and directing the rays to a single point. The concentrated solar energy can reach temperatures of 4,000 degrees Celsius. It can be used to melt metals and even evaporate them. Solar ‘units’ could be used to simulate the temperature of the Earth and Mars, or to make a ‘solar knife’, also useful for cutting asbestos panels.
Urbex location
