ABSTRACT
The period of the Estonian Republic saw a rapid rise in the stature of the historic Tartu Observatory from the relative dormancy that had prevailed since the middle of the nineteenth century, following the departure of Wilhelm Struve to the Pulkovo Observatory. By tradition, the fields of geophysics and meteorology have been closely allied with the astronomical studies at the Tartu Observatory, an affiliation that has continued at the new observatory at Tôravere. Mention should also be made of the work of the Astronomical and Geodetical Society, an organization of amateurs and professional scientists whose purpose is to promote interest in astronomy and geodesy among the general public. The solar system has been an important area of research at the Tartu Observatory ever since the last century, when observations were made of eclipses and astrometric data were obtained for comets and asteroids. Contact with astronomers in the West has been rather limited, although the situation has improved.
