Open Technologies at Athabasca University's Geospace Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connors, M. G.; Schofield, I. S.

2012-12-01

Athabasca University Geophysical Observatories feature two auroral observation sites situated in the subauroral zone of western Canada, separated by approximately 25 km. These sites are both on high-speed internet and ideal for observing phenomena detectable from this latitude, which include noctilucent clouds, meteors, and magnetic and optical aspects of the aurora. General aspects of use of Linux in observatory management are described, with emphasis on recent imaging projects involving control of high resolution digital SLR cameras at low cadence, and inexpensive white light analog video cameras at 30 Hz. Linux shell scripts are extensively used, with image capture controlled by gphoto2, the ivtv-utils package, x264 video coding library, and ffmpeg. Imagemagick allows processing of images in an automated fashion. Image archives and movies are created and can be correlated with magnetic data. Much of the magnetic data stream also uses GMT (Generic Mapping Tools) within shell scripts for display. Additionally, SPASE metadata are generated for most of the magnetic data, thus allowing users of our AUTUMN magnetic data repository to perform SPASE queries on the dataset. Visualization products from our twin observatories will be presented.

MDM Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

MDM Observatory was founded by the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Current operating partners include Michigan, Dartmouth, MIT, Ohio State University and Columbia University. The observatory is located on the southwest ridge of the KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY near Tucson, Arizona. It operates the 2.4 m Hiltner Telescope and the 1.3 m McG...

Research at Appalachian State University's Dark Sky Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caton, D. B.

2003-12-01

Astronomical research at Appalachian State University centers around the interests of the three observational astronomers on the faculty, and primarily involves observational work at our Dark Sky Observatory (DSO). ASU is a member of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, and is a comprehensive university with about 13,000 students. Besides the usual constraint found in such a setting (teaching loads of 9-12 hours/semester), we face the challenges of maintaining a significant observatory facility in an era of shrinking state budgets. The DSO facility is 20 miles from campus, adding additional problems. This scenario differs from those of the other panelists, who are at private institutions and/or use shared facilities. The character of students at ASU also adds constraints--many have to hold part-time jobs that limit their participation in the very research that could contribute significantly to their success. Particularly, their need to leave for the summer for gainful employment at the very time that faculty have the most time for research is a loss for all concerned. In spite of these challenges, we have a long record of maintaining research programs in eclipsing binary star photometry, stellar spectroscopy and QSO/AGN monitoring. Undergraduate students are involved in all aspects of the work, from becoming competent at solo observing to publication of the results and presentation of papers and posters at meetings. Graduate students in our Masters in Applied Physics program (emphasis on instrumentation), have constructed instruments and control systems for the observatory. Most of what we have achieved would have been impossible without the support of the National Science Foundation. We have been fortunate to acquire funds under the Division of Undergraduate Education's ILI program and the Research at Undergraduate Institutions program. Among other things, this support provided our main telescope, CCD cameras, and some student stipends.

Observation of Young Stars at the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berndt, A.; Errmann, R.; Maciejewski, G.; Raetz, St.; Marka, C.; Ginski, Ch.; Mugrauer, M.; Schmidt, T. O. B.; Neuhäuser, R.; Seeliger, M.; Moualla, M.; Pribulla, T.; Hohle, M. M.; Tetzlaff, N.; Adam, Ch.; Eisenbeiss, T.; YETI Team

2011-12-01

We report on observation and determination of rotational and orbital periods of young stars and eclipsing binaries in the young open cluster Trumpler 37. Observations were carried out with the "Schmidt-Teleskop-Kamera" (STK) at University Observatory Jena in 2009 and 2010.

A small Internet controllable observatory for research and education at the University of North Dakota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardersen, P. S.; de Silva, S.; Reddy, V.; Cui, P.; Kumar, S.; Gaffey, M. J.

2006-06-01

One of the challenges in astronomy education today is to introduce college students to the real-world practice and science of observational astronomy. Along with a good theoretical background, college students can gain an earlier, deeper understanding of the astronomy profession through direct observational and data reduction experience. However, building and managing a modest observatory is still too costly for many colleges and universities. Fortunately, advances in commercial astronomical hardware and software now allow universities to build and operate small Internet controllable observatories for a modest investment. The advantages of an Internet observatory include: 1) remote operation from a comfortable location, 2) immediate data access, 3) telescope control via a web browser, and 4) allowing both on-campus and distance education students the ability to conduct a variety of observing projects. Internet capabilities vastly expand the number of students who will be able to use the observatory, thus exposing them to astronomy as a science and as a potential career. In September 2005, the University of North Dakota (UND) Department of Space Studies began operating a small, recently renovated Internet controllable observatory. Housed within a roll-off roof 10 miles west of UND, the observatory includes a Meade 16-inch, f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, an SBIG STL-6303e CCD with broadband filters, ACP observatory control software, focuser, and associated equipment. The observatory cost \\25,000 to build in 1996; 2005 renovation costs total \\28,000. An observatory operator prepares the telescope for use each night. Through remote operation, the roof is opened and the telescope/CCD power is turned on. The telescope is then aligned and focused before allowing students to access the observatory. Students communicate with the observatory operator via an online chat room and via telephone, if necessary, to answer questions and resolve any problems. Additional

Obituary: John Leroy Climenhaga, 1916-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarfe, Colin

2009-01-01

. John's interest in astronomy was kindled by contacts with staff of the nearby Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, notably Andrew McKellar, who oversaw much of the research John carried out for his doctoral thesis at the University of Michigan, where he had first obtained a second M.A., this time in astronomy. His Ph.D. was completed in 1960, guided by McKellar and by Leo Goldberg, who first drew John's attention to the significance of carbon-isotope ratios in the cool carbon stars. His thesis was a major contribution to the study of those ratios. After his term as dean, John took a well-earned sabbatical year, spending about four months in each of Tokyo, Cape Town, and Torun, Poland. In the latter place he began a collaboration with the late Jan Smolinski, which continued for nearly twenty years, and led to some twenty papers, initially on carbon stars, but mostly on the properties and erratic behavior of very luminous stars (hypergiants) of types F, G and K. John retired at the age of 65 in 1982, but continued teaching undergraduate courses for a dozen years thereafter. On his retirement the university renamed its observatory in his honor, and established a scholarship in his name, which has helped to support the studies of numerous students who went on to distinguished careers. John served as treasurer of the Canadian Astronomical Society from 1983 to 1989 and gave numerous popular talks in the community. On his seventieth birthday the IAU named asteroid (3034) "Climenhaga" in his honor and in 1996 the University of Victoria awarded him an honorary D.Sc. His interest in the work of the University continued for the rest of his life, and he would attend seminars, or visit and chat with colleagues in their offices, but never interrupt their work for long, thus ensuring that he never outstayed his welcome, until he became confined to a wheelchair and too frail to make the trip. Even after that, despite failing eyesight that made reading difficult, his mind remained clear

Planetary transit observations at the University Observatory Jena: TrES-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raetz, St.; Mugrauer, M.; Schmidt, T. O. B.; Roell, T.; Eisenbeiss, T.; Hohle, M. M.; Koeltzsch, A.; Vaňko, M.; Ginski, Ch.; Marka, C.; Moualla, M.; Tetzlaff, N.; Seifahrt, A.; Broeg, Ch.; Koppenhoefer, J.; Raetz, M.; Neuhäuser, R.

2009-05-01

We report on observations of several transit events of the transiting planet TrES-2 obtained with the Cassegrain-Teleskop-Kamera at the University Observatory Jena. Between March 2007 and November 2008 ten different transits and almost a complete orbital period were observed. Overall, in 40 nights of observation 4291 exposures (in total 71.52 h of observation) of the TrES-2 parent star were taken. With the transit timings for TrES-2 from the 34 events published by the TrES-network, the Transit Light Curve project and the Exoplanet Transit Database plus our own ten transits, we find that the orbital period is P=(2.470614± 0.000001) d, a slight change by ˜ 0.6 s compared to the previously published period. We present new ephemeris for this transiting planet. Furthermore, we found a second dip after the transit which could either be due to a blended variable star or occultation of a second star or even an additional object in the system. Our observations will be useful for future investigations of timing variations caused by additional perturbing planets and/or stellar spots and/or moons. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and the 80cm telescope of the Wendelstein Observatory of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich.

University of Hawaii Lure Observatory. [lunar laser ranging system construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, W. E.; Williams, J. D.

1973-01-01

The University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy is currently constructing a lunar laser ranging observatory at the 3050-meter summit of Mt. Haleakala, Hawaii. The Nd YAG laser system to be employed provides three pulses per second, each pulse being approximately 200 picoseconds in duration. The energy contained in one pulse at 5320 A lies in the range from 250 to 350 millijoules. Details of observatory construction are provided together with transmitter design data and information concerning the lunastat, the feed telescope, the relative pointing system, the receiver, and the event timer system.

The Penllergare Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birks, J. L.

2005-12-01

This rather picturesque and historically important Victorian observatory was built by the wealthy John Dillwyn Llewelyn near to his mansion, some four miles north-west of Swansea, Wales. He had many scientific interests, in addition to astronomy, and was a notable pioneer of photography in Wales. Together with his eldest daughter, Thereza, (who married the grandson of the fifth Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne), he took some early photographs of the Moon from this site. This paper describes the construction of the observatory, and some of those primarily involved with it. Despite its having undergone restoration work in 1982, the state of the observatory is again the cause for much concern.

The High School Physics Curriculum and the University of North Dakota Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolby, C.; Hardersen, P.

2013-04-01

As astronomy is a subject largely absent in the secondary classroom for many reasons, the research presented here attempts to make astronomy education an option for high school students across the state of North Dakota. Through implementation of a two-week astronomy course at Grand Forks Central High School (GFCHS), two class periods totaling nineteen physics students (fourteen in the first class period and five in the second class period) were given the opportunity to learn material that would have otherwise been unavailable to them. Four of these students were female and fifteen of these students were male. During ten class periods from April 16, 2012 through April 27, 2012, instruction included presentation of basic astronomy concepts and observational techniques as well as student participation in demonstrations and activities regarding the course content. Students were given the option to visit the University of North Dakota (UND) Observatory the evening of April 20, 2012 for a public “star party” where they received a tour of the university's telescopes and other research equipment. During class time on April 25, 2012, students took a field trip to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences to tour both Aviation and Space Studies facilities at UND. The lesson plan for the course also included a group project utilizing the telescopes at the UND Observatory for remote observing to complete research on the astrometry of an asteroid. Students were given a pre-test at the start of the two-week course, daily exit surveys at the end of each class period, and a post-test at the end of the two-week course. These assessments were used to evaluate student enjoyment, progress, and overall perception of the astronomy course. This research identified common misconceptions in astronomy held by the learners as well as the most effective teaching methods. It was found that this course was overall successful in promoting the students' learning of astronomy in a short

Standard UBV Observations at the Çanakkale University Observatory (ÇUO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakis, Hicran; Bakis, Volkan; Demircan, Osman; Budding, Edwin

2005-07-01

By using standard and comparison star observations carried out at different times of the year, at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Observatory, we obtained the atmospheric extinction coefficients at the observatory. We also obtained transformation coefficients and zero-point constants for the transformation to the standard Johnson UBV system, of observations in the local system carried out with the SSP5A photometer and T40 telescope. The transmission curves and the mean wavelengths of the UBV filters as measured in the laboratory appear not much different from those of the standard Johnson system and found inside the transmission curve of the standard mean atmosphere.

A Report on Double Star Observations for the Year 2014 by the Humacao University Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, R. J.; Cotto, D.; Cersosimo, J. C.; Rodriguez, R.; Diaz, M.; Rosario, M.; Nieves, Y.; Franco, E.; Lopez, A.; Torres, B. S.; Vergara, N.; Mendoza, L.; Ortiz, D.; Martinez, J.; Reyes, M.; del Valle-Rodriguez, Y.; Espinosa, G.; Diaz, V.; Rivera, C.; Morales, B.

2018-01-01

We report measurements of separation and position angle of 79 binary pairs. The data were obtained using the NURO Telescope at the Anderson Mesa location of Lowell Observatory, 20 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona, at an altitude of 7000 feet, on June 12 and 13, 2014. We gathered the data using the 2K x 2K CCD camera,-NASACAM-at the prime focus of the 31 inch telescope. The data was transferred and analyzed at the Humacao University Observatory of the University of Puerto Rico by students undertaking research projects.

CTK-II & RTK: The CCD-cameras operated at the auxiliary telescopes of the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugrauer, M.

2016-03-01

The Cassegrain-Teleskop-Kamera (CTK-II) and the Refraktor-Teleskop-Kamera (RTK) are two CCD-imagers which are operated at the 25 cm Cassegrain and 20 cm refractor auxiliary telescopes of the University Observatory Jena. This article describes the main characteristics of these instruments. The properties of the CCD-detectors, the astrometry, the image quality, and the detection limits of both CCD-cameras, as well as some results of ongoing observing projects, carried out with these instruments, are presented. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University.

Reorganization and Reconfiguration of the Information Management System of Istanbul University Observatory taking the Padova - Asiago Observatory Information Management System as a Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulsecen, S.; Saygac, A. T.; Passuello, R.; Rigoni, A.

1998-01-01

In this paper we describe the need for a more powerful Information management System (IMS) to be used as a useful aid for astronomers. The main purpose of IMS in astronomical places like observatories and astronomy departments is described and two models are presented: one to be reorganized and reconfigurated (Istanbul University,Faculty of Science, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences -ASS- IMS) and one to be taken as a good model for the previous (University of Padova, Asiago astrophysical Observatory IMS). Particular attention is given to the implementation of the new IMS of ASS to be done carefully. In order to take success in this, the need for current and future cooperation and support in mentioned.

Obituary: John Louis Perdrix, 1926-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orchiston, D. Wayne

2006-12-01

John Perdrix, astronomical historian and co-founder of the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, died on 27 June 2005. John Louis Perdrix was born in Adelaide, Australia, on 30 June 1926. After studying chemistry at Melbourne Technical College and working in industry, he joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Division of Minerals and Geochemistry. In 1974 the Division relocated to the Western Australian capital, Perth, and John spent the rest of his working life there involved in geochemical research. From his teenage years John had a passion for astronomy, which he fine-tuned through the Astronomical Society of Victoria and the Victorian Branch of the British Astronomical Association. He was very active in both groups, serving as President of the former and Secretary/Treasurer of the latter. He was also an FRAS, and a member of the AAS, the BAA parent body, and the IAU (Commission 41)?no mean feat for an Australian amateur astronomer. Throughout his life, he was a strong advocate of close amateur-professional relations. John's main research interest was history of astronomy, and over the years he wrote a succession of research papers, mainly about aspects of Australian astronomy. His well-researched and neatly-illustrated papers on the Melbourne Observatory and the Great Melbourne Telescope are classics, and when the Observatory's future was in the balance they played a key role in the State Government's decision to convert this unique facility into a museum precinct. To support his research activities, John built up an amazing library that developed its own distinctive personality and quickly took over his house and garage before invading commercial storage facilities! Apart from writing papers, John had an even greater passion for editing and publishing. From 1985 to 1997 he produced the Australian Journal of Astronomy, and in 1998 this was replaced by the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage (JAH2). Both

First Student Project at the University of Tennessee at Martin Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crews, Lionel J.; Turner, K.; Wesner, P.

2011-05-01

The University of Tennessee at Martin has recently completed the construction and setup of an observatory. The dome houses a 16" Meade telescope with SBIG STL-11000M CCD. For its first project, observations of the Delta Scuti type variable SZ Lynx were taken in March and analyzed using MiraPRO. A simple ephemeris calculation was done, and compared to previous results. This project was done under the University Scholars program, a four year scholarship program which includes a faculty-mentored research project.

Obituary: John Daniel Kraus, 1910-2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, John D., Jr.; Marhefka, Ronald J.

2005-12-01

John Daniel Kraus, 94, of Delaware, Ohio, director of the Ohio State University "Big Ear" Radio Observatory, physicist, inventor, and environmentalist died 18 July 2004 at his home in Delaware, Ohio. He was born on 28 June 1910 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Science in 1930, a Master of Science in 1931, and a PhD in physics in 1933 (at 23 years of age), all from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. During the 1930s at Michigan, he was involved in physics projects, antenna consulting, and in atomic-particle-accelerator research using the University of Michigan's premier cyclotron. Throughout the late 1920s and the 1930s, John was an avid radio amateur with call sign W8JK. He was back on the air in the 1970s. In 2001 the amateur radio magazine CQ named him to the inaugural class of its Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He developed many widely used innovative antennas. The "8JK closely spaced array" and the "corner reflector" were among his early designs. Edwin H. Armstrong wrote John in July 1941 indicating in part, "I have read with interest your article in the Proceedings of the Institute on the corner reflector...Please let me congratulate you on a very fine piece of work." Perhaps John's most famous invention, and a product of his intuitive reasoning process, is the helical antenna, widely used in space communications, on global positioning satellites, and for other applications. During World War II, John was in Washington, DC as a civilian scientist with the U.S. Navy responsible for "degaussing" the electromagnetic fields of steel ships to make them safe from magnetic mines. He also worked on radar countermeasures at Harvard University's Radio Research Laboratory. He received the U.S. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his war work. In 1946 he took a faculty position at Ohio State University, becoming professor in 1949, and retiring in 1980 as McDougal Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Astronomy. Even so, he never retired

Maniac Talk - John Mather

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-11-19

John Mather Maniac Lecture, November 19, 2014 Nobel Laureate John Mather presented a Maniac Talk entitled "Creating the Future: Building JWST, what it may find, and what comes next?" In this lecture, John takes a rear view look at how James Webb Space Telescope was started, what it can see and what it might discover. He describes the hardware, what it was designed to observe, and speculate about the surprises it might uncover. He also outlines a possible future of space observatories: what astronomers want to build, what we need to invent, and what they might find, even the chance of discovering life on planets around other stars.

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory Super Pressure Balloon Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiencke, Lawrence; Olinto, Angela; Adams, Jim; JEM-EUSO Collaboration

2017-01-01

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a super pressure balloon (EUSO-SPB) mission will make the first fluorescence observations of high energy cosmic ray extensive air showers by looking down on the atmosphere from near space. A long duration flight of at least 50 nights launched from Wanaka NZ is planned for 2017. We describe completed instrument, and the planned mission. We acknowledge the support of NASA through grants NNX13AH53G and NNX13AH55G.

The Carl Sagan solar and stellar observatories as remote observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saucedo-Morales, J.; Loera-Gonzalez, P.

In this work we summarize recent efforts made by the University of Sonora, with the goal of expanding the capability for remote operation of the Carl Sagan Solar and Stellar Observatories, as well as the first steps that have been taken in order to achieve autonomous robotic operation in the near future. The solar observatory was established in 2007 on the university campus by our late colleague A. Sánchez-Ibarra. It consists of four solar telescopes mounted on a single equatorial mount. On the other hand, the stellar observatory, which saw the first light on 16 February 2010, is located 21 km away from Hermosillo, Sonora at the site of the School of Agriculture of the University of Sonora. Both observatories can now be remotely controlled, and to some extent are able to operate autonomously. In this paper we discuss how this has been accomplished in terms of the use of software as well as the instruments under control. We also briefly discuss the main scientific and educational objectives, the future plans to improve the control software and to construct an autonomous observatory on a mountain site, as well as the opportunities for collaborations.

Paradigm Lost: Public Administration at Johns Hopkins University, 1884-96.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, M. Curtis

2002-01-01

Discusses the history of public administration at Johns Hopkins University from the late 1800s when a curriculum was developed to educate public servants. Suggests that the program made notable contributions to progressivism but was eclipsed by scientific management; however, it has new relevance in the current climate. (Contains 46 references.)…

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Jim; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This talk will describe the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) mission. EUSO is an ESA mission to explore the most powerful energy sources in the universe. The mission objectives of EUSO are to investigate EECRs, those with energies above 3x10(exp 19) eV, and very high-energy cosmic neutrinos. These objectives are directly related to extreme conditions in the physical world and possibly involve the early history of the big bang and the framework of GUTs. EUSO tackles the basic problem posed by the existence of these extreme-energy events. The solution could have a unique impact on fundamental physics, cosmology, and/or astrophysics. At these energies, magnetic deflection is thought to be so small that the EECR component would serve as the particle channel for astronomy. EUSO will make the first measurements of EAS from space by observing atmospheric fluorescence in the Earth's night sky. With measurements of the airshower track, EUSO will determine the energy and arrival direction of these extreme-energy events. EUSO will make high statistics observations of CRs beyond the predicted GZK cutoff energy and widen the channel for high-energy neutrino astronomy. The energy spectra, arrival directions, and shower profiles will be analyzed to distinguish the nature of these events and search for their sources. With EUSO data, we will have the possibility to discover a local EECR source, test Z-burst scenarios and other theories, and look for evidence of the breakdown of the relativity principle at extreme Lorentz factors.

Photoelectric observations of the long-period eclipsing binaries at Yonsei University Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nha, I. S.; Lee, Y. S.; Chun, Y. W.; Kim, H. I.; Kim, Y. S.

1985-01-01

A long term project (ten-years; 1982-92) for the photoelectric observation in the UBV passbands of selected eclipsing binaries with P 10 days has initiated at Yonsei University Observatory using 40-cm and 61-cm reflectors. The instrumentation used and the observation techniques and the reduction procedures applied to this investigation are described.

New Observatory at the University of Tennessee at Martin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crews, Lionel J.; Chrysler, R.; Turner, K.

2010-01-01

A new observatory has been completed at the University of Tennessee at Martin and is now open for student research, local teacher training, and public outreach. The telescope is a 16" Meade RCT on a Software Bisque Paramount ME mount, 10' HomeDome, and SBIG CCD camera. The project endured many delays from a necessary change in housing from roll-top roof to dome, to the shutter blowing off in a heavy windstorm. This project was funded primarily by a Tennessee Math-Science Partnership grant (PI: Dr. Michael Gibson, UT Martin) directed at secondary teacher training in sciences.

McDonald Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

McDonald Observatory, located in West Texas near Fort Davis, is the astronomical observatory of the University of Texas at Austin. Discoveries at McDonald Observatory include water vapor on Mars, the abundance of rare-earth chemical elements in stars, the discovery of planets circling around nearby stars and the use of the measurements of rapid oscillations in the brightness of white dwarf stars ...

Auger Prime the new stage of the Pierre Auger Observatory, using Universality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parra, Alejandra; Martínez, Oscar; Salazar, Humberto

2016-10-01

The Pierre Auger Observatory is currently in an update stage denominated AugerPrime. The Observatory will have scintillator detectors on top of each of the surface stations (WCD). The main goal of AugerPrime is to improve the studies on mass composition for ultra high energy cosmic rays, for this purpose AugerPrime will use Universality. The model will parameterize the signal in four principal components, the objective is an adequate discrimination of the muonic and electromagnetic components. We are interested in the discrimination of these two components using simulations. To do that, we are working with OfflineTrunk (the official software of the Collaboration). Our work is focused on the development of some modules for analysis and study of the signal from AugerPrime.

The BAA observatories and the origins of the instrument collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marriott, R. A.

2007-12-01

Within a few months of the founding of the Association in 1890 October, the membership numbered several hundred amateur and professional astronomers in Britain and around the world. International recognition was also marked by a number of eminent speakers at meetings, including the instrument maker John A. Brashear, of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. In 1888 Brashear had toured the British Isles and Europe, visiting observatories and meeting many eminent astronomers. He seems to have been impressed with everyone he met - particularly British amateurs - and during his second visit to England in 1892 he spoke at the Association's meeting on April 27. In 1890 December he presented to the Association a speculum-metal diffraction grating which had been prepared at his own works and ruled on Henry Rowland's engine at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Exploring the Unknown: Cabled Ocean Observatory Data and Discovery in University Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelz, M.; Scherwath, M.; Riddell, D. J.; Hoeberechts, M.; Bourdeault-Fournier, A.; Schine, J.; Sammarco, P. M. P.

2016-12-01

Cabled ocean observatories, which supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to subsea instruments from the coast to the deep sea, enable us to extend our reach into unexplored regions of the ocean. Sensors become our eyes and ears in this mysterious world, allowing instructors and students to have a virtual presence in an environment that is otherwise inaccessible for human study. Networks of always-on sensors in habitats as diverse as submarine canyons, hypoxic marine basins, and active hydrothermal vent systems provide unprecedented opportunities for students to ask real scientific questions and to answer those questions with real data. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, operates coastal and deep ocean cabled observatories, including VENUS and NEPTUNE off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. ONC supports instructors in the creation of lab and course materials using observatory data. Data from the observatories are freely accessible through a web-based interface, which allows students to continue their investigations beyond the in-class activities. Here, we present three examples of the application of data from Ocean Networks Canada's cabled observatories in post-secondary education: an undergraduate lab in marine ecology in which students investigate the factors affecting spatial variation in benthic animal diversity using ocean sensor data and video footage from cameras on the seafloor; an undergraduate field course in acoustic ethnography in which students incorporate recordings from ONC's hydrophone arrays; and a graduate student "research derby" in which students propose hypotheses that can be investigated using ONC data in whole or in part, with rewards for those successful in publishing the results of their study in a peer-reviewed journal within two years.

NASA's Great Observatories: Paper Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This educational brief discusses observatory stations built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for looking at the universe. This activity for grades 5-12 has students build paper models of the observatories and study their history, features, and functions. Templates for the observatories are included. (MVL)

The Legacy of the Georgetown College Observatory (D.C.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caron, Laura; Maglieri, Grace; Seitzer, Patrick

2018-01-01

Founded in 1841 as part of a nascent worldwide network of Jesuit-run astronomical observatories, the Georgetown College Observatory of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. has been home to more than 125 years of astronomical research, from Father Curley’s calculations of the latitude and longitude of D.C. to Father McNally’s award-winning solar eclipse photography. But the impact of the Georgetown astronomy program was not limited to the observatory itself: it reached much further, into the local community and schools, and into the lives of everyone involved. This was never more apparent than under the directorship of Father Francis J Heyden, S.J., who arrived at Georgetown after World War II and stayed for almost three decades. He started a graduate program with over 90 graduates, hosting student researchers from local high schools and colleges, teaching graduate and undergraduate astronomy courses, and speaking at schools in the area, all while simultaneously managing Georgetown’s student radio station and hosting astronomical conferences on campus. Father Heyden’s research focused mainly on solar eclipses for geodetic purposes and planetary spectroscopy. But perhaps even more than research, Father Heyden dedicated his time and energy to the astronomy students, the notable of which include Vera Rubin, John P. Hagen of Project Vanguard, and a generation of Jesuit astronomers including Martin McCarthy, George Coyne, and Richard Boyle. Following the closure of the astronomy department in 1972, Father Heyden returned to Manila, where he had begun his astronomical career, to become Chief of the Solar Division at the Manila Observatory. His dedication to his work and to students serves as an inspiration for academic researchers across fields, and for the Georgetown University Astronomical Society, which, even in the absence of a formal astronomy program at Georgetown, continues his work in education and outreach today. In 1987, almost 150 years after its

College Graduation before Age 19, Especially at Johns Hopkins University, 1876-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Julian C.; Sandhofer, Lois S.

This paper describes some students, especially at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, who have graduated from college 3 or more years before the usual age of 22 or older. Such early graduation is not common, but neither is it extremely rare. Some young graduates seem to have been propelled through college under parental pressure, while others have…

NASA Names Premier X-Ray Observatory and Schedules Launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-12-01

Chicago until his death in 1995. The Chandra X-ray Observatory will help astronomers worldwide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of X rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes and other exotic celestial objects. X-radiation is an invisible form of light produced by multimillion degree gas. Chandra will provide X-ray images that are fifty times more detailed than previous missions. At more than 45 feet in length and weighing more than five tons, it will be one of the largest objects ever placed in Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle. Tyrel Johnson, a student at Priest River Lamanna High School in Priest River, Idaho, and Jatila van der Veen, a physics and astronomy teacher at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California, who submitted the winning name and essays, will receive a trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to view the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, a prize donated by TRW. Members of the contest's selection committee were Timothy Hannemann, executive vice president and general manager, TRW Space & Electronics Group; the late CNN correspondent John Holliman; former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall, professor of aeronautics at MIT; Charles Petit, senior writer for U.S. News & World Report; Sidney Wolff, Director, National Optical Astronomy Observatories; Martin Weisskopf, Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility project scientist, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL.; and Harvey Tananbaum, director of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility Science Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA. The Chandra X-ray Observatory program is managed by the Marshall Center for the Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. TRW Space and Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, CA, is NASA's prime contractor for the observatory. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the observatory for NASA

Bucking the Trend, St. John's University Converts Instructors into Tenure-Track Professors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

June, Audrey Williams

2009-01-01

Scholars who teach composition, a staple on the schedule of many a college freshman, often wind up stringing together a series of adjunct teaching jobs while keeping an eye out for that first step on the golden track to tenure. This article reports on a group of 20 people hired by St. John's University to teach in its first-year writing program,…

Orbiting Carbon Observatory Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-01-29

Anna Michalak, an Orbiting Carbon Observatory science team member from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, speaks during a media briefing to discuss the upcoming Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission, the first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Keele Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theodorus van Loon, Jacco; Albinson, James; Bagnall, Alan; Bryant, Lian; Caisley, Dave; Doody, Stephen; Johnson, Ian; Klimczak, Paul; Maddison, Ron; Robinson, StJohn; Stretch, Matthew; Webb, John

2015-08-01

Keele Observatory was founded by Dr. Ron Maddison in 1962, on the hill-top campus of Keele University in central England, hosting the 1876 Grubb 31cm refractor from Oxford Observatory. It since acquired a 61cm research reflector, a 15cm Halpha solar telescope and a range of other telescopes. Run by a group of volunteering engineers and students under directorship of a Keele astrophysicist, it is used for public outreach as well as research. About 4,000 people visit the observatory every year, including a large number of children. We present the facility, its history - including involvement in the 1919 Eddington solar eclipse expedition which proved Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity - and its ambitions to erect a radio telescope on its site.

NASA'S Great Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Why are space observatories important? The answer concerns twinkling stars in the night sky. To reach telescopes on Earth, light from distant objects has to penetrate Earth's atmosphere. Although the sky may look clear, the gases that make up our atmosphere cause problems for astronomers. These gases absorb the majority of radiation emanating from celestial bodies so that it never reaches the astronomer's telescope. Radiation that does make it to the surface is distorted by pockets of warm and cool air, causing the twinkling effect. In spite of advanced computer enhancement, the images finally seen by astronomers are incomplete. NASA, in conjunction with other countries' space agencies, commercial companies, and the international community, has built observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory to find the answers to numerous questions about the universe. With the capabilities the Space Shuttle provides, scientist now have the means for deploying these observatories from the Shuttle's cargo bay directly into orbit.

The Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczyk, S.; Landi, E.; Zhang, J.; Lin, H.; DeLuca, E. E.

2015-12-01

Measurements of coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields are arguably the most important observables required for advances in our understanding of the processes responsible for coronal heating, coronal dynamics and the generation of space weather that affects communications, GPS systems, space flight, and power transmission. The Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) is a proposed ground-based suite of instruments designed for routine study of coronal and chromospheric magnetic fields and their environment, and to understand the formation of coronal mass ejections (CME) and their relation to other forms of solar activity. This new facility will be operated by the High Altitude Observatory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (HAO/NCAR) with partners at the University of Michigan, the University of Hawaii and George Mason University in support of the solar and heliospheric community. It will replace the current NCAR Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (http://mlso.hao.ucar.edu). COSMO will enhance the value of existing and new observatories on the ground and in space by providing unique and crucial observations of the global coronal and chromospheric magnetic field and its evolution. The design and current status of the COSMO will be reviewed.

The First Astronomical Observatory in Cluj-Napoca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szenkovits, Ferenc

2008-09-01

One of the most important cities of Romania is Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár, Klausenburg). This is a traditional center of education, with many universities and high schools. From the second half of the 18th century the University of Cluj has its own Astronomical Observatory, serving for didactical activities and scientific researches. The famous astronomer Maximillian Hell was one of those Jesuits who put the base of this Astronomical Observatory. Our purpose is to offer a short history of the beginnings of this Astronomical Observatory.

Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) being deployed by the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-37 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered Earth atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, the GRO Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientists to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in the BATSE science program.

Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory being released from the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in BATSE's science program.

The Farid & Moussa Raphael Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajjar, R.

2017-06-01

The Farid & Moussa Raphael Observatory (FMRO) at Notre Dame University Louaize (NDU) is a teaching, research, and outreach facility located at the main campus of the university. It located very close to the Lebanese coast, in an urbanized area. It features a 60-cm Planewave CDK telescope, and instruments that allow for photometric and spetroscopic studies. The observatory currently has one thinned, back-illuminated CCD camera, used as the main imager along with Johnson-Cousin and Sloan photometric filters. It also features two spectrographs, one of which is a fiber fed echelle spectrograph. These are used with a dedicated CCD. The observatory has served for student projects, and summer schools for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is also made available for use by the regional and international community. The control system is currently being configured for remote observations. A number of long-term research projects are also being launched at the observatory.

Education and Public Outreach Programs at Columbus State University's Mead Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruzen, S.; Rutland, C.; Carr, D.; Seckinger, M.

2003-12-01

Columbus State University (CSU) has made a substantial commitment to community education in astronomy and space science. Through the programs of the Mead Observatory at CSU's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, students, staff and faculty have been providing public outreach programs in astronomy for more than seven years. Recently, a generous grant from a private foundation has facilitated an astounding growth in the observatory's astronomy outreach activities. The grant made possible the purchase of a van, a portable planetarium, and additional telescope and computer equipment. It also funded a two-year scholarship that has supported a pair of CSU's science education majors who have staffed the program and made it a success. NASA, through the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, has provided additional funding for scholarships for 2003-2004. Prior to receiving these funds, the observatory program consisted of monthly open houses, occasional public observing nights at remote locations and approximately 6 to 8 school visits per year. Annually, these programs served approximately 3500 people. Since beginning the new phase of this program in October of 2001, the number of people served has soared to more than 23,000 in only 24 months. Over 60 schools have been visited, increasing our previous annual rate by nearly five times. Additional groups served include boys and girls scouting groups, state parks and other community organizations. School presentations have been designed to assist K-12 teachers in meeting science education standards. More than 200 teachers were asked to assess the program, and their responses were quite positive. More information about the program is available at our website (http://www.ccssc.org).

Creating Griffith Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Anthony

2013-01-01

Griffith Observatory has been the iconic symbol of the sky for southern California since it began its public mission on May 15, 1935. While the Observatory is widely known as being the gift of Col. Griffith J. Griffith (1850-1919), the story of how Griffith’s gift became reality involves many of the people better known for other contributions that made Los Angeles area an important center of astrophysics in the 20th century. Griffith began drawing up his plans for an observatory and science museum for the people of Los Angeles after looking at Saturn through the newly completed 60-inch reflector on Mt. Wilson. He realized the social impact that viewing the heavens could have if made freely available, and discussing the idea of a public observatory with Mt. Wilson Observatory’s founder, George Ellery Hale, and Director, Walter Adams. This resulted, in 1916, in a will specifying many of the features of Griffith Observatory, and establishing a committee managed trust fund to build it. Astronomy popularizer Mars Baumgardt convinced the committee at the Zeiss Planetarium projector would be appropriate for Griffith’s project after the planetarium was introduced in Germany in 1923. In 1930, the trust committee judged funds to be sufficient to start work on creating Griffith Observatory, and letters from the Committee requesting help in realizing the project were sent to Hale, Adams, Robert Millikan, and other area experts then engaged in creating the 200-inch telescope eventually destined for Palomar Mountain. A Scientific Advisory Committee, headed by Millikan, recommended that Caltech Physicist Edward Kurth be put in charge of building and exhibit design. Kurth, in turn, sought help from artist Russell Porter. The architecture firm of John C. Austin and Fredrick Ashley was selected to design the project, and they adopted the designs of Porter and Kurth. Philip Fox of the Adler Planetarium was enlisted to manage the completion of the Observatory and become its

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; Melsheimer, T. T.

2002-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is the first community-built observatory that is part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the building was done completely by volunteer labor, and first light occurred in May 1999. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. We are grateful to have received an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops for K-12 schools to make use of the observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. Students connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images back on their local computers. A committee of teachers and administrators from the Thompson School District have selected these workshops to count towards Incentive Credits (movement on the salary schedule) because the course meets the criteria: "Learning must be directly transferable to the classroom with students and relate to standards, assessment and/or technology." In addition, this past summer our program became an accredited course by Colorado State University. Our next project is to partner with the Discovery Center Science Museum and Colorado State University to provide additional teacher education programs. Our training materials have also been shared with TIE/Mt. Wilson, NASA Goddard and Howard University, which are working together to develop a similar teacher education program.

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; Melsheimer, T. T.

2003-05-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is the first community-built observatory that is part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the building was done completely by volunteer labor, and first light occurred in May 1999. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. We are grateful to have received an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops for K-12 schools to make use of the observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. Students connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images back on their local computers. A committee of teachers and administrators from the Thompson School District have selected these workshops to count towards Incentive Credits (movement on the salary schedule) because the course meets the criteria: "Learning must be directly transferable to the classroom with students and relate to standards, assessment and/or technology." In addition, this past summer our program became an accredited course by Colorado State University. Our next project is to partner with the Discovery Center Science Museum and Colorado State University to provide additional teacher education programs. Our training materials have also been shared with TIE/Mt. Wilson, NASA Goddard and Howard University, which are working together to develop a similar teacher education program.

Lord John, 2nd Baron Wrottesley and the Wrottesley Hall Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armitage, J.

2006-12-01

Lord John Wrottesley (1798-1867) was a man of considerable importance in the field of 19th century science, particularly during the first three decades of the Victorian era. He held a number of important offices during this time, including being President of the Royal Astronomical Society (1841 to 1843), of which he was a founder member in 1820; President of the Royal Society 1854 to 1857; and President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 1860. He was always to seek a good understanding between scientists and government, and also to promote the general public understanding of science. Although today the name of Lord John Wrottesley is largely forgotten, he created a legacy that remains with us to the present day.

The metaphysical club at the Johns Hopkins University (1879-1885).

PubMed

Behrens, Peter J

2005-11-01

Of the earliest American universities, The Johns Hopkins in Baltimore holds a unique position for psychology. At Hopkins, many of America's first psychologists received their graduate training. Of special interest is the Hopkins Metaphysical Club, organized in 1879 by Charles Sanders Peirce. It provided a forum for research and scholarship by faculty and students. Papers related to topics of the "new" psychology began to appear in 1883, about the time G. Stanley Hall was given a 3-year appointment at Hopkins. When Peirce departed Hopkins in 1885, Hall was free to develop psychology in his image and disbanded the club. Nevertheless, the Metaphysical Club played an important role in the emergence of American scientific psychology.

Obituary: John W. Firor (1927-2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilman, Peter A.

2009-12-01

John W. Firor, a former Director of the High Altitude Observatory and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and a founder of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society, died of Alzheimer's disease in Pullman, Washington on November 5, 2007, he was 80. He was born in Athens Georgia on October 18, 1927, where his father was a professor of agricultural economics. John had an unusually diverse scientific career. His interest in physics and astrophysics began while serving in the army, during which time he was assigned to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he guarded highly radioactive materials (many have heard him describe how informal the protections were compared to later times). After his service he returned to college and graduated in physics from Georgia Tech in 1949. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1954, writing his thesis on cosmic rays under John Simpson. John Firor would later remark that: "If you needed cosmic rays to actually do anything, you are sunk." That thought, partly in jest, may help explain his motivation for moving to so many new scientific and management pursuits. John moved from cosmic ray physics to radio astronomy (particularly of the Sun) when he began work at the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, where he remained until 1961. During this time, he met Walter Orr Roberts, then the Director of the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) in Boulder, Colorado. HAO was then affiliated with the University of Colorado. In 1959, a movement began to upgrade the atmospheric sciences in the United States by establishing a National Center, where the largest, most important atmospheric research problems could be addressed. Roberts became the first Director of NCAR, as well as the first president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the consortium of universities that was commissioned to manage and staff the new Center. HAO became a

Daytime Utilization of a University Observatory for Laboratory Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattox, J. R.

2006-08-01

Scheduling convenience provides a strong incentive to fully explore effective utilization of educational observatories during daylight hours. I present two compelling daytime student activities that I developed at the Observatory at Fayetteville State University. My Introductory Astronomy Laboratory classes pursue these as separate investigations. My Physical Science classes complete both in a single lab period of 110 minutes duration. Both of these activities are also appropriate for High School student investigators, and could be used as demonstrations for younger students. Daylight Observation of Venus. With a clear sky, and when its elongation exceeds ~20˚, Venus is readily apparent in the daytime sky once a telescope is pointed at it. This is accomplished either with a digital pointing system, or with setting circles on a polar-aligned mount using the Sun to initialize the RA circle. Using the telescope pointing as a reference, it is also possible under optimal circumstances for students to see Venus in the daytime sky with naked eyes. Students are asked to write about the circumstances that made it possible to see Venus. Educational utilization of daytime observations of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and the brightest stars are also discussed. Using a CCD Camera to Determine the Temperature of a Sunspot. After my students view the Sun with Eclipse Glasses and in projection using a 3-inch refractor, they analyze a CCD image of a sunspot (which they obtain if possible) to determine the ratio of its surface intensity relative to the normal solar surface. They then use the Stefan-Boltzmann law (usually with some coaching) to determine the sunspot temperature given the nominal surface temperature of the Sun. Appropriate safety precautions are presented given the hazards of magnified sunlight. Mitigation of dome seeing during daylight hours is discussed.

IYA Outreach Plans for Appalachian State University's Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caton, Daniel B.; Pollock, J. T.; Saken, J. M.

2009-01-01

Appalachian State University will provide a variety of observing opportunities for the public during the International Year of Astronomy. These will be focused at both the campus GoTo Telescope Facility used by Introductory Astronomy students and the research facilities at our Dark Sky Observatory. The campus facility is composed of a rooftop deck with a roll-off roof housing fifteen Celestron C11 telescopes. During astronomy lab class meetings these telescopes are used either in situ or remotely by computer control from the adjacent classroom. For the IYA we will host the public for regular observing sessions at these telescopes. The research facility features a 32-inch DFM Engineering telescope with its dome attached to the Cline Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is still under construction and we anticipate its completion for a spring opening during IYA. The CVC will provide areas for educational outreach displays and a view of the telescope control room. Visitors will view celestial objects directly at the eyepiece. We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation, through grant number DUE-0536287, which provided instrumentation for the GoTO facility, and to J. Donald Cline for support of the Visitor Center.

110th Anniversary of the Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nefedyev, Y.

2012-09-01

The Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory (EAO) was founded in September 21, 1901. The history of creation of the Engelhard Astronomical Observatory was begun in 1897 with transfer a complimentary to the Kazan University of the unique astronomical equipment of the private observatory in Dresden by known astronomer Vasily Pavlovichem Engelgardt. Having stopped astronomical activity owing to advanced years and illnesses Engelgardt has decided to offer all tools and library of the Astronomical observatory of the Kazan University. Vasily Pavlovich has put the first condition of the donation that his tools have been established as soon as possible and on them supervision are started. In 1898 the decree of Emperor had been allocated means and the ground for construction of the Astronomical observatory is allocated. There is the main historical telescope of the Engelhard Astronomical Observatory the 12-inch refractor which was constructed by English master Grubbom in 1875. The unique tool of the Engelhard Astronomical Observatory is unique in the world now a working telescope heliometer. It's one of the first heliometers, left workshops Repsolda. It has been made in 1874 and established in Engelgardt observatory in 1908 in especially for him the constructed round pavilion in diameter of 3.6 m. Today the Engelhard Astronomical Observatory is the only thing scientifically - educational and cultural - the cognitive astronomical center, located on territory from Moscow up to the most east border of Russia. Currently, the observatory is preparing to enter the protected UNESCO World Heritage List.

Celebrating John Glenn’s Legacy

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-02

Wife of former astronaut and Senator John Glenn, Annie Glenn, listens intently to Cleveland State University Master of Music Major James Binion Jr. as he sings a musical tribute during an event celebrating John Glenn's legacy and 50 years of americans in orbit held at the university's Wolstein Center on Friday, March 3, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Photometric calibration of T40 telescope system at Ankara University Kreiken Observatory (AUKR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakuş, O.; Ekmekçi, F.

2017-07-01

We aim to present the photometric calibration of T40 telescope system at Ankara University Kreiken Observatory(AUKR) in the Johnson BVRI bands system through CCD observations of selected Landolt stars on the clearest 11 nights. Ten more stars with a magnitude of V< 11 were also observed in order to check up on standard transformation coefficients. Using these coefficients, we present standard brightness and color magnitudes for these 10 selected stars. These standard brightness values of these 10 stars are also compared with the previously published ones. It is clearly seen that the calibration results are sufficiently reliable.

Historical Examples of Lobbying: The Case of Strasbourg Astronomical Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, Andre

2012-08-01

Several astronomical observatories have been established in Strasbourg in very differing contexts. In the late 17th century, an observing post (scientifically sterile) was put on top of a tower, the Hospital Gate, essentially for the prestige of the city and the notoriety of the university. In the 19th century, the observatory built on the Académie hosting the French university was the first attempt to set up in the city a real observatory equipped with genuine instrumentation with the purpose of carrying out serious research, but the succession of political regimes in France and the continual bidding for moving the university to other locations, together with the faltering of later scholars, torpedoed any significant scientific usage of the place. After the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian war, the German authorities set up a prestigious university campus with a whole range of institutes together with a modern observatory consisting of several buildings and hosting a flotilla of excellent instruments, including the then largest refractor of the country. This paper illustrates various types of lobbying used in the steps above while detailing, from archive documents largely unexploited so far, original research on the two first observatories.

Undergraduate Student Satisfaction and Achievement at the GetWET Observatory: A Fluid Learning Experience at Colorado State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathburn, Sara L.; Weinberg, Andrea E.

2011-01-01

The GetWET Observatory was developed as part of an overall course redesign of the Introductory Geology Laboratory at Colorado State University to improve student learning of key surface and groundwater concepts for nonmajors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Consisting of six groundwater monitoring wells, the GetWET Observatory…

"Route of astronomical observatories'' project: classical observatories from the Renaissance to the rise of astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfschmidt, Gudrun

2015-08-01

Observatories offer a good possibility for serial transnational applications. A well-known example for a thematic programme is the Struve arc, already recognized as World Heritage.I will discuss what has been achieved and show examples, like the route of astronomical observatories or the transition from classical astronomy to modern astrophysics (La Plata, Hamburg, Nice, etc.), visible in the architecture, the choice of instruments, and the arrangement of the observatory buildings in an astronomy park. This corresponds to the main categories according to which the ``outstanding universal value'' (UNESCO criteria ii, iv and vi) of the observatories have been evaluated: historic, scientific, and aesthetic. This proposal is based on the criteria of a comparability of the observatories in terms of the urbanistic complex and the architecture, the scientific orientation, equipment of instruments, authenticity and integrity of the preserved state, as well as in terms of historic scientific relations and scientific contributions.Apart from these serial transnational applications one can also choose other groups like baroque or neo-classical observatories, solar physics observatories or a group of observatories equipped with the same kind of instruments and made by the same famous firm. I will also discuss why the implementation of the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative is difficult and why there are problems to nominate observatories for election in the national Tentative Lists

An observatory control system for the University of Hawai'i 2.2m Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, Luke; Erickson, Christopher; Mukensnable, Donn; Stearman, Anthony; Straight, Brad

2016-07-01

The University of Hawai'i 2.2m telescope at Maunakea has operated since 1970, and has had several controls upgrades to date. The newest system will operate as a distributed hierarchy of GNU/Linux central server, networked single-board computers, microcontrollers, and a modular motion control processor for the main axes. Rather than just a telescope control system, this new effort is towards a cohesive, modular, and robust whole observatory control system, with design goals of fully robotic unattended operation, high reliability, and ease of maintenance and upgrade.

Celebrating John Glenn’s Legacy

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-02

Cleveland State University Master of Music Major James Binion Jr. sings a musical tribute during an event celebrating John Glenn's legacy and 50 years of americans in orbit held at the university's Wolstein Center on Friday, March 3, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1998 Lindsey flew onboard the space shuttle Discovery along with then 77 year-old Sen. John Glenn for the STS-95 mission. Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

'Land-marks of the universe': John Herschel against the background of positional astronomy.

PubMed

Case, Stephen

2015-01-01

John Herschel (1792-1871) was the leading British natural philosopher of the nineteenth century, widely known and regarded for his work in philosophy, optics and chemistry as well as his important research and popular publications on astronomy. To date, however, there exists no extended treatment of his astronomical career. This paper, part of a larger study exploring Herschel's contributions to astronomy, examines his work in the context of positional astronomy, the dominant form of astronomical practice throughout his lifetime. Herschel, who did not himself practice positional astronomy and who was known for his non-meridional observations of specific stellar objects, was nonetheless a strong advocate for positional astronomy-but for very different reasons than the terrestrial applications to which it was most often put. For Herschel, the star catalogues of positional astronomy were the necessary observational foundation upon which information about the stars as physical objects could be constructed. Positional astronomy practiced in the great national observatories was not about navigation or timekeeping; it was a way to standardize stellar observations and make them useful data for constructing theories of the stars themselves. For Herschel, the seeds of the new astronomy emerged from the practices of the old.

John Furlong and the "University Project"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, David

2014-01-01

Like many senior teacher-educators and educational researchers, John Furlong has faced in several directions throughout his career, sometimes simultaneously. He has clearly not lost his enthusiasm for what happens in the classroom: he strongly appreciates those magical moments which can happen at any time, and which keep teachers going. He loves…

Oral Histories in Meteoritics and Planetary Science - XV: John Wood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, Derek W. G.

2012-05-01

John Wood (Fig. 1) was trained in Geology at Virginia Tech and M.I.T. To fulfill a minor subject requirement at M.I.T., he studied astronomy at Harvard, taking courses with Fred Whipple and others. Disappointed at how little was known in the 1950s about the origin of the earth, he seized an opportunity to study a set of thin sections of stony meteorites, on the understanding that these might shed light on the topic. This study became his Ph.D. thesis. He recognized that chondrites form a metamorphic sequence, and that idea proved surprisingly hard to sell. After brief service in the Army and a year at Cambridge University, John served for 3 years as a research associate with Ed Anders at the University of Chicago. He then returned to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he spent the remainder of his career. At Chicago, he investigated the formation of the Widmanstätten structure, and found that the process informs us of the cooling rates of iron meteorites. Back in Cambridge, he collaborated with W. R. Van Schmus on a chondrite classification that incorporates metamorphic grade, and published on metal grains in chondrites, before becoming absorbed by preparations for the return of lunar samples by the Apollo astronauts. His group's work on Apollo samples helped to establish the character of the lunar crust, and the need for a magma ocean to form it. Wood served as President of the Meteoritical Society in 1971-72 and received the Leonard Medal in 1978.

An astronomical observatory for Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Mar, Juan Quintanilla; Sicardy, Bruno; Giraldo, Víctor Ayma; Callo, Víctor Raúl Aguilar

2011-06-01

Peru and France are to conclude an agreement to provide Peru with an astronomical observatory equipped with a 60-cm diameter telescope. The principal aims of this project are to establish and develop research and teaching in astronomy. Since 2004, a team of researchers from Paris Observatory has been working with the University of Cusco (UNSAAC) on the educational, technical and financial aspects of implementing this venture. During an international astronomy conference in Cusco in July 2009, the foundation stone of the future Peruvian Observatory was laid at the top of Pachatusan Mountain. UNSAAC, represented by its Rector, together with the town of Oropesa and the Cusco regional authority, undertook to make the sum of 300,000€ available to the project. An agreement between Paris Observatory and UNSAAC now enables Peruvian students to study astronomy through online teaching.

Project on Chinese Virtual Solar Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Gang-Hua

2004-09-01

With going deep into research of solar physics, development of observational instrument and accumulation of obervation data, it urges people to think such things: using data which is observed in different times, places, bands and history data to seek answers of a plenty science problems. In the meanwhile, researcher can easily search the data and analyze data. This is why the project of the virtual solar observatory gained active replies and operation from observatories, institutes and universities in the world. In this article, how we face to the development of the virtual solar observatory and our preliminary project on CVSO are discussed.

Awesome Universe: an exhibition with images that showcase celestial objects as seen by ESO's observatories and associated activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin-Farrona, A. M.

2015-05-01

In September 2013, an ESO exhibition was shown in Santander: ``Awesome Universe -- the Cosmos through the eyes of the European Southern Observatory". Around the exhibition, were proposed several activities: guide tours for children, younger and adults, workshops, film projections... In this way, the exhibition was visited by more than two thousand persons. We must keep in mind that Santander is a small city and its population does not usually take part in outreach activity. With this contribution, we want to teach the way in which it is possible to take advantage of science exhibitions. It made possible to show stunning images that showcase celestial objects as seen by ESO's observatories to the great majority of Santander population, and to awaken their interest in or enthusiasm for science.

John Sawhill: Academe's Crisis Manager.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chernow, Ron

1979-01-01

John C. Sawhill became president of New York University (NYU) and balanced its budget in a year. His administration of the university, his personality, NYU's financial situation and the subsequent reforms, fund raising, faculty morale and governance, and efforts to improve the university's academic reputation are discussed. (JMD)

Commemorating John Dyson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pittard, Julian M.

2015-03-01

John Dyson was born on the 7th January 1941 in Meltham Mills, West Yorkshire, England, and later grew up in Harrogate and Leeds. The proudest moment of John's early life was meeting Freddie Trueman, who became one of the greatest fast bowlers of English cricket. John used a state scholarship to study at Kings College London, after hearing a radio lecture by D. M. McKay. He received a first class BSc Special Honours Degree in Physics in 1962, and began a Ph.D. at the University of Manchester Department of Astronomy after being attracted to astronomy by an article of Zdenek Kopal in the semi-popular journal New Scientist. John soon started work with Franz Kahn, and studied the possibility that the broad emission lines seen from the Orion Nebula were due to flows driven by the photoevaporation of neutral globules embedded in a HII region. John's thesis was entitled ``The Age and Dynamics of the Orion Nebula`` and he passed his oral examination on 28th February 1966.

150th Anniversary of the Astronomical Observatory Library of Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solntseva, T.

The scientific library of the Astronomical observatory of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University is one of the oldest ones of such a type in Ukraine. Our Astronomical Observatory and its scientific library will celebrate 150th anniversary of their foundation. 900 volumes of duplicates of Olbers' private library underlay our library. These ones were acquired by Russian Academy of Sciences for Poulkovo observatory in 1841 but according to Struve's order were transmitted to Kyiv Saint Volodymyr University. These books are of great value. There are works edited during Copernicus', Kepler's, Galilei's, Newton's, Descartes' lifetime. Our library contains more than 100000 units of storage - monographs, periodical astronomical editions from the first (Astronomische Nachrichten, Astronomical journal, Monthly Notices etc.), editions of the majority of the astronomical observatories and institutions of the world, unique astronomical atlases and maps

Marcel Breuer at Saint John's

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Scott

2008-01-01

A visitor to Saint John's University and Saint John's Abbey, in north-central Minnesota, sees something of Gothic heritage while standing in front of the abbey church, designed and built around 1960. The church's 112-foot campanile--a trapezoidal slab made of 2,500 tons of steel and concrete--stands boldly in front of a huge concrete honeycomb…

Celebrating John Glenn’s Legacy

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-02

Sen. John Glenn, left, shakes hands with former Astronaut Steve Lindsey as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden smiles at an event celebrating John Glenn's legacy and 50 years of americans in orbit held at the Cleveland State University Wolstein Center on Friday, March 3, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1998 Lindsey flew onboard the space shuttle Discovery along with then 77 year-old Sen. John Glenn for the STS-95 mission. Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Venezky, Dina Y.; Murray, Tom; Read, Cyrus

2008-01-01

Steam plume from the 2006 eruption of Augustine volcano in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Explosive ash-producing eruptions from Alaska's 40+ historically active volcanoes pose hazards to aviation, including commercial aircraft flying the busy North Pacific routes between North America and Asia. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors these volcanoes to provide forecasts of eruptive activity. AVO is a joint program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). AVO is one of five USGS Volcano Hazards Program observatories that monitor U.S. volcanoes for science and public safety. Learn more about Augustine volcano and AVO at http://www.avo.alaska.edu.

An Observatory to Enhance the Preparation of Future California Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, L.; Lederer, S.

2004-12-01

With a major grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation, California State University, San Bernardino is establishing a state-of-the-art teaching astronomical observatory. The Observatory will be fundamental to an innovative undergraduate physics and astronomy curriculum for Physics and Liberal Studies majors and will be integrated into our General Education program. The critical need for a research and educational observatory is linked to changes in California's Science Competencies for teacher certification. Development of the Observatory will also complement a new infusion of NASA funding and equipment support for our growing astronomy education programs and the University's established Strategic Plan for excellence in education and teacher preparation. The Observatory will consist of two domed towers. One tower will house a 20" Ritchey-Chretien telescope equipped with a CCD camera in conjunction with either UBVRI broadband filters or a spectrometer for evening laboratories and student research projects. The second tower will house the university's existing 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain optical telescope coupled with a CCD camera and an array of filters. A small aperture solar telescope will be attached to the 12" for observing solar prominences while a milar filter can be attached to the 12" for sunspot viewing. We have been very fortunate to receive a challenge grant of \\600,000 from the W. M. Keck Foundation to equip the two domed towers; we continue to seek a further \\800,000 to meet our construction needs. Funding also provided by the California State University, San Bernardino.

The great observatories for space astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harwit, M.; Neal, V.

1986-01-01

Motivated by the ancient urge to observe, measure, compute, and understand the nature of the Universe, the available advanced technology is used to place entire observatories into space for investigations across the spectrum. Stellar evolution, development and nature of the Universe, planetary exploration, technology, NASA's role, and careers in asronomy are displayed.

Operating observatories: the need for a new paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Ifan; Veillet, Christian

2014-08-01

At a time of declining funding, the managers of ground based observatories may not be in the best position to ensure adequate resources either for developing new facilities or new instruments or for upgrading existing facilities. Nor can there be dependence upon the traditional support for researchers which in turn implies that there is inadequate founding to cover the cost of operations. For historical reasons, an overwhelming number of observatories in the USA are affiliated with, or hosted by, universities yet, because of the traditional lack of entrepreneurial thinking and the complexity and the extent of administrations, a university may not be the best environment to develop new approaches to the management of observatories; nor is an academic background of necessity the best preparation for best management practices. We propose that observatories should adopt a business-like approach, to be service providers, and to use the same metrics as for a business. This approach may entail forming corporations, forming consortia, spreading the risk and to find additional sources of income from sales and spin-offs.

Introducing astronomy into high school physics curriculum through the use of the University of North Dakota Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolby, Caitlin Marie

Astronomy education is currently lacking in the secondary level classroom. Many programs have been created to remedy this, including research opportunities for students and training workshops for educators. These reach only a small fraction of the population however, while remaining students still lack the opportunity to learn astronomy at the secondary level. This research addresses the creation of a program that will make astronomy education a recurring option for students across North Dakota through implementation of a two-week astronomy course at Grand Forks Central High School (GFCHS) in a class of 19 physics students. During ten class periods from April 16, 2012 through April 27, 2012, instruction included presentation of basic astronomy concepts and observational techniques as well as student participation in demonstrations and in-class activities. Original lesson plans also included a group research project on the astrometry of an asteroid. Students were given the option to visit the University of North Dakota (UND) Observatory the evening of April 20, 2012 for a public "star party" where they received a tour of the university's telescopes and research equipment. Students also took a field trip to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences to tour Aviation and Space Studies facilities at UND on April 25, 2012. Students were given a pre-test at the start of the course, daily exit surveys at the end of each class period, and a post-test at the end of the two weeks. These assessments were used to evaluate student enjoyment, progress, and overall perception of the course. The research also identified common misconceptions in astronomy held by the learners and the most effective teaching methods. It was found that this course was overall successful in promoting the students' learning of astronomy. This analysis has been used to make improvements in future installments of the course and it is now available online to educators for use in the classroom.

Norwegian Ocean Observatory Network (NOON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferré, Bénédicte; Mienert, Jürgen; Winther, Svein; Hageberg, Anne; Rune Godoe, Olav; Partners, Noon

2010-05-01

The Norwegian Ocean Observatory Network (NOON) is led by the University of Tromsø and collaborates with the Universities of Oslo and Bergen, UniResearch, Institute of Marine Research, Christian Michelsen Research and SINTEF. It is supported by the Research Council of Norway and oil and gas (O&G) industries like Statoil to develop science, technology and new educational programs. Main topics relate to ocean climate and environment as well as marine resources offshore Norway from the northern North Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean. NOON's vision is to bring Norway to the international forefront in using cable based ocean observatory technology for marine science and management, by establishing an infrastructure that enables real-time and long term monitoring of processes and interactions between hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. This activity is in concert with the EU funded European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap and European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observation (EMSO) project to attract international leading research developments. NOON envisions developing towards a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). Beside, the research community in Norway already possesses a considerable marine infrastructure that can expand towards an international focus for real-time multidisciplinary observations in times of rapid climate change. PIC The presently established cable-based fjord observatory, followed by the establishment of a cable-based ocean observatory network towards the Arctic from an O&G installation, will provide invaluable knowledge and experience necessary to make a successful larger cable-based observatory network at the Norwegian and Arctic margin (figure 1). Access to large quantities of real-time observation from the deep sea, including high definition video, could be used to provide the public and future recruits to science a fascinating insight into an almost unexplored part of the Earth beyond the Arctic Circle

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; Melsheimer, T. T.

2003-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is the first community-built observatory that is part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the building was done completely by volunteer labor, and first light occurred in May 1999. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. We are grateful to have received an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops for K-12 schools to make use of the observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. Students connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images back on their local computers. A committee of teachers and administrators from the Thompson School District selected these workshops to count towards Incentive Credits (movement on the salary schedule) because the course meets the criteria: "Learning must be directly transferable to the classroom with students and relate to standards, assessment and/or technology." Our program is also accredited by Colorado State University.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1982-01-01

This artist's conception depicts the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-1 in orbit. The first observatory, designated HEAO-1, was launched on August 12, 1977 aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle and was designed to survey the sky for additional x-ray and gamma-ray sources as well as pinpointing their positions. The HEAO-1 was originally identified as HEAO-A but the designation was changed once the spacecraft achieved orbit. The HEAO project involved the launching of three unmarned scientific observatories into low Earth orbit between 1977 and 1979 to study some of the most intriguing mysteries of the universe; pulsars, black holes, neutron stars, and super nova. Hardware support for the imaging instruments was provided by American Science and Engineeing. The HEAO spacecraft were built by TRW, Inc. under project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

EUSO-SPB2: Second Generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a SuperPressure Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olinto, Angela

This is the lead Institution Co-Investigator Proposal for EUSO-SPB2, second generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super-Pressure Balloon. It is led by PI Angela V. Olinto at the University of Chicago with Co-Is at Marshall Space Flight Center (Institution PI, Mark Christl), Colorado School of Mines (Institution PI, Lawrence Wiencke), University of Alabama Huntsville (Institution PI, Patrick Reardon), and Lehman College, CUNY (Institution PI, Luis Anchordoqui). We propose to design, build, deploy, and publish the scientific results of a second generation of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), to be flown aboard a Super-Pressure Balloon (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 will monitor the night sky of the Southern hemisphere to study cosmic rays of very high to ultrahigh energies and pioneer the search for cosmogenic tau neutrinos from space. EUSO-SPB2 will be the first instrument to observe Cherenkov light from extensive airshowers high in the atmosphere. EUSO-SPB2 will observe a large sample of cosmic rays from 0.1 to 1 EeV with the Cherenkov technique and will discriminate among the Cherenkov profiles of primary protons, heavy nuclei, and photons. It will also characterize the background for upward going showers initiated by the decay of tau leptons, which are expected to be produced by Earth-skimming tau neutrinos. A coincidence veto will be developed for EUSO-SPB2 so it can characterize the background for Cherenkov signals from the neutrino produced tau leptons. EUSO-SPB2 will also use fluorescence observations to measure, for the first time, the evolution of nearly horizontal high altitude extensive air showers, which develop at the nearly constant low-density atmosphere. Such measurements will provide a unique channel to probe hadronic interaction models at ultrahigh energies, and may elucidate the reason why ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) showers observed by ground-based detectors contain more muons than expected from hadronic interaction models

Orbit Determination and Navigation of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mesarch, Michael A.; Robertson, Mika; Ottenstein, Neil; Nicholson, Ann; Nicholson, Mark; Ward, Douglas T.; Cosgrove, Jennifer; German, Darla; Hendry, Stephen; Shaw, James

2007-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the required upgrades necessary for navigation of NASA's twin heliocentric science missions, Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead and Behind. The orbit determination of the STEREO spacecraft was provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) in support of the mission operations activities performed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The changes to FDF's orbit determination software included modeling upgrades as well as modifications required to process the Deep Space Network X-band tracking data used for STEREO. Orbit results as well as comparisons to independently computed solutions are also included. The successful orbit determination support aided in maneuvering the STEREO spacecraft, launched on October 26, 2006 (00:52 Z), to target the lunar gravity assists required to place the spacecraft into their final heliocentric drift-away orbits where they are providing stereo imaging of the Sun.

NASA Extends Chandra X-ray Observatory Contract with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-07-01

NASA NASA has extended its contract with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass. to August 2003 to provide science and operational support for the Chandra X- ray Observatory, one of the world's most powerful tools to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The contract is an 11-month period of performance extension to the Chandra X-ray Center contract, with an estimated value of 50.75 million. Total contract value is now 298.2 million. The contract extension resulted from the delay of the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory from August 1998 to July 1999. The revised period of performance will continue the contract through Aug. 31, 2003, which is 48 months beyond operational checkout of the observatory. The contract type is cost reimbursement with no fee. The contract covers mission operations and data analysis, which includes both the observatory operations and the science data processing and general observer (astronomer) support. The observatory operations tasks include monitoring the health and status of the observatory and developing and distributing by satellite the observation sequences during Chandra's communication coverage periods. The science data processing tasks include the competitive selection, planning, and coordination of science observations with the general observers and the processing and delivery of the resulting scientific data. Each year, there are on the order of 200 to 250 observing proposals selected out of about 800 submitted, with a total amount of observing time about 20 million seconds. X-ray astronomy can only be performed from space because Earth's atmosphere blocks X-rays from reaching the surface. The Chandra Observatory travels one-third of the way to the Moon during its orbit around the Earth every 64 hours. At its highest point, Chandra's highly elliptical, or egg-shaped, orbit is 200 times higher than that of its visible-light- gathering sister, the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA

The Language of the Liberal Consensus: John F. Kennedy, Technical Reason, and the "New Economics" at Yale University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, John W.

2004-01-01

On June 11, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the economy at Yale University. This essay explains the symbolic charge of his economic rhetoric, a persuasive campaign that enjoyed considerable success and marked the first time that a president took explicit responsibility for the nation's economic performance. I argue that the president…

Science Enabled by Ocean Observatory Acoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howe, B. M.; Lee, C.; Gobat, J.; Freitag, L.; Miller, J. H.; Committee, I.

2004-12-01

Ocean observatories have the potential to examine the physical, chemical, biological, and geological parameters and processes of the ocean at time and space scales previously unexplored. Acoustics provides an efficient and cost-effective means by which these parameters and processes can be measured and information can be communicated. Integrated acoustics systems providing navigation and communications for mobile platforms and conducting acoustical measurements in support of science objectives are critical and essential elements of the ocean observatories presently in the planning and implementation stages. The ORION Workshop (Puerto Rico, 4-8 January 2004) developed science themes that can be addressed utilizing ocean observatory infrastructure. The use of acoustics to sense the 3-d/volumetric ocean environment on all temporal and spatial scales was discussed in many ORION working groups. Science themes that are related to acoustics and measurements using acoustics are reviewed and tabulated, as are the related and sometimes competing requirements for passive listening, acoustic navigation and acoustic communication around observatories. Sound in the sea, brought from observatories to universities and schools via the internet, will also be a major education and outreach mechanism.

Summary of interference measurements at selected radio observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, Jill C.

1990-01-01

Results are presented from a series of RF interference (RFI) observations conducted during 1989 and 1990 at selected radio astronomy observatories in order to choose a site for the SETI, where the local and orbital RFI would be as benign as possible for observations of weak electromagnetic signals. These observatories included the DSS13 at Goldstone (California), the Arecibo Observatory (Puerto Rico), the Algonquin Radio Observatory in Ottawa (Canada), the Ohio State University Radio Observatory in Columbus (Ohio), and the NRAO in Green Bank (West Virginia). The observations characterize the RFI environment at these sites from 1 to 10 GHz, using radio astronomy antennas, feeds, and receivers; SETI signal processors; and stand-alone equipment built specifically for this purpose. The results served as part of the basis for the selection (by the NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project) of NRAO as the site of choice for SETI observations.

Celebrating John Glenn’s Legacy

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-02

Former NASA Astronaut Steve Lindsey gives remarks at an event celebrating John Glenn's legacy and 50 years of americans in orbit held at the Cleveland State University Wolstein Center on Friday, March 3, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1998 Lindsey flew onboard the space shuttle Discovery along with then 77 year-old Sen. John Glenn for the STS-95 mission. Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Donald Menzel: His Founding and Funding of Solar Observatories.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welther, B. L.

2002-12-01

In January 1961 Donald Menzel wrote to his cousin, M. H. Bruckman, "I am proudest of the observatories that I have built in the West." The first of those facilities, a solar observatory, was founded in 1940 in Colorado and later came to be known as the High Altitude Observatory. The second one, also a solar observatory, was founded a dozen years later at Sacramento Peak in New Mexico. The third facility, however, established at Fort Davis, Texas, was the Harvard Radio Astronomy Observatory. Although Menzel was primarily a theoretical astrophysicist, renowned for his studies of the solar chromosphere, he was also an entrepreneur who had a talent for developing observatories and coping with numerous setbacks in funding and staffing. Where many others would have failed, Menzel succeeded in mentoring colleagues and finding sources of financial support. This paper will draw primarily on letters and other materials in the Harvard University Archives.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-01-01

The family of High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) instruments consisted of three unmarned scientific observatories capable of detecting the x-rays emitted by the celestial bodies with high sensitivity and high resolution. The celestial gamma-ray and cosmic-ray fluxes were also collected and studied to learn more about the mysteries of the universe. High-Energy rays cannot be studied by Earth-based observatories because of the obscuring effects of the atmosphere that prevent the rays from reaching the Earth's surface. They had been observed initially by sounding rockets and balloons, and by small satellites that do not possess the needed instrumentation capabilities required for high data resolution and sensitivity. The HEAO carried the instrumentation necessary for this capability. In this photograph, an artist's concept of three HEAO spacecraft is shown: HEAO-1, launched on August 12, 1977; HEAO-2, launched on November 13, 1978; and HEAO-3, launched on September 20. 1979.

Orbit Determination and Navigation of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mesarch, Michael; Robertson, Mika; Ottenstein, Neil; Nicholson, Ann; Nicholson, Mark; Ward, Douglas T.; Cosgrove, Jennifer; German, Darla; Hendry, Stephen; Shaw, James

2007-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the required upgrades necessary for navigation of NASA's twin heliocentric science missions, Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead and Behind. The orbit determination of the STEREO spacecraft was provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) in support of the mission operations activities performed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The changes to FDF s orbit determination software included modeling upgrades as well as modifications required to process the Deep Space Network X-band tracking data used for STEREO. Orbit results as well as comparisons to independently computed solutions are also included. The successful orbit determination support aided in maneuvering the STEREO spacecraft, launched on October 26, 2006 (00:52 Z), to target the lunar gravity assists required to place the spacecraft into their final heliocentric drift-away orbits where they are providing stereo imaging of the Sun.

Dedication: John Reuben Clark.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Volume 40 of Horticultural reviews is dedicated to John Reuben Clark (University of Arkansas) for his outstanding contributions to horticulture. While known particularly for his impact on blackberry, blueberry, table grape, and peach cultivar development, he has also been a strong and enthusiastic v...

Status of the James Webb Space Telescope Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clampin, Mark

2013-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the largest cryogenic, space telescope ever built, and will address a broad range of scientific goals from first light in the universe and re-ionization, to characterization of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. Recently, significant progress has been made in the construction of the observatory with the completion of all 21 flight mirrors that comprise the telescope's optical chain, and the start of flight instrument deliveries to the Goddard Space Flight Center. In this paper we discuss the design of the observatory, and focus on the recent milestone achievements in each of the major observatory sub-systems.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

This is a computer rendering of the fully developed Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). In 1999, the AXAF was renamed the CXO in honor of the late Indian-American Novel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It is designed to observe x-rays from high energy regions of the Universe, such as hot gas in the renmants of exploded stars. It produces picture-like images of x-ray emissions analogous to those made in visible light, as well as gathers data on the chemical composition of x-ray radiating objects. The CXO helps astronomers world-wide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-ray such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. The Observatory has three major parts: (1) the x-ray telescope, whose mirrors will focus x-rays from celestial objects; (2) the science instruments that record the x-rays so that x-ray images can be produced and analyzed; and (3) the spacecraft, which provides the environment necessary for the telescope and the instruments to work. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission. (Image courtesy of TRW).

Sir John Macpherson, the first but sometimes overlooked Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney.

PubMed

White, Richard T

2014-08-01

To chronicle the creation of the Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney, and the career and legacy, in New South Wales, of the first incumbent, Professor Sir John Macpherson CB MD FRCPE. The creation of the Chair, Macpherson's appointment, and his contributions to psychiatry in Sydney during the 52 months of his tenure, are well documented in contemporaneous sources and demonstrate that he was a very worthy Foundation Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney. There are several possible reasons why Macpherson has been overlooked, including an erroneous statement in The World History of Psychiatry (1975) that William Siegfried Dawson, his successor from 1927 to 1952, was the first Professor of Psychiatry. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; Melsheimer, T. T.; Sackett, C.

2001-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is believed to be the first observatory built as part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the building was done completely by volunteer labor, and first light occurred in May 1999. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. We are grateful to have received an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops for K-12 schools in Colorado to make use of the observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. Students connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images back on their local computers. We are honored that a committee of teachers and administrators from the Thompson School district have selected these workshops to count towards Incentive Credits (movement on the salary schedule) because the course meets the criteria: "Learning must be directly transferable to the classroom with students and relate to standards, assessment and/or technology." Also in the past year, our training materials have been shared with NASA Goddard and Howard University, which are working together to develop a similar teacher education program.

Bringing the Virtual Astronomical Observatory to the Education Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, B.; Eisenhamer, B.; Mattson, B. J.; Raddick, M. J.

2012-08-01

The Virtual Observatory (VO) is an international effort to bring a large-scale electronic integration of astronomy data, tools, and services to the global community. The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is the U.S. NSF- and NASA-funded VO effort that seeks to put efficient astronomical tools in the hands of U.S. astronomers, students, educators, and public outreach leaders. These tools will make use of data collected by the multitude of ground- and space-based missions over the previous decades. The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program for the VAO will be led by the Space Telescope Science Institute in collaboration with the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) EPO program and Johns Hopkins University. VAO EPO efforts seek to bring technology, real-world astronomical data, and the story of the development and infrastructure of the VAO to the general public and education community. Our EPO efforts will be structured to provide uniform access to VAO information, enabling educational and research opportunities across multiple wavelengths and time-series data sets. The VAO team recognizes that the VO has already built many tools for EPO purposes, such as Microsoft's World Wide Telescope, SDSS Sky Server, Aladin, and a multitude of citizen-science tools available from Zooniverse. However, it is not enough to simply provide tools. Tools must meet the needs of the education community and address national education standards in order to be broadly utilized. To determine which tools the VAO will incorporate into the EPO program, needs assessments will be conducted with educators across the U.S.

Boscovich and the Brera Observatory .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonello, E.

In the mid 18th century both theoretical and practical astronomy were cultivated in Milan by Barnabites and Jesuits. In 1763 Boscovich was appointed to the chair of mathematics of the University of Pavia in the Duchy of Milan, and the following year he designed an observatory for the Jesuit Collegium of Brera in Milan. The Specola was built in 1765 and it became quickly one of the main european observatories. We discuss the relation between Boscovich and Brera in the framework of a short biography. An account is given of the initial research activity in the Specola, of the departure of Boscovich from Milan in 1773 and his coming back just before his death.

History of the astronomical almanacs, yarbooks and calendars, the particapation of the Kyiv University Observatory in their creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantseva, L. V.

2017-05-01

Astronomical Ephemeris, information about the circumstances of apparition various celestial objects long been used for professionals as well as amateur astronomy. The story of annual reference books with similar information was studied not well. In publications sometimes appear inconsistent and incomplete data. In particular, little known facts about participation of Kyiv astronomers in the creation of such publications, it was since the nineteenth century. The analysis of archival sources and funds Astronomical Museum allow drawing conclusions about the significant contribution the University Observatory to ephemeris service

Synchrotron Radiation from Outer Space and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, M. C.

2006-01-01

The universe provides numerous extremely interesting astrophysical sources of synchrotron X radiation. The Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray missions provide powerful probes of these and other cosmic X-ray sources. Chandra is the X-ray component of NASA's Great Observatory Program which also includes the Hubble Space telescope, the Spitzer Infrared Telescope Facility, and the now defunct Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory provides the best angular resolution (sub-arcsecond) of any previous, current, or planned (for the foreseeable near future) space-based X-ray instrumentation. We present here a brief overview of the technical capability of this X-Ray observatory and some of the remarkable discoveries involving cosmic synchrotron sources.

Observatories on the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, J. O.; Duric, N.; Taylor, G. J.; Johnson, S. W.

1990-03-01

It is suggested that the moon could be a haven for astronomy with observatories on its surface yielding extraordinarily detailed views of the heavens and open new windows to study the universe. The near absence of an atmosphere, the seismic stability of its surface, the low levels of interference from light and radio waves and the abundance of raw materials make the moon an ideal site for constructing advanced astronomical observatories. Due to increased interest in the U.S. in the moon as a scientific platform, planning has begun for a permanent lunar base and for astronomical observatories that might be built on the moon in the 21st century. Three specific projects are discussed: (1) the Very Low Frequency Array (VLFA), which would consist of about 200 dipole antennas, each resembling a TV reception antenna about one meter in length; (2) the Lunar Optical-UV-IR Synthesis Array (LOUISA), which will improve on the resolution of the largest ground-based telescope by a factor of 100,000; and (3) a moon-earth radio interferometer, which would have a resolution of about one-hundredth-thousandth of an arc second at a frequency of 10 GHz.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOPHIA) Mirror Coating Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Ed

The joint US and German project, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), to develop and operate a 2.5 meter infrared airborne telescope in a Boeing 747-SP began late last year. Universities Space Research Association (USRA), teamed with Raytheon E-Systems and United Airlines, was selected by NASA to develop and operate SOPHIA. The 2.5 meter telescope will be designed and built by a consortium of German companies. The observatory is expected to operate for over 29 years with the first science flights beginning in 2001. The SOPHIA Observatory will fly at and above 12.5 km, where the telescope will collect radiation in the wavelength range from 0.3 micrometers to a 1.6 millimeters. Universities Space Research Association (USRA) with support from NASA is currently evaluating methods of recoating the primary mirror in preparation for procurement of mirror coating equipment. The decision analysis technique, decision criteria and telescope specifications will be discussed.

Chicago's Dearborn Observatory: a study in survival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartky, Ian R.

2000-12-01

The Dearborn Observatory, located on the Old University of Chicago campus from 1863 until 1888, was America's most promising astronomical facility when it was founded. Established by the Chicago Astronomical Society and directed by one of the country's most gifted astronomers, it boasted the largest telescope in the world and virtually unlimited operating funds. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed its funding and demolished its research programme. Only via the sale of time signals and the heroic efforts of two amateur astronomers did the Dearborn Observatory survive.

21st Century Lightning Protection for High Altitude Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kithil, Richard

2013-05-01

One of the first recorded lightning insults to an observatory was in January 1890 at the Ben Nevis Observatory in Scotland. In more recent times lightning has caused equipment losses and data destruction at the US Air Force Maui Space Surveillance Complex, the Cerro Tololo observatory and the nearby La Serena scientific and technical office, the VLLA, and the Apache Point Observatory. In August 1997 NOAA's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory at Mauna Loa Observatory was out of commission for a month due to lightning outages to data acquisition computers and connected cabling. The University of Arizona has reported "lightning strikes have taken a heavy toll at all Steward Observatory sites." At Kitt Peak, extensive power down protocols are in place where lightning protection for personnel, electrical systems, associated electronics and data are critical. Designstage lightning protection defenses are to be incorporated at NSO's ATST Hawaii facility. For high altitude observatories lightning protection no longer is as simple as Franklin's 1752 invention of a rod in the air, one in the ground and a connecting conductor. This paper discusses selection of engineered lightning protection subsystems in a carefully planned methodology which is specific to each site.

Golden legacy from ESA's observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-07-01

ISO was the first space observatory able to see the sky in infrared light. Using its eyes, we have discovered many new phenomena that have radically changed our view of the Universe. Everybody knows that when something is heated it glows. However, things also glow with a light our eyes cannot detect at room temperature: infrared light. Infrared telescopes do not work well on the Earth’s surface because such light is absorbed by the atmosphere. ISO looked at the cold parts of the universe, usually the 'cold and dusty' parts. It peered into clouds of dust and gas where stars were being born, observing for the first time the earliest stages of star formation. It discovered, for example, that stars begin to form at temperatures as low as -250°C or less. Scientists were able to follow the evolution of dust from where it is produced (that is, old stars - the massive 'dust factories') to the regions where it forms new planetary systems. ISO found that most young stars are surrounded by discs of dust that could harbour planets. The observatory also analysed the chemical composition of cosmic dust, thereby opening up a new field of research, ‘astromineralogy’. With ISO we have been able to discover the presence of water in many different regions in space. Another new discipline, 'astrochemistry', was boosted when ISO discovered that the water molecule is common in the Universe, even in distant galaxies, and complex organic molecules like benzene readily form in the surroundings of some stars. "ISO results are impacting most fields of astronomical research, almost literally from comets to cosmology," explains Alberto Salama, ISO Project Scientist. "Some results answer questions. Others open new fields. Some are already being followed up by existing telescopes; others have to await future facilities." When ISO's operational life ended, in 1998, its observations became freely available to the world scientific community via ISO’s data archive. In May 2003 the

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-01-14

This is an artist's concept of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), fully developed in orbit in a star field with Earth. In 1999, the AXAF was renamed the CXO in honor of the late Indian-American Novel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It is designed to observe x-rays from high energy regions of the Universe, such as hot gas in the renmants of exploded stars. It produces picture-like images of x-ray emissions analogous to those made in visible light, as well as gathers data on the chemical composition of x-ray radiating objects. The CXO helps astronomers world-wide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-ray such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. The Observatory has three major parts: (1) the x-ray telescope, whose mirrors will focus x-rays from celestial objects; (2) the science instruments that record the x-rays so that x-ray images can be produced and analyzed; and (3) the spacecraft, which provides the environment necessary for the telescope and the instruments to work. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission. (Image courtesy of TRW).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-01

This is a computer rendering of the fully developed Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), in orbit in a star field. In 1999, the AXAF was renamed the CXO in honor of the late Indian-American Novel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It is designed to observe x-rays from high energy regions of the Universe, such as hot gas in the renmants of exploded stars. It produces picture-like images of x-ray emissions analogous to those made in visible light, as well as gathers data on the chemical composition of x-ray radiating objects. The CXO helps astronomers world-wide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. The Observatory has three major parts: (1) the x-ray telescope, whose mirrors will focus x-rays from celestial objects; (2) the science instruments that record the x-rays so that x-ray images can be produced and analyzed; and (3) the spacecraft, which provides the environment necessary for the telescope and the instruments to work. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission. (Image courtesy of TRW).

Press Meeting 20 January 2003: First Light for Europe's Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-12-01

Imagine you are an astronomer with instant, fingertip access to all existing observations of a given object and the opportunity to sift through them at will. In just a few moments, you can have information on all kinds about objects out of catalogues all over the world, including observations taken at different times. Over the next two years this scenario will become reality as Europe's Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO) develops. Established only a year ago (cf. ESO PR 26/01), the AVO already offers astronomers a unique, prototype research tool that will lead the way to many outstanding new discoveries. Journalists are invited to a live demonstration of the capabilities of this exciting new initiative in astronomy. The demonstration will take place at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Manchester, in the United Kingdom, on 20 January 2003, starting at 11:00. Sophisticated AVO tools will help scientists find the most distant supernovae - objects that reveal the cosmological makeup of our Universe. The tools are also helping astronomers measure the rate of birth of stars in extremely red and distant galaxies. Journalists will also have the opportunity to discuss the project with leading astronomers from across Europe. The new AVO website has been launched today, explaining the progress being made in this European Commission-funded project: URL: http://www.euro-vo.org/ To register your intention to attend the AVO First Light Demonstration, please provide your name and affiliation by January 13, 2003, to: Ian Morison, Jodrell Bank Observatory (full contact details below). Information on getting to the event is included on the webpage above. Programme for the AVO First Light Demonstration 11:00 Welcome, Phil Diamond (University of Manchester/Jodrell Bank Observatory) 11:05 Short introduction to Virtual Observatories, Piero Benvenuti (ESA/ST-ECF) 11:15 Q&A 11:20 Short introduction to the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory, Peter Quinn (ESO) 11:30 Q&A 11:35 Screening of

Construction/Application of the Internet Observatories in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satoh, T.; Tsubota, Y.; Matsumoto, N.; Takahashi, N.

2000-05-01

We have successfully built two Internet Observatories in Japan: one at Noda campus of the Science University of Tokyo and another at Hiyoshi campus of the Keio Senior High School. Both observatories are equipped with a computerized Meade LX-200 telescope (8" tube at the SUT site and 12" at the Keio site) with a CCD video camera inside the sliding-roof type observatory. Each observatory is controlled by two personal computer: one controls almost everything, including the roof, the telescope, and the camera, while another is dedicated to encode the real-time picture from the CCD video camera into the RealVideo format for live broadcasting. A user can operate the observatory through the web-based interface and can enjoy the real-time picture of the objects via the RealPlayer software. The administrator can run a sequence of batch commands with which no human interaction is needed from the beginning to the end of an observation. Although our observatories are primarily for educational purposes, this system can easily be converted to a signal-triggered one which may be very useful to observe transient phenomena, such as afterglows of gamma-ray bursts. The most remarkable feature of our observatories is that it is very inexpensive (it costs only a few tens of grands). We'll report details of the observatories in the poster, and at the same time, will demonstrate operating the observatories using an internet-connected PC from the meeting site. This work has been supported through the funding from the Telecommunicaitons Advancement Foundation for FY 1998 and 1999.

Biomedical research, development, and engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Annual report 1 October 1978-30 September 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Medical Institutions of The Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have developed a vigorous collaborative program of biomedical research, development, and systems engineering. An important objective of the program is to apply the expertise in engineering, the physical sciences, and systems analysis acquired by APL in defense and space research and development to problems of medical research and health care delivery. This program has grown to include collaboration with many of the clinical and basic science departments of the medical divisions. Active collaborative projects exist in ophthalmology, neurosensory research and instrumentation development, cardiovascular systems,more » patient monitoring, therapeutic and rehabilitation systems, clinical information systems, and clinical engineering. This application of state-of-the-art technology has contributed to advances in many areas of basic medical research and in clinical diagnosis and therapy through improvement of instrumentation, techniques, and basic understanding.« less

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-01-01

This image is an observation of Quasar 3C 273 by the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2/Einstein Observatory. It reveals the presence of a new source (upper left) with a red shift that indicates that it is about 10 billion light years away. Quasars are mysterious, bright, star-like objects apparently located at the very edge of the visible universe. Although no bigger than our solar system, they radiate as much visible light as a thousand galaxies. Quasars also emit radio signals and were previously recognized as x-ray sources. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2 was designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Two Observatories in Istanbul: from the Late Ottoman Empire to the Young Turkish Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoist, Christophe

From the 17th century onward, the Ottoman Empire entered a phase of weakening, as a consequence of many factors including the dissolution of political stability, the loss of territory and decreasing revenue. In the second half of the 19th century, as an attempt to reinforce power of the central authority, the Ottomans undertook major reforms, called Tanzimat. During this period, individuals started to establish professional and learned associations similar to those in the West which eventually led to the creation of a Faculty of Science and to the Ottoman University (Darulfünun, 1900). In this context of reform and opening to the West, the Imperial Observatory (Rasathane-i Amire) was founded in 1868 with the support of France. Its primary aim was to exchange data between European and Ottoman meteorological stations. The Imperial Observatory occupied several locations before reaching its final setting in Kandilli (1911), on the Asian side of the Bosphorus where other activities were developed such as seismology, astronomy, meteorology and magnetic studies. Following the spirit of the newly founded Republic in 1923, a serious reform of the academic programmes and a purging of the staff of the Ottoman University led to the establishment of the Istanbul University in the historical quarter of Beyazit (1933). The Istanbul Astronomical Observatory was founded in the same year and its construction started in 1935. The university reform was largely influenced by the presence of German and other European scholars, many of them Jewish, escaping from Nazi persecution. In particular, Erwin Finlay-Freundlich from Potsdam Observatory became the first director of Istanbul Observatory. Kandilli and Istanbul University observatories are briefly presented here, stressing the main steps of their creation and their astronomica] heritage.

Long-lived space observatories for astronomy and astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Blair D.; Becklin, Eric E.; Beckwith, Steven V. W.; Cowie, Lennox L.; Dupree, Andrea K.; Elliot, James L.; Gallagher, John S.; Helfand, David J.; Jenkins, Edward F.; Johnston, Kenneth J.

1987-01-01

NASA's plan to build and launch a fleet of long-lived space observatories that include the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), the Advanced X Ray Astrophysics Observatory (AXAF), and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) are discussed. These facilities are expected to have a profound impact on the sciences of astronomy and astrophysics. The long-lived observatories will provide new insights about astronomical and astrophysical problems that range from the presence of planets orbiting nearby stars to the large-scale distribution and evolution of matter in the universe. An important concern to NASA and the scientific community is the operation and maintenance cost of the four observatories described above. The HST cost about $1.3 billion (1984 dollars) to build and is estimated to require $160 million (1986 dollars) a year to operate and maintain. If HST is operated for 20 years, the accumulated costs will be considerably more than those required for its construction. Therefore, it is essential to plan carefully for observatory operations and maintenance before a long-lived facility is constructed. The primary goal of this report is to help NASA develop guidelines for the operations and management of these future observatories so as to achieve the best possible scientific results for the resources available. Eight recommendations are given.

Education and public engagement in observatory operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabor, Pavel; Mayo, Louis; Zaritsky, Dennis

2016-07-01

Education and public engagement (EPE) is an essential part of astronomy's mission. New technologies, remote observing and robotic facilities are opening new possibilities for EPE. A number of projects (e.g., Telescopes In Education, MicroObservatory, Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope and UNC's Skynet) have developed new infrastructure, a number of observatories (e.g., University of Arizona's "full-engagement initiative" towards its astronomy majors, Vatican Observatory's collaboration with high-schools) have dedicated their resources to practical instruction and EPE. Some of the facilities are purpose built, others are legacy telescopes upgraded for remote or automated observing. Networking among institutions is most beneficial for EPE, and its implementation ranges from informal agreements between colleagues to advanced software packages with web interfaces. The deliverables range from reduced data to time and hands-on instruction while operating a telescope. EPE represents a set of tasks and challenges which is distinct from research applications of the new astronomical facilities and operation modes. In this paper we examine the experience with several EPE projects, and some lessons and challenges for observatory operation.

Lunar Observatories: Why, Where, and When?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowman, D. Paul, Jr.; Durst, Steve; Chen, Peter C.

1999-01-01

The value of Moon-based astronomical instruments has been repeatedly supported by several major studies and conferences, such as the "Astrophysics from the Moon" meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1990 (Mumma and Smith, 1990). A comprehensive review of the advantages of lunar observatories was published in the same year by Burns et al. (1990). However, the decade since then has seen a number of major developments bearing on the topic of lunar observatories, including the following. Two space astronomy programs have been outstandingly successful since 1990: the Cosmic Background Explorer ((COBE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These instruments have shown for the first time the structure of the universe in the first stages of its creation, i.e., the "Big Bang." One result of these discoveries has been to focus new space astronomy programs on fundamental problems such as shape of the universe, evolution of galaxies, and the nature of "dark" matter. Since these questions involve the very earliest stages of the history of the universe, to study them requires observation of extremely distant objects. Because of the expansion of the universe, all radiation from such objects is greatly redshifted, into the infrared region of the spectrum. For this reason, the Next Generation Space Telescope, the successor to HST, will be an infrared telescope.

Making Kew Observatory: the Royal Society, the British Association and the politics of early Victorian science.

PubMed

Macdonald, Lee T

2015-09-01

Built in 1769 as a private observatory for King George III, Kew Observatory was taken over in 1842 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS). It was then quickly transformed into what some claimed to be a 'physical observatory' of the sort proposed by John Herschel - an observatory that gathered data in a wide range of physical sciences, including geomagnetism and meteorology, rather than just astronomy. Yet this article argues that the institution which emerged in the 1840s was different in many ways from that envisaged by Herschel. It uses a chronological framework to show how, at every stage, the geophysicist and Royal Artillery officer Edward Sabine manipulated the project towards his own agenda: an independent observatory through which he could control the geomagnetic and meteorological research, including the ongoing 'Magnetic Crusade'. The political machinations surrounding Kew Observatory, within the Royal Society and the BAAS, may help to illuminate the complex politics of science in early Victorian Britain, particularly the role of 'scientific servicemen' such as Sabine. Both the diversity of activities at Kew and the complexity of the observatory's origins make its study important in the context of the growing field of the 'observatory sciences'.

Swift Observatory Space Simulation Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Espiritu, Mellina; Choi, Michael K.; Scocik, Christopher S.

2004-01-01

The Swift Observatory is a Middle-Class Explorer (MIDEX) mission that is a rapidly re-pointing spacecraft with immediate data distribution capability to the astronomical community. Its primary objectives are to characterize and determine the origin of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) and to use the collected data on GRB phenomena in order to probe the universe and gain insight into the physics of black hole formation and early universe. The main components of the spacecraft are the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT), X-Ray Telescope (XRT), and Optical Bench (OB) instruments coupled with the Swift spacecraft (S/C) bus. The Swift Observatory will be tested at the Space Environment Simulation (SES) chamber at the Goddard Space Flight Center from May to June 2004 in order to characterize its thermal behavior in a vacuum environment. In order to simulate the independent thermal zones required by the BAT, XRT, UVOT, and OB instruments, the spacecraft is mounted on a chariot structure capable of maintaining adiabatic interfaces and enclosed in a modified, four section MSX fixture in order to accommodate the strategic placement of seven cryopanels (on four circuits), four heater panels, and a radiation source burst simulator mechanism. There are additionally 55 heater circuits on the spacecraft. To mitigate possible migration of silicone contaminants from BAT to the XRT and UVOT instruments, a contamination enclosure is to be fabricated around the BAT at the uppermost section of the MSX fixture. This paper discuses the test requirements and implemented thermal vacuum test configuration for the Swift Observatory.

The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory 6.5m telescope: project overview and current status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshii, Y.; Doi, M.; Kohno, K.; Miyata, T.; Motohara, K.; Kawara, K.; Tanaka, M.; Minezaki, T.; Sako, S.; Morokuma, T.; Tamura, Y.; Tanabe, T.; Takahashi, H.; Konishi, M.; Kamizuka, T.; Kato, N.; Aoki, T.; Soyano, T.; Tarusawa, K.; Handa, T.; Koshida, S.; Bronfman, L.; Ruiz, M. T.; Hamuy, M.; Garay, G.

2016-07-01

The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory Project is to construct a 6.5m infrared telescope at the summit of Co. Chajnantor (5640m altitude) in northern Chile, promoted by the University of Tokyo. Thanks to the dry climate (PWV 0.5mm) and the high altitude, it will achieve excellent performance in the NIR to MIR wavelengths. The telescope has two Nasmyth foci where the facility instruments are installed and two folded-Cassegrain foci for carry-in instruments. All these four foci can be switched by rotating a tertiary mirror. The final focal ratio is 12.2 and the telescope foci have large field-of-view of 25° in diameter. We adopted the 6.5m light-weighted borosilicate honeycomb primary mirror and its support system that are developed by Steward Observatory Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. The dome enclosure has the shape of carousel, and large ventilation windows with shutters control the wind to flush heat inside the dome. The operation building with control room, aluminizing chamber and maintenance facilities is located at the side of the dome. Two cameras, SWIMS for spectroscopy and imaging in the near-infrared and MIMIZUKU in the mid-infrared, are being developed as the first-generation facility instruments. The operation of the telescope will be remotely carried out from a base facility at San Pedro de Atacama, 50km away from the summit. The construction of the telescope is now underway. Fabrication of the telescope mount has almost finished, and the pre-assembly has been carried out in Japan. The primary, secondary, and tertiary mirrors and their cells have been also fabricated, as well as their cells and support systems. Fabrication of the enclosure is now underway, and their pre-assembly in Japan will be carried out in 2016. Construction of the base facility at San Pedro de Atacama has been already completed in 2014, and operated for the activities in Atacama. The telescope is now scheduled to see the first light at the beginning of 2018.

An Overview of the Performance of the Chandra X-ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, M. C.; Aldcroft, T. L.; Bautz, M.; Cameron, R. A.; Dewey, D.; Drake, J. J.; Grant, C. E.; Marshall, H. L.; Murray, S. S.

2004-01-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the X-ray component of NASA's Great Observatory Program which includes the recently launched Spitzer Infrared Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for observations in the visible, and the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) which, after providing years of useful data has reentered the atmosphere. All these facilities provide, or provided, scientific data to the international astronomical community in response to peer-reviewed proposals for their use. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was the result of the efforts of many academic, commercial, and government organizations primarily in the United States but also in Europe. NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) manages the Project and provides Project Science; Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST - formerly TRW) served as prime contractor responsible for providing the spacecraft, the telescope, and assembling and testing the Observatory; and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) provides technical support and is responsible for ground operations including the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC). Telescope and instrument teams at SAO, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the Space Research Institute of the Netherlands (SRON), the Max-Planck Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), and the University of Kiel support also provide technical support to the Chandra Project. We present here a detailed description of the hardware, its on-orbit performance, and a brief overview of some of the remarkable discoveries that illustrate that performance.

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A.; Vanlew, K.; Melsheimer, T.; Melsheimer, L.; Rideout, C.; Patterson, T.

1997-12-01

A second observatory of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project is in the planning stages, with hopes to be in use by fall 1998. The Little Thompson Observatory will be located adjacent to Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. TIE has offered the observatory a Tinsley 18" Cassegrain telescope on a 10-year loan. Local schools and youth organizations will have prioritized access to the telescope until midnight; after that, the telescope will be open to world-wide use by schools via the Internet. The first TIE observatory is a 24" telescope on Mt. Wilson, already booked through July 1998. That telescope has been in use every clear night for the past four years by up to 50 schools per month. Students remotely control the telescope over the Internet, and then receive the images on their local computers. The estimated cost of the Little Thompson Observatory is roughly \\170,000. However, donations of labor and materials have reduced the final price tag closer to \\40,000. Habitat for Humanity is organized to construct the dome, classrooms, and other facilities. Tom and Linda Melsheimer, who developed the remote telescope control system for the University of Denver's Mount Evans Observatory, are donating a similar control system. The formally-trained, all-volunteer staff will be comprised of local residents, teachers and amateur astronomers. Utilities and Internet access will be provided by the Thompson School District.

Education and Outreach with the Virtual Astronomical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, Brandon L.; Eisenhamer, B.; Raddick, M. J.; Mattson, B. J.; Harris, J.

2012-01-01

The Virtual Observatory (VO) is an international effort to bring a large-scale electronic integration of astronomy data, tools, and services to the global community. The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is the U.S. NSF- and NASA-funded VO effort that seeks to put efficient astronomical tools in the hands of U.S. astronomers, students, educators, and public outreach leaders. These tools will make use of data collected by the multitude of ground- and space-based missions over the previous decades. Many future missions will also be incorporated into the VAO tools when they launch. The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program for the VAO is led by the Space Telescope Science Institute in collaboration with the HEASARC E/PO program and Johns Hopkins University. VAO E/PO efforts seek to bring technology, real-world astronomical data, and the story of the development and infrastructure of the VAO to the general public, formal education, and informal education communities. Our E/PO efforts will be structured to provide uniform access to VAO information, enabling educational opportunities across multiple wavelengths and time-series data sets. The VAO team recognizes that many VO programs have built powerful tools for E/PO purposes, such as Microsoft's World Wide Telescope, SDSS Sky Server, Aladin, and a multitude of citizen-science tools available from Zooniverse. We are building partnerships with Microsoft, Zooniverse, and NASA's Night Sky Network to leverage the communities and tools that already exist to meet the needs of our audiences. Our formal education program is standards-based and aims to give teachers the tools to use real astronomical data to teach the STEM subjects. To determine which tools the VAO will incorporate into the formal education program, needs assessments will be conducted with educators across the U.S.

Molonglo Observatory: Building the Cross and MOST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAdam, Bruce

2008-03-01

When Bernard Mills left the GSIRO in 1960 to establish a radio astronomy group in the School of Physics, University of Sydney, he had not only invented the principle of cross-type radio telescopes but proved their great efficiency at surveying the positions, intensity and structure of radio sources. He had ambitious plans for a second generation Cross - a radio telescope with arms one mile long. This paper describes the circumstances of Mills' appointment as Professor of Astrophysics and the recruitment of an international Department that achieved his vision with the Molonglo Cross: The construction involved interaction with many colleagues - engineers in other university departments and government agencies, and with the contracting firms. Formal links were set up with the Electrical Engineering Department through The Radio Astronomy Centre in the University of Sydney and then with Arecibo Observatory through the Cornell-Sydney University Astronomy Center. When the Molonglo Cross completed its main survey in 1978 after eleven years, it was switched off and the EW arm was then converted to the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope. Many of the staff involved with the MOST are now challenged by SKAMP, testing systems for the Square Kilometre Array with cylindrical geometry in the Molonglo Prototype. These two later developments out of the original Cross telescope are described briefly.

Development of global health education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: a student-driven initiative.

PubMed

Moran, Dane; Edwardson, Jill; Cuneo, Charles Nicholas; Tackett, Sean; Aluri, James; Kironji, Antony; Cox, Jacob; Carroll, Bryn; Lie, Erina; Fofana, Mariam; Bollinger, Robert C; Ziegelstein, Roy C; Chen, Chi C G

2015-01-01

Global health is increasingly present in the formal educational curricula of medical schools across North America. In 2008, students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) perceived a lack of structured global health education in the existing curriculum and began working with the administration to enhance global health learning opportunities, particularly in resource-poor settings. Key events in the development of global health education have included the introduction of a global health intersession mandatory for all first-year students; required pre-departure ethics training for students before all international electives; and the development of a clinical global health elective (Global Health Leadership Program, GHLP). The main challenges to improving global health education for medical students have included securing funding, obtaining institutional support, and developing an interprofessional program that benefits from the resources of the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing. Strategies used included objectively demonstrating the need for and barriers to more structured global health experiences; obtaining guidance and modifying existing resources from other institutions and relevant educational websites; and harnessing institution-specific strengths including the large Johns Hopkins global research footprint and existing interprofessional collaborations across the three schools. The Johns Hopkins experience demonstrates that with a supportive administration, students can play an important and effective role in improving global health educational opportunities. The strategies we used may be informative for other students and educators looking to implement global health programs at their own institutions.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

This photograph shows a TRW technician inspecting the completely assembled Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) in the Thermal Vacuum Chamber at TRW Space and Electronics Group of Redondo Beach, California. The CXO is formerly known as the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which was renamed in honor of the late Indian-American Astronomer, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1999. The CXO will help astronomers worldwide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes and other exotic celestial objects. X-ray astronomy can only be done from space because Earth's atmosphere blocks x-rays from reaching the surface. The Observatory provides images that are 50 times more detailed than previous x-ray missions. At more than 45 feet in length and weighing more than 5 tons, it will be one of the largest objects ever placed in Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor and assembled and tested the observatory for NASA. The CXO program is managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center. The Observatory was launched on July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission. (Image courtesy of TRW)

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-01

This photograph shows TRW technicians preparing the assembled Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) for an official unveiling at TRW Space and Electronics Group of Redondo Beach, California. The CXO is formerly known as the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which was renamed in honor of the late Indian-American Astronomer, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1999. The CXO will help astronomers world-wide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. X-ray astronomy can only be done from space because Earth's atmosphere blocks x-rays from reaching the surface. The Observatory provides images that are 50 times more detailed than previous x-ray missions. At more than 45 feet in length and weighing more than 5 tons, it will be one of the largest objects ever placed in Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor and assembled and tested the observatory for NASA. The CXO program is managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center. The Observatory was launched on July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission. (Image courtesy of TRW)

Obituary: John P. Oliver (1939-2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Howard

2011-12-01

John P. Oliver, an emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of Florida in Gainesville, passed away Thursday, February 10, 2011, after a courageous and long battle with renal cancer. He left behind memories of a life and career to envy. During his forty years of service to his profession and department, this unique astronomer distinguished himself as a research scientist and instrumentalist, creative software designer, gifted teacher and speaker, a vocal advocate of public outreach, and friend to all who knew him. Oliver was born in New Rochelle, New York, during late fall 1939 on November 24. His father, James P. Oliver, was a naval officer and his mother was the former Dorothy Armstrong Cambell. Oliver's early days were spent in various cities due to his father's military life but he eventually received a high school diploma from Princess Ann High School in Virginia. Oliver subsequently graduated with a bachelor of science degree in physics in 1963 from the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. Lick Observatory awarded him a graduate assistantship so he moved west to California where he met and, on November 2, 1963, married Barbara Kay McKenna, who became his lifelong love and partner. In California Oliver had the good fortune to work with several eminent astronomers. This included Albert E. Whifford, director of Lick Observatory and known for his work on interstellar reddening, and Merle F. Walker, an expert in photometry, who also helped establish Pluto's rotation period. His close relation with Lawrence H. Aller, one of the 20th century's memorable astronomers, known for his ability to combine observation, theory and education, and for his care and kindness, helped bind Oliver and astronomy together for life. Oliver would also join the technical staff of the Aerospace Corporation, become an acting director of the Pine Mountain Observatory (University of Oregon), and a research assistant at the University of California in Los Angeles

Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids at Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krugly, Yurij; Ayvazyan, Vova; Inasaridze, Raguli; Zhuzhunadze, Vasili; Molotov, Igor; Voropaev, Victor; Rumyantsev, Vasilij; Baransky, Alexander

Over the past five years physical properties of near-Earth asteroids are investigated in the Kharadze Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory. The work was launched in the collaboration with Kharkiv Institute of Astronomy within the Memorandum on scientific cooperation between Ilia State University (Georgia) and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine) in 2011. In the framework of this study the regular observations of several dozen asteroids per year are carried out to determine the rotation periods, size and shape parameters of these celestial bodies. A broad international cooperation is involved in order to improve the efficiency of the study. Abastumani is included in the observatory network called the Gaia -FUN-SSO, which was created for the ground support of the ESA's Gaia space mission.

Highlights of our 4th Annual ATS Convention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breyer, Walter H.

The article gives the details of the ATS's Philadelphia convention, keynote by Dr. Elizabeth Griffin of Cambridge University, visits to Swarthmore College and the Sproul Observatory, talks by Robert Ariail, Guy McCann, Eugene Rudd, John Church, Christopher Ray, Mike Reynolds, Professor Wulff Heinz, Walter Yund IV, Paul O'Leary, Ray Harris, Ed Young, Glen Oclassen, Peter Abrahams, and Ron Maddison. The awards for best exhibits went to John Mutch Jr. and John Mutch III for their extensive Zeiss collection, and Dr. Eugene Rudd for his Cater Rand's Patent Military and Naval Telescope. Visits were made also to the Flower and Cook Observatory, Haverford College Observatory, Villanova College Observatory, and the Franklin Institute.

Sierra Stars Observatory Network: An Accessible Global Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Richard; Beshore, Edward

2011-03-01

The Sierra Stars Observatory Network (SSON) is a unique partnership among professional observatories that provides its users with affordable high-quality calibrated image data. SSON comprises observatories in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and is in the process of expanding to a truly global network capable of covering the entire sky 24 hours a day in the near future. The goal of SSON is to serve the needs of science-based projects and programs. Colleges, universities, institutions, and individuals use SSON for their education and research projects. The mission of SSON is to promote and expand the use of its facilities among the thousands of colleges and schools worldwide that do not have access to professional-quality automated observatory systems to use for astronomy education and research. With appropriate leadership and guidance educators can use SSON to help teach astronomy and do meaningful scientific projects. The relatively small cost of using SSON for this type of work makes it affordable and accessible for educators to start using immediately. Remote observatory services like SSON need to evolve to better support education and research initiatives of colleges, institutions and individual investigators. To meet these needs, SSON is developing a sophisticated interactive scheduling system to integrate among the nodes of the observatory network. This will enable more dynamic observations, including immediate priority interrupts, acquiring moving objects using ephemeris data, and more.

John Hennessey, Barrier Breaker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Stephen J.

2018-01-01

John Hennessey lived a remarkable, full life as a professor, as a leader in his field of management and business, and moral, ethical leadership, and as dean at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business and provost at the University of Vermont. He was extraordinary on many fronts, a great man who lived in tumultuous times marked by world war as a…

Telescopes in Education: the Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; Melsheimer, T. T.

2002-05-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is believed to be the first of its kind, located next to a high school and accessible to other schools remotely over the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction was done completely by volunteer labor, and the observatory was built on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. During 2001, we averaged 400-500 visitors per month. We are grateful to have received a STScI IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops for K-12 schools in northern Colorado to make use of the observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. Students connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images back on their local computers. We are honored that a committee of teachers and administrators from the Thompson School district have selected these workshops to count towards Incentive Credits (movement on the salary schedule) because the course meets the criteria: "Learning must be directly transferable to the classroom with students and relate to standards, assessment and/or technology." Also in the past year, our training materials have been shared with NASA Goddard and Howard University, which are working together to develop a similar teacher education program. Our next goal is to add solar observing capability! Please visit our website at www.starkids.org.

Education Potential of the National Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, Carol

2006-12-01

Research in astronomy is blossoming with the availability of sophisticated instrumentation and tools aimed at breakthroughs in our understanding of the physical universe. Researchers can take advantage of the astronomical infrastructure, the National Virtual Observatory (NVO), for their investigations. . As well, data and tools available to the public are increasing through the distributed resources of observatories, academic institutions, computing facilities and educational organizations. Because Astronomy holds the public interest through engaging content and striking a cord with fundamental questions of human interest, it is a perfect context for science and technical education. Through partnerships we are cultivating, the NVO can be tuned for educational purposes.

The Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum and Related Measurements with the Pierre Auger Observatory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abraham, : J.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.

2009-06-01

These are presentations to be presented at the 31st International Cosmic Ray Conference, in Lodz, Poland during July 2009. It consists of the following presentations: (1) Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum above 10{sup 18} eV with the Pierre Auger Observatory; (2) The cosmic ray flux observed at zenith angles larger than 60 degrees with the Pierre Auger Observatory; (3) Energy calibration of data recorded with the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory; (4) Exposure of the Hybrid Detector of The Pierre Auger Observatory; and (5) Energy scale derived from Fluorescence Telescopes using Cherenkov Light and Shower Universality.

An Account of Stellar Spectroscopy and John S. Plaskett’s Leadership within Early 20th-Century Astrophysics in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihor Oakes, Andrew

2017-01-01

From the perspective of the science of astronomy, the interpretation of the light spectrum was a fundamental development in the chemical analysis of celestial starlight. The breakthrough discovery with the application of spectroscopy in 1859, inaugurated a new period in astronomy that evolved into astrophysics. It launched a continuing episode of new astronomy that was later embraced in early 20th-century Canada where it was spearheaded by Canadian physicist and scientist, John S. Plaskett (1865-1941). The research work of John Plaskett at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa, Ontario, from 1903 and, later, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia, from 1918, brought international recognition to Canada’s early efforts in astrophysics. Plaskett’s determination and personal boldness led to the establishment of a small cadre of Canadian astronomers who worked on their astrophysical research programs under Plaskett as their supervisor. Despite its small population at the time and a relatively infinitesimal number of professional astronomers, Canada did become recognized for its early spectrographic work in astrophysics, which was due to developing a professional status equal to its international colleagues. Plaskett improved the techniques of celestial spectroscopy during his scientific work at the Dominion Observatory and, again later, at its newly-built sister facility, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. Historically, Plaskett found himself to be the right person, in the right place, at the right time, and with the right temperament during the review period spanning 1903 to 1935.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Philip H. Scherrer (left) principal investigator, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument, Stanford University in Palo Alto, speaks during a briefing to discuss recent images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, while colleagues Tom Woods, principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder and Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO program scientist, NASA Headquarters (right) look on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) on Orbit Animation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This is an on-orbit animation of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). In 1999, the AXAF was renamed the CXO in honor of the late Indian-American Novel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It is designed to observe x-rays from high energy regions of the Universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. It produces picture-like images of x-ray emissions analogous to those made in visible light, as well as gathers data on the chemical composition of x-ray radiating objects. The CXO helps astronomers worldwide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission.

Implementation and evaluation of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine leadership program for women faculty.

PubMed

Levine, Rachel B; González-Fernández, Marlís; Bodurtha, Joann; Skarupski, Kimberly A; Fivush, Barbara

2015-05-01

Women continue to be underrepresented in top leadership roles in academic medicine. Leadership training programs for women are designed to enhance women's leadership skills and confidence and increase overall leadership diversity. The authors present a description and evaluation of a longitudinal, cohort-based, experiential leadership program for women faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. We compared pre- and post-program self-assessed ratings of 11 leadership skills and specific negotiation behaviors from 3 cohorts of leadership program participants (n=134) from 2010 to 2013. Women reported significant improvements in skills across 11 domains with the exceptions of 2 domains, Public Speaking and Working in Teams, both of which received high scores in the pre-program assessment. The greatest improvement in rankings occurred within the domain of negotiation skills. Although women reported an increase in their negotiation skills, we were not able to demonstrate an increase in the number of times that women negotiated for salary, space, or promotion following participation in the program. The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Leadership Program for Women Faculty has demonstrable value for the professional development of participants and addresses institutional strategies to enhance leadership diversity and the advancement of women.

Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Astronomers have produced a highly detailed image of the Crab Nebula, by combining data from telescopes spanning nearly the entire breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves seen by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to the powerful X-ray glow as seen by the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory. And, in between that range of wavelengths, the Hubble Space Telescope's crisp visible-light view, and the infrared perspective of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This composite image of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, was assembled by combining data from five telescopes spanning nearly the entire breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum: the Very Large Array, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, the XMM-Newton Observatory, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Credits: NASA, ESA, NRAO/AUI/NSF and G. Dubner (University of Buenos Aires) #nasagoddard #space #science

An Interview with John Liontas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadeghi, Karim

2017-01-01

John I. Liontas, Ph.D. is an associate professor of foreign languages, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), and technology in education and second language acquisition (TESLA), and director and faculty of the TESLA doctoral program at the University of South Florida. Dr. Liontas is a distinguished thought leader, author, and…

Nobeyama Radio Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Nobeyama Radio Observatory has telescopes at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. It was established in 1982 as an observatory of Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY, JAPAN since 1987), and operates the 45 m telescope, Nobeyama Millimeter Array, and Radioheliograph. High-resolution images of star forming regions and molecular clouds have revealed many aspects of...

Nex-Gen Space Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-10-26

Adam Reiss, recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and professor of astronomy and physics at Johns Hopkins University speaks at the presentation of the permanent exhibit of the James Webb Space Telescope at the Maryland Science Center on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 in Baltimore. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Tom Woods, (second from right), principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder speaks during a briefing to discuss recent images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Astronomy Against Terrorism: an Educational Astronomical Observatory Project in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishitsuka, M.; Montes, H.; Kuroda, T.; Morimoto, M.; Ishitsuka, J.

2003-05-01

The Cosmos Coronagraphic Observatory was completely destroyed by terrorists in 1988. In 1995, in coordination with the Minister of Education of Peru, a project to construct a new Educational Astronomical Observatory has been executed. The main purpose of the observatory is to promote an interest in basic space sciences in young students from school to university levels, through basic astronomical studies and observations. The planned observatory will be able to lodge 25 visitors; furthermore an auditorium, a library and a computer room will be constructed to improve the interest of people in astronomy. Two 15-cm refractor telescopes, equipped with a CCD camera and a photometer, will be available for observations. Also a 6-m dome will house a 60-cm class reflector telescope, which will be donated soon, thanks to a fund collected and organized by the Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory in Japan. In addition a new modern planetarium donated by the Government of Japan will be installed in Lima, the capital of Peru. These installations will be widely open to serve the requirements of people interested in science.

Private Observatories in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rijsdijk, C.

2016-12-01

Descriptions of private observatories in South Africa, written by their owners. Positions, equipment descriptions and observing programmes are given. Included are: Klein Karoo Observatory (B. Monard), Cederberg Observatory (various), Centurion Planetary and Lunar Observatory (C. Foster), Le Marischel Observatory (L. Ferreira), Sterkastaaing Observatory (M. Streicher), Henley on Klip (B. Fraser), Archer Observatory (B. Dumas), Overbeek Observatory (A. Overbeek), Overberg Observatory (A. van Staden), St Cyprian's School Observatory, Fisherhaven Small Telescope Observatory (J. Retief), COSPAR 0433 (G. Roberts), COSPAR 0434 (I. Roberts), Weltevreden Karoo Observatory (D. Bullis), Winobs (M. Shafer)

Looking Back at One Hundred Years of the Association of American Colleges and Universities: An Interview with Presidents John W. Chandler, Paula P. Brownlee, and Carol Geary Schneider

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tritelli, David

2014-01-01

In this article, the author presents an interview with two former and the current president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities: John W. Chandler, Paula P. Brownlee, and Carol Geary Schneider. John W. Chandler was president of the association from 1985 to 1990, Paula P. Brownlee was president from 1990 to 1998, and Carol Geary…

Seeing and optimization of the thermal regime in the dome of 1.5-m Telescope Maidanak Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artamonov, Boris P.

1997-03-01

Beginning in 1975 Sternberg Astronomical Institute of Moscow University (SAI) developed a search of places with the best astroclimate in Middle Asia. Mount Maidanak (150 km to south from Samarkand) was chosen after investigation of the meteorological conditions, temperature fluctuations and seeing quality by astroclimatical expeditions in a different city testing for Moscow University Observatory. Having an isolated summit Maidanak has good astroclimatical parameters: 2000 clean observational hours/year, median seeing about 0.7 arcsec (Artamonov et al. 1987, Bugaenko et al. 1992). At the end of 1992 SAI mainly finished the construction of Maidanak Observatory with a 1.5 meter RC telescope, but in 1993 the development of the observatory was stopped after nationalization by Uzbekistan. At present Sternberg Astronomical Institute and Tashkent Astronomical Institute (new owner of the observatory) continue to work in joint observations and try to create International Maidanak Observatory.

John B. Watson's Alleged Sex Research: An Appraisal of the Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Ludy T. Jr.; Whitaker, Jodi L.; Ramsey, Russell M.; Zeve, Daniel R.

2007-01-01

In 1974, a story was published about clandestine research done by John B. Watson that was judged to be so reprehensible that it was offered as the real reason he was fired from his faculty position at Johns Hopkins University in 1920, at perhaps the peak of his academic career. Watson's dismissal from Johns Hopkins may have been the most important…

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becklin, Eric E.; Casey, Sean C.; Davidson, Jacqueline A.; Savage, Maureen L.

1998-08-01

The joint US and German SOFIA project to develop and operate a 2.5 meter IR airborne telescope in a Boeing 747-SP is now in its second year. The Universities Space Research Association , teamed with Raytheon E-Systems and United Airlines, is developing and will operate SOFIA. The 2.5 meter telescope will be designed and built by a consortium of German companies led by MAN. Work on the aircraft and the preliminary mirror has started. First science flights will begin in 2001 with 20 percent of the observing time assigned to German investigators. The observatory is expected to operate for over 20 years. The sensitivity, characteristics, US science instrument complement, and operations concept for the SOFIA observatory, with an emphasis on the science community's participation are discussed.

John A. Simpson (1916-2000)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jokipii, J. R.; Gloeckler, G.

John Alexander Simpson, a long-time member and Fellow of AGU, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and last year's recipient of the Bowie Medal, died on August 31, 2000, from complications following open heart surgery. He was 83 years old and a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he spent most of an extraordinarily varied and productive career.He received his bachelor's degree from Reed College in 1940, and a master's and a doctorate from New York University in 1942 and 1943. After working on the Manhattan Project until 1946, he joined the University of Chicago faculty where he rose through the ranks and was appointed to a succession of prestigious named professorships.

EUSO-SPB2: second generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) on board a Super-Pressure Balloon (SPB), The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Co-I PROPOSAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reardon, Patrick

This is the Co-Investigator Proposal for EUSO-SPB2, second generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super-Pressure Balloon, being led by PI Angela V. Olinto at the University of Chicago. We propose to design, build, deploy, and publish the scientific results of a second generation of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), to be flown aboard a Super-Pressure Balloon (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 will monitor the night sky of the Southern hemisphere to study cosmic rays of very high to ultrahigh energies and pioneer the search for cosmogenic tau neutrinos from space. EUSO-SPB2 will be the first instrument to observe Cherenkov light from extensive air-showers high in the atmosphere. EUSOSPB2 will observe a large sample of cosmic rays from 0.1 to 1 EeV with the Cherenkov technique and will discriminate among the Cherenkov profiles of primary protons, heavy nuclei, and photons. It will also characterize the background for upward going showers initiated by the decay of tau leptons, which are expected to be produced by Earthskimming tau neutrinos. A coincidence veto will be developed for EUSO-SPB2 so it can characterize the background for Cherenkov signals from the neutrino produced tau leptons. EUSO-SPB2 will also use fluorescence observations to measure, for the first time, the evolution of nearly horizontal high altitude extensive air showers, which develop at the nearly constant low-density atmosphere. Such measurements will provide a unique channel to probe hadronic interaction models at ultrahigh energies, and may elucidate the reason why ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) showers observed by ground-based detectors contain more muons than expected from hadronic interaction models. EUSO-SPB2 is a pathfinder for the more ambitious space-based measurements by the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA), currently proposed for a NASA design study. POEMMA will combine the well-developed Orbiting Widefield Light-collectors (OWL) concept with the

Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) Prelaunch Mission Operations Report (MOR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Program is an endeavor to understand the origin and fate of the universe, to understand the birth and evolution of the large variety of objects in the universe, from the most benign to the most violent, and to probe the fundamental laws of physics by examining their behavior under extreme physical conditions. These goals are pursued by means of observations across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and through theoretical interpretation of radiations and fields associated with astrophysical systems. Astrophysics orbital flight programs are structured under one of two operational objectives: (1) the establishment of long duration Great Observatories for viewing the universe in four major wavelength regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (radio/infrared/submillimeter, visible/ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma ray), and (2) obtaining crucial bridging and supporting measurements via missions with directed objectives of intermediate or small scope conducted within the Explorer and Spacelab programs. Under (1) in this context, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is one of NASA's four Great Observatories. The other three are the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for the visible and ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) for the X-ray band, and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) for infrared wavelengths. GRO's specific mission is to study the sources and astrophysical processes that produce the highest energy electromagnetic radiation from the cosmos. The fundamental physical processes that are known to produce gamma radiation in the universe include nuclear reactions, electron bremsstrahlung, matter-antimatter annihilation, elementary particle production and decay, Compton scattering, synchrotron radiation. GRO will address a variety of questions relevant to understanding the universe, such as: the formation of the elements; the structure and dynamics of the Galaxy; the nature of pulsars; the existence

The Russian-Ukrainian Observatories Network for the European Astronomical Observatory Route Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrievsky, S. M.; Bondar, N. I.; Karetnikov, V. G.; Kazantseva, L. V.; Nefedyev, Y. A.; Pinigin, G. I.; Pozhalova, Zh. A.; Rostopchina-Shakhovskay, A. N.; Stepanov, A. V.; Tolbin, S. V.

2011-09-01

In 2004,the Center of UNESCO World Heritage has announced a new initiative "Astronomy & World Heritage" directed for search and preserving of objects,referred to astronomy,its history in a global value,historical and cultural properties. There were defined a strategy of thematic programme "Initiative" and general criteria for selecting of ancient astronomical objects and observatories. In particular, properties that are situated or have significance in relation to celestial objects or astronomical events; representations of sky and/or celestial bodies and astronomical events; observatories and instruments; properties closely connected with the history of astronomy. In 2005-2006,in accordance with the program "Initiative", information about outstanding properties connected with astronomy have been collected.In Ukraine such work was organized by astronomical expert group in Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory. In 2007, Nikolaev observatory was included to the Tentative List of UNESCO under # 5116. Later, in 2008, the network of four astronomical observatories of Ukraine in Kiev,Crimea, Nikolaev and Odessa,considering their high authenticities and integrities,was included to the Tentative List of UNESCO under # 5267 "Astronomical Observatories of Ukraine". In 2008-2009, a new project "Thematic Study" was opened as a successor of "Initiative". It includes all fields of astronomical heritage from earlier prehistory to the Space astronomy (14 themes in total). We present the Ukraine-Russian Observatories network for the "European astronomical observatory Route project". From Russia two observatories are presented: Kazan Observatory and Pulkovo Observatory in the theme "Astronomy from the Renaissance to the mid-twentieth century".The description of astronomical observatories of Ukraine is given in accordance with the project "Thematic study"; the theme "Astronomy from the Renaissance to the mid-twentieth century" - astronomical observatories in Kiev,Nikolaev and Odessa; the

Obituary: John J. Hillman, 1938-2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanover, Nancy

2007-12-01

John J. Hillman, a dedicated NASA civil servant, spectroscopist, astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and mentor, died on February 12, 2006 of ocular melanoma at his home in Columbia, Maryland. His professional and personal interests were wide-reaching and varied, and he devoted his career to the advancement of our understanding of the beauty and wonder in the world around us. His love of nature, art, and science made him a true Renaissance man. John was born in Fort Jay, New York, on November 22, 1938, and was raised in Washington, D.C. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from American University in 1967, 1970, and 1975, respectively. He began working at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, then in its infancy, in 1969, juggling a full-time position as a Research Physicist, the completion of his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, and a young family. His background in molecular spectroscopy enabled him to apply his skills to numerous disciplines within NASA: infrared and radio astronomy; electronic, vibrational, and rotational structure of interstellar molecules; solar and stellar atmospheres; and planetary atmospheres. He published more than 70 journal papers in these disciplines. He was a frequent contributor to the Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, and possessed a rare ability to bridge the gap between laboratory and remote sensing spectroscopy, bringing scientists from different disciplines together to understand our Universe. The last fifteen years of John's career were devoted to the development of acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) cameras. He championed this technology as a low-cost, low-power alternative to traditional imaging cameras for in situ or remotely sensed planetary exploration. It was within this context that I got to know John, and eventually worked closely with him on the demonstration and application of this technology for planetary science using ground-based telescopes in New Mexico, California

Current Status of Carl Sagan Observatory in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Ibarra, A.

The current status of Observatory "Carl Sagan" (OCS) of University of Sonora is presented. This project was born in 1996 focused to build a small solar-stellar observatory completely operated by remote control. The observatory will be at "Cerro Azul", a 2480 m peak in one of the best regions in the world for astronomical observation, at the Sonora-Arizona desert. The OCS, with three 16 cm solar telescopes and a 55 cm stellar telescope is one of the cheapest observatories, valuated in US200,000 Added to its scientific goals to study solar coronal holes and Supernovae Type 1A, the OCS has a strong educative and cultural program in Astronomy to all levels. At the end of 2001, we started the Program "Constelacion", to build small planetariums through all the countries with a cost of only US80,000. Also, the webcast system for transmission of the solar observations from the prototype OCS at the campus, was expanded to webcast educational programs in Astronomy since July of this year, including courses and diplomats for Latin American people. All of these advances are exposed here.

A robotic observatory in the city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruch, Gerald T.; Johnston, Martin E.

2012-05-01

The University of St. Thomas (UST) Observatory is an educational facility integrated into UST's undergraduate curriculum as well as the curriculum of several local schools. Three characteristics combine to make the observatory unique. First, the telescope is tied directly to the support structure of a four-story parking ramp instead of an isolated pier. Second, the facility can be operated remotely over an Internet connection and is capable of performing observations without a human operator. Third, the facility is located on campus in the heart of a metropolitan area where light pollution is severe. Our tests indicate that, despite the lack of an isolated pier, vibrations from the ramp do not degrade the image quality at the telescope. The remote capability facilitates long and frequent observing sessions and allows others to use the facility without traveling to UST. Even with the high background due to city lights, the sensitivity and photometric accuracy of the system are sufficient to fulfill our pedagogical goals and to perform a variety of scientific investigations. In this paper, we outline our educational mission, provide a detailed description of the observatory, and discuss its performance characteristics.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-01-01

This photograph shows the mirrors of the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), being assembled in the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission.

Unesco's Global Ethics Observatory

PubMed Central

Have, H ten; Ang, T W

2007-01-01

The Global Ethics Observatory, launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in December 2005, is a system of databases in the ethics of science and technology. It presents data on experts in ethics, on institutions (university departments and centres, commissions, councils and review boards, and societies and associations) and on teaching programmes in ethics. It has a global coverage and will be available in six major languages. Its aim is to facilitate the establishment of ethical infrastructures and international cooperation all around the world. PMID:17209103

Educational research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: a grassroots development.

PubMed

Thomas, Patricia A; Wright, Scott M; Kern, David E

2004-10-01

The Divisions of General Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have been a rich source of educational research. To better understand the facilitators and barriers to educational research within the divisions, the authors reviewed published educational research from the divisions published between 1995-2004 and examined the history, leadership decisions, and sentinel events that have allowed educational scholarship within the divisions to grow. The authors' analysis suggests a grassroots model of programmatic growth that includes a growing cadre of clinician-educator scholars, effective mentorship, a faculty development program, access to learners, access to research expertise, protected time for scholarship, some funding, and an institutional culture that stimulates scholarship. A medical education fellowship was integral to the model; fellows were first authors for 47% of reviewed manuscripts. Extramural funding has helped build an infrastructure that supports educational scholarship; however, only 12% of the publications have had extramural funding. Protected time for faculty is the characteristic of this model most at risk. While there has been a move toward more institutional support of educational research, it is clear that further growth in the educational research program will require noninstitutional resources.

Corporate Perspective: An Interview with John Sculley.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temares, M. Lewis

1989-01-01

John Sculley, the chairman of the board of Apple Computer, Inc., discusses information technology management, management strategies, network management, the Chief Information Officer, strategic planning, back-to-the-future planning, business and university joint ventures, and security issues. (MLW)

Swift Creek Landslide Observatory: a university public - private partnership for education and public safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linneman, S. R.

2017-12-01

Community - Scientist partnerships take many forms. In the northwest corner of Washington state a large, active, serpentinitic earthflow has, for decades, shed >25,000 m^3/yr of asbestos-rich sediment into a small agricultural stream system. While the landslide, which moves 3 m/yr, and its unusual sediment have much attracted scientific interest, the situation also presents a great opportunity for community - scientist partnerships. The Swift Creek Landslide Observatory (SCLO) (http://landslide.geol.wwu.edu) is a partnership between scientists and technical staff at Western Washington University + local landowners + the state Department of Ecology + Whatcom County Public Works + a local video security firm. SCLO maintains two remote webcams from which current images are posted to the SCLO website hourly. Users can also view archived images from the cameras, create image-compare visualizations, and create time-lapse movies from the eight-year image archive. SCLO is used by local emergency managers and residents to evaluate the threat of debris flows and floods. It is also used by educators to dramatically illustrate hillslope evolution at a variety of time scales.

Charting the Winds that Change the Universe, II The Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory (SAFIR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leisawitz, David

2003-01-01

The Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory (SAFIR) will study the birth and evolution of stars and planetary systems so young that they are invisible to optical and near-infrared telescopes such as NGST. Not only does the far-infrared radiation penetrate the obscuring dust clouds that surround these systems, but the protoplanetary disks also emit much of their radiation in the far infrared. Furthermore, the dust reprocesses much of the optical emission from the newly forming stars into this wavelength band. Similarly, the obscured central regions of galaxies, which harbor massive black holes and huge bursts of star formation, can be seen and analyzed in the far infrared. SAFIR will have the sensitivity to see the first dusty galaxies in the universe. For studies of both star-forming regions in our galaxy and dusty galaxies at high redshifts, SAFIR will be essential in tying together information that NGST will obtain on these systems at shorter wavelengths and that ALMA will obtain at longer wavelengths.

The Upgraded Kharkiv V. N. Karazin National University Radiophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernogor, L. F.; Garmash, K. P.; Podnos, V. A.; Rozumenko, V. T.; Tsymbal, A. M.; Tyrnov, O. F.

2012-11-01

The Kharkiv V. N. Karazin National University Radiophysical Observatory clustered instruments are located at two sites, Gaidary (49°37'51'' N; 36°19'40.1'' E) and Grakovo (49°38'49'' N; 36°56'07'' E), where sample clock synchronization is accomplished by using GPS receivers. It is a powerful tool for identifying hidden linkages between different altitudes from the D region to GPS orbits. The findings from some experimental studies are illustrated. The MF-HF radar (Gaidary) simultaneously employs the differential absorption, spaced antenna, and the ionosonde techniques. HF Doppler sounding system comprises an HF Doppler radar at vertical incidence at Gaidary (it simultaneously makes soundings at three frequencies) and a passive radar system at Grakovo (it simultaneously observes four frequencies in the 30 kHz - 3 MHz band and eight frequencies in the 1 - 31 MHz band with a velocity resolution of a few m s-1 in most cases). Low-Earth orbit Cicada/Cicada-M and GPS/GLONASS navigation satellite TEC observations are made at Gaidary and Kharkiv City. Since 2001, the fluxgate magnetometer (Grakovo) has acquired measurements in the south-north (H component) and west-east (D) directions at half-second intervals in the 0.001 - 1Hz frequency band within which the internal noise varies from 0.5 pT at f = 1 Hz to 50 pT at f = 0.01Hz. The three-axis saturable-core magnetometer (Gaidary) acquires measurements in the two frequency bands, 0.01 - 0.1 Hz and 0.1 - 5 Hz, where the internal noise level does not exceed 0.075 nT.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE ON TRACK FOR MEASURING THE EXPANSION RATE OF THE UNIVERSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

is to compare and contrast expansion numbers from a variety of distance indicators. The Key Project team is systematically looking into a variety of methods for measuring distances. They are using Cepheids in a large sample to tie into five or six 'secondary methods'. One such secondary method relates the total luminosity of a galaxy to the rate at which the galaxy is spinning, the Tully-Fisher relation. Another secondary method makes use of a special class of exploding star known as a type Ia supernova. This phase of the Hubble Constant research will be completed within another two years. In contrast, the Sandage team focused on a single secondary distance indicator, one of the same indicators also used by the Key Project team, the type Ia supernova. Sandage maintains that these stars are 'standard bombs' according to theory. He suggests that when they explode they all reach exactly the same intrinsic brightness. This would make them extremely reliable 'standard candles,' (objects with a well-known intrinsic brightness) visible 1,000 times farther away than Cepheids. Since they are intrinsically brighter than any other standard candle, they offer the opportunity for an accurate measurement of the Universe's overall expansion by looking out the farthest. Although both teams are still in disagreement over the precise rate at which the Universe is expanding and on how old it is, they are optimistic that their estimates will continue to converge with further observations and analysis. * * * * Members of the Key Project team include W. Freedman (Carnegie Observatories), R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona), J. Mould (Mount Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatories, Australia), L. Ferrarese (Johns Hopkins University), H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University), J. Graham (Department of Terrestrial Magnetism), M. Han (University of Wisconsin), P. Harding (University of Arizona), J. Hoessel (University of Wisconsin), J. Huchra (Smithsonian/Harvard University), S. Hughes (Royal

Observatories and Telescopes of Modern Times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leverington, David

2016-11-01

Preface; Part I. Optical Observatories: 1. Palomar Mountain Observatory; 2. The United States Optical Observatory; 3. From the Next Generation Telescope to Gemini and SOAR; 4. Competing primary mirror designs; 5. Active optics, adaptive optics and other technical innovations; 6. European Northern Observatory and Calar Alto; 7. European Southern Observatory; 8. Mauna Kea Observatory; 9. Australian optical observatories; 10. Mount Hopkins' Whipple Observatory and the MMT; 11. Apache Point Observatory; 12. Carnegie Southern Observatory (Las Campanas); 13. Mount Graham International Optical Observatory; 14. Modern optical interferometers; 15. Solar observatories; Part II. Radio Observatories: 16. Australian radio observatories; 17. Cambridge Mullard Radio Observatory; 18. Jodrell Bank; 19. Early radio observatories away from the Australian-British axis; 20. The American National Radio Astronomy Observatory; 21. Owens Valley and Mauna Kea; 22. Further North and Central American observatories; 23. Further European and Asian radio observatories; 24. ALMA and the South Pole; Name index; Optical observatory and telescope index; Radio observatory and telescope index; General index.

Remembering John M. Olson (1929-2017).

PubMed

Blankenship, Robert E; Brune, Daniel C; Olson, Jon C

2018-02-19

Here we provide reflections of and a tribute to John M. Olson, a pioneering researcher in photosynthesis. We trace his career, which began at Wesleyan University and the University of Pennsylvania, and continued at Utrech in The Netherlands, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Odense University in Denmark. He was the world expert on pigment organization in the green photosynthetic bacteria, and discovered and characterized the first chlorophyll-containing protein, which has come to be known as the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein. He also thought and wrote extensively on the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis. We include personal comments from Brian Matthews, Raymond Cox, Paolo Gerola, Beverly Pierson and Jon Olson.

Nearby Type Ia Supernova Follow-up at the Thacher Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swift, Jonathan; O'Neill, Katie; Kilpatrick, Charles; Foley, Ryan

2018-06-01

Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) provide an effective way to study the expansion of the universe through analyses of their photometry and spectroscopy. The interpretation of high-redshift SN Ia is dependent on accurate characterization of nearby, low-redshift targets. To help build up samples of nearby SN Ia, the Thacher Observatory has begun a photometric follow-up program in 4 photometric bands. Here we present the observations and analysis of multi-band photometry for several recent supernovae as well as FLOYDS spectra from the Las Cumbres Observatory.

Historical Archives in Italian Astronomical Observatories: The ``Specola 2000'' Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinnici, I.; Mandrino, A.; Bònoli, F.

2006-12-01

Italy's well-consolidated tradition in astronomy is fully witnessed by its rich archival heritage. Astronomical records are stored in many observatories and universities, as well as in libraries and in private institutions. In 2000 a project was promoted to arrange and produce inventories of all material kept in Italian observatory archives. The project was planned by the Società Astronomica Italiana, and financial support was provided by the Italian Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali. In this paper, the results obtained thus far are presented and commented on.

John C. Vangilder (1935-2007): Neurosurgical Leader and Founder of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa.

PubMed

Abel, Taylor J; Holland, Marshall T; Walch, Timothy; Howard, Matthew A

2018-06-01

John C. VanGilder, the former professor and chairman of neurosurgery at The University of Iowa died on August 27, 2007 after making a lasting impact to the field of neurosurgery both in the United States and abroad. In this manuscript, we review VanGilder's life and achievements. VanGilder was born in 1935 in West Virginia and received his undergraduate education at West Virginia University in Morgantown. He studied medicine at the University of West Virginia, completing his final 2 years at the University of Pittsburgh, and after serving in the U.S. military, completed his neurosurgical training at Washington University in St. Louis. He was appointed to faculty positions first at Yale University and later at The University of Iowa, where he became professor and later chairman of the Division of Neurosurgery. VanGilder also served as president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons (1997-1998), president of the Neurosurgical Society of America (1998-1999), chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgery (1997-1998), and vice president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. At The University of Iowa, VanGilder played a key role in the transition of the Division of Neurosurgery to a Department of Neurosurgery and mentored several neurosurgeons who would go on to become department chairmen or make other important neurosurgical contributions at other medical schools in the United States. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The hills are alive: Earth surface dynamics in the University of Arizona Landscape Evolution Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLong, S.; Troch, P. A.; Barron-Gafford, G. A.; Huxman, T. E.; Pelletier, J. D.; Dontsova, K.; Niu, G.; Chorover, J.; Zeng, X.

2012-12-01

To meet the challenge of predicting landscape-scale changes in Earth system behavior, the University of Arizona has designed and constructed a new large-scale and community-oriented scientific facility - the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO). The primary scientific objectives are to quantify interactions among hydrologic partitioning, geochemical weathering, ecology, microbiology, atmospheric processes, and geomorphic change associated with incipient hillslope development. LEO consists of three identical, sloping, 333 m2 convergent landscapes inside a 5,000 m2 environmentally controlled facility. These engineered landscapes contain 1 meter of basaltic tephra ground to homogenous loamy sand and contains a spatially dense sensor and sampler network capable of resolving meter-scale lateral heterogeneity and sub-meter scale vertical heterogeneity in moisture, energy and carbon states and fluxes. Each ~1000 metric ton landscape has load cells embedded into the structure to measure changes in total system mass with 0.05% full-scale repeatability (equivalent to less than 1 cm of precipitation), to facilitate better quantification of evapotraspiration. Each landscape has an engineered rain system that allows application of precipitation at rates between3 and 45 mm/hr. These landscapes are being studied in replicate as "bare soil" for an initial period of several years. After this initial phase, heat- and drought-tolerant vascular plant communities will be introduced. Introduction of vascular plants is expected to change how water, carbon, and energy cycle through the landscapes, with potentially dramatic effects on co-evolution of the physical and biological systems. LEO also provides a physical comparison to computer models that are designed to predict interactions among hydrological, geochemical, atmospheric, ecological and geomorphic processes in changing climates. These computer models will be improved by comparing their predictions to physical measurements made in

NASA X-Ray Observatory Completes Tests Under Harsh Simulated Space Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-07-01

NASA's most powerful X-ray observatory has successfully completed a month-long series of tests in the extreme heat, cold, and airless conditions it will encounter in space during its five-year mission to shed new light on some of the darkest mysteries of the universe. The Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility was put through the rigorous testing as it was alternately heated and cooled in a special vacuum chamber at TRW Space and Electronics Group in Redondo Beach, Calif., NASA's prime contractor for the observatory. "Successful completion of thermal vacuum testing marks a significant step in readying the observatory for launch aboard the Space Shuttle in January," said Fred Wojtalik, manager of the Observatory Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "The observatory is a complex, highly sophisticated, precision instrument," explained Wojtalik. "We are pleased with the outcome of the testing, and are very proud of the tremendous team of NASA and contractor technicians, engineers and scientists that came together and worked hard to meet this challenging task." Testing began in May after the observatory was raised into the 60-foot thermal vacuum chamber at TRW. Testing was completed on June 20. During the tests the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility was exposed to 232 degree heat and 195 degree below zero Fahrenheit cold. During four temperature cycles, all elements of the observatory - the spacecraft, telescope, and science instruments - were checked out. Computer commands directing the observatory to perform certain functions were sent from test consoles at TRW to all Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility components. A team of contractor and NASA engineers and scientists monitored and evaluated the results. Commands were also sent from, and test data monitored at, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility Operations Control Center in Cambridge, Mass., as part of the test series. The observatory will be managed and controlled from

Nex-Gen Space Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-10-26

NASA, space science industry and government officials are seen in front of a full-size model of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. From left, back row are: Dr. John Grunsfeld, former astronaut and Deputy Director, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore; Jeffrey Grant, VP and General Manager of the Space Systems Division, Northrop Grumman; Van Reiner, President and CEO of the Maryland Science Center, Baltimore and Adam Reiss, recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and professor of astronomy and physics at Johns Hopkins University. In the front row are NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, left, and U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Okayama Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

The Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (OAO) is a branch Observatory of the NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY, JAPAN. Its main facilities are 188 cm and 91 cm telescopes, equipped with newly built instruments with CCD/IR cameras (e.g. OASIS). OAO accepts nearly 300 astronomers a year, according to the observation program scheduled by the committee....

John Kuniholm: An Ordinary Man with an Extraordinary Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, John M.

2006-01-01

This article profiles John Kuniholm, a 34-year-old PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at Duke University and has master's degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial design from North Carolina State University. He has worked in the research and development of tools for robotic cardiac surgery for Cardiovations, a Johnson & Johnson…

HUBBLE'S PANORAMIC PICTURE OF COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Infrared image shows bright spot, aftermath of the impact of the first fragment of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on the planet Jupiter. The image was made using an infrared camera built by Ohio State University and the 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO) at La Serena, Chile. Credit: John Spencer (Lowell Observatory), Darren Depoy (Ohio State University), CTIO.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-01

In this photograph, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) was installed and mated to the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) inside the Shuttle Columbia's cargo bay at the Kennedy Space Center. The CXO will help astronomers world-wide better understand the structure and evolution of the universe by studying powerful sources of x-rays such as exploding stars, matter falling into black holes, and other exotic celestial objects. X-ray astronomy can only be done from space because Earth's atmosphere blocks x-rays from reaching the surface. The Observatory provides images that are 50 times more detailed than previous x-ray missions. At more than 45 feet in length and weighing more than 5 tons, the CXO was carried into low-Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93 mission) on July 22, 1999. The Observatory was deployed from the Shuttle's cargo bay at 155 miles above the Earth. Two firings of an attached IUS rocket, and several firings of its own onboard rocket motors, after separating from the IUS, placed the Observatory into its working orbit. The IUS is a solid rocket used to place spacecraft into orbit or boost them away from the Earth on interplanetary missions. Since its first use by NASA in 1983, the IUS has supported a variety of important missions, such as the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, Galileo spacecraft, Magellan spacecraft, and Ulysses spacecraft. The IUS was built by the Boeing Aerospace Co., at Seattle, Washington and managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Report from the Gravitational Observatory Advisory Team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Guido; Gravitational Observatory Advisory Team

2016-03-01

As a response to the selection of the Gravitational Universe as the science theme for ESA's L3 mission, ESA formed the Gravitational-Wave Observatory Advisory Team (GOAT) to advise ESA on the scientific and technological approach for a gravitational wave observatory. NASA is participating with three US scientists and one NASA observer; JAXA was also invited and participates with one observer. The GOAT looked at a range of mission technologies and designs, discussed their technical readiness with respect to the ESA schedule, recommended technology development activities for selected technologies, and worked with the wider gravitational-wave community to analyze the impact on the science of the various mission designs. The final report is expected to be submitted to ESA early March and I plan to summarize its content.

Providing Undergraduate Research Opportunities Through the World Rivers Observatory Collaborative Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, S. L.; Marsh, S. J.; Janmaat, A.; Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B.; Voss, B.; Holmes, R. M.

2013-12-01

Successful research collaboration exists between the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), a primarily undergraduate-serving university located on the Fraser River in British Columbia, and the World Rivers Observatory that is coordinated through the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC). The World Rivers Observatory coordinates time-series sampling of 15 large rivers, with particular focus on the large Arctic rivers, the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Congo, Fraser, Yangtze (Changjiang), Amazon, and Mackenzie River systems. The success of this international observatory critically depends on the participation of local collaborators, such as UFV, that are necessary in order to collect temporally resolved data from these rivers. Several faculty members and undergraduate students from the Biology and Geography Departments of UFV received on-site training from the lead-PIs of the Global Rivers Observatory. To share information and ensure good quality control of sampling methods, WHOI and WHRC hosted two international workshops at Woods Hole for collaborators. For the past four years, faculty and students from UFV have been collecting a variety of bi-monthly water samples from the Fraser River for the World Rivers Observatory. UFV undergraduate students who become involved learn proper sampling techniques and are given the opportunity to design and conduct their own research. Students have collected, analyzed and presented data from this project at regional, national, and international scientific meetings. UFV undergraduate students have also been hosted by WHOI and WHRC as guest students to work on independent research projects. While at WHOI and WHRC, students are able to conduct research using state-of-the-art specialized research facilities not available at UFV.

"Axis of Universe" Not Seen in Data, Astronomers Say

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1997-04-01

A claim that the universe has a preferred direction is not supported by recent observational evidence, according to three astronomers who analyzed data from the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope in New Mexico and the W.M. Keck Telescope in Hawaii. John Wardle of Brandeis University, Rick Perley of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Marshall Cohen of the California Institute of Technology responded to an article in the April 21 issue of Physical Review Letters, in which Borge Nodland of the University of Rochester and John Ralston of the University of Kansas claimed to have found that the universe has a distinct axis that affects electromagnetic radiation (light, radio waves, etc.). Nodland and Ralston said that their analysis of previous radio observations of 160 galaxies, made in the 1970s and 1980s, showed that radiation coming from objects had its direction of polarization rotated by different amounts, depending on the direction of the galaxies. The amount of polarization rotation, they said, increases with the distance of the galaxies, and depends on direction, indicating that the universe has an axis along which more rotation occurs. Wardle, Perley and Cohen say that recent, high-quality observations with the VLA and the 10-meter W.M. Keck telescope show "that the radio and optical data directly refute" the contention of Nodland and Ralston. The more-recent data, consisting of polarization images of galaxies and quasars at a variety of distances and in different directions, simply do not show any evidence for Nodland and Ralston's "cosmic corkscrew" effect, the researchers say. Wardle, Perley and Cohen have submitted their results to Physical Review Letters. Galaxies and quasars, and the "jets" of subatomic particles ejected at great speeds by some of these objects, have definite patterns of polarized emission of light and radio waves. These patterns are well-known and established. If the polarization of their light were rotated by some

Remote observing with the Nickel Telescope at Lick Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigsby, Bryant; Chloros, Konstantinos; Gates, John; Deich, William T. S.; Gates, Elinor; Kibrick, Robert

2008-07-01

We describe a project to enable remote observing on the Nickel 1-meter Telescope at Lick Observatory. The purpose was to increase the subscription rate and create more economical means for graduate- and undergraduate students to observe with this telescope. The Nickel Telescope resides in a 125 year old dome on Mount Hamilton. Remote observers may work from any of the University of California (UC) remote observing facilities that have been created to support remote work at both Keck Observatory and Lick Observatory. The project included hardware and software upgrades to enable computer control of all equipment that must be operated by the astronomer; a remote observing architecture that is closely modeled on UCO/Lick's work to implement remote observing between UC campuses and Keck Observatory; new policies to ensure safety of Observatory staff and equipment, while ensuring that the telescope subsystems would be suitably configured for remote use; and new software to enforce the safety-related policies. The results increased the subscription rate from a few nights per month to nearly full subscription, and has spurred the installation of remote observing sites at more UC campuses. Thanks to the increased automation and computer control, local observing has also benefitted and is more efficient. Remote observing is now being implemented for the Shane 3- meter telescope.

Property and instrumental heritage of the Bordeaux Astronomical Observatory; What future?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de La Noë, J.; Charlot, P.; Grousset, F.

2009-11-01

In the years 1870, the Government of the Third Republic decided to develop scientific and technical research. Such an effort contributed to supporting and creating universities and other institutes such as astronomical observatories. The dual wish of the Bordeaux council and professors at the Faculté des Sciences de Bordeaux led to the foundation of the astronomical Observatory of Bordeaux. It was set up by Georges Rayet in the years 1880's. The observatory owns a property of 12 hectares with a dozen of buildings, five domes housing an instrument, a Würzburg radiotelescope, a 2.5 meter radiotelescope, and a large collection of about 250 instruments, 4 500 photographic plates, drawings, slides for teaching astronomy, maps of the Carte du Ciel and 200 files of archives. In addition, the library contains about a thousand books for the period 1600-1950. The future of the observatory is not clear at the present time, when the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique will leave to the campus in a few years.

Speaking Personally--With John Seely Brown

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Journal of Distance Education, 2008

2008-01-01

This article presents an interview with John Seely Brown, a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California and a former chief scientist of Xerox Corporation and director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)--a position he held for nearly two decades. While head of PARC, Brown expanded the role of corporate research to include such…

Jean Piaget's Debt to John Dewey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanner, Daniel

2016-01-01

Jean Piaget became a veritable institution unto himself in education and psychology, largely as the result of his developmental-stage theory advanced over the second quarter of the twentieth century. Not until Piaget was 73 did he make mention of John Dewey's work at Dewey's laboratory school, founded in 1894 at the University of Chicago. But here…

Teaching astronomy and astrophysics at the Valencian International University (VIU): Application and use of Virtual Observatory tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diago, P. D.; Gutiérrez-Soto, J.; Ruiz, J. E.; Solano, E.

2013-05-01

The Astronomy and Astrophysics Master, running at the Valencian International University (VIU, http://www.viu.es) since march 2010, is a clear example of how development of infor- mation and communication technologies (ICTs) and new e-learning methods are changing the traditional distance learning. In the context of the European Space for Higher Edu- cation (ESHE) we present how the Virtual Observatory (VO) tools can be an important part in the Astronomy and Astrophysics teaching. The described tasks has been carried out during the last three courses. These tasks are representative of the state of the art in Astrophysics research. We attach a description and a learning results list of each one of the presented tasks. The tasks can be downloaded at the Spanish VO website: http://svo.cab.inta-csic.es/docs/index.php?pagename=Education/VOcases

Auroral research at the Tromsø Northern Lights Observatory: the Harang directorship, 1928-1946

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egeland, Alv; Burke, William J.

2016-03-01

The Northern Lights Observatory in Tromsø began as Professor Lars Vegard's dream for a permanent facility in northern Norway, dedicated to the continuous study of auroral phenomenology and dynamics. Fortunately, not only was Vegard an internationally recognized spectroscopist, he was a great salesman and persuaded the Rockefeller Foundation that such an observatory represented an important long-term investment. A shrewd judge of talent, Vegard recognized the scientific and managerial skills of Leiv Harang, a recent graduate from the University of Oslo, and recommended that he become the observatory's first director. In 1929, subsequent to receiving the Rockefeller Foundation grant, the University of Oslo established a low temperature laboratory to support Vegard's spectroscopic investigations. This paper follows the scientific accomplishments of observatory personnel during the 18 years of Harang's directorship. These include: identifying the chemical sources of auroral emissions, discovering the Vegard-Kaplan bands, quantifying height distributions of different auroral forms, interpreting patterns of magnetic field variations, remotely probing auroral electron distribution profiles in the polar ionosphere, and monitoring the evolving states of the ozone layer. The Rockefeller Foundation judges got it right: the Tromsø Nordlysobservatoriet was, and for decades remained, an outstanding scientific investment.

McDonald Observatory Visitor Center Education Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemenway, M. K.; Armosky, B. J.; Wetzel, M.; Preston, S.

2002-12-01

The opening of the new Visitor Center at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas provided an opportunity to greatly expand the Observatory's outreach efforts to students and teachers. In addition to a theater, outdoor telescope park, and amphitheater, the facility contains a classroom and an exhibit entitled ``Decoding Starlight." In preparation for the opening, new teacher-friendly materials were written to provide standards aligned (both state and national) classroom activities for students. These activities form the core for both the multi-day Professional Development Program for teachers and the Student Field Experience Program. Student Field Experiences often begin with a tour specifically designed for student groups to emphasize careers and life at the Observatory. The group then interacts with the exhibit using Exhibit Guides that were developed for various grade levels. When their schedule allows, student groups may also participate in nighttime observing activities. Smaller groups (under 30 members) may choose from a menu of hands-on activities offered within the classroom. The positive reception of these activities has led to their inclusion in the existing Elderhostel program for senior citizens. We gratefully acknowledge the support of NSF 96-26965 ``Fingerprinting the Universe - An Interactive, Bilingual Exhibit on Spectroscopy," NSF 97-05340 ``Universo, Hispanic Heritage Month Programs, and StarDate in the Classroom," and NASA IDEAS HST-ED-90234-.01 ``Enriching the Experience at McDonald Observatory: Pre/Post Visit Materials for Teachers and Students."

University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-01-01

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is the astronomical research organization of the University of Hawaii (UH). Its headquarters is located in Honolulu on the island of Oahu near the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the main UH cam-pus. The IfA is responsible for administering and maintaining the infrastructure for Haleakala Observatories on the island of Maui and for Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) on the island of Hawaii.

The Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A.; Melsheimer, T.; Sackett, C.

1999-05-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is believed to be the first observatory built as part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the building and dome has been completed, and first light is planned for spring 1999. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. Local schools and youth organizations will have prioritized access to the telescope, and there will also be opportunities for public viewing. After midnight, the telescope will be open to world-wide use by schools via the Internet following the model of the first TIE observatory, the 24" telescope on Mt. Wilson. Students remotely connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images on their local computers. The observatory grew out of grassroots support from the local community surrounding Berthoud, Colorado, a town of 3,500 residents. TIE has provided the observatory with a Tinsley 18" Cassegrain telescope on a 10-year loan. The facility has been built with tremendous support from volunteers and the local school district. We have received an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops which will allow K-12 schools in northern Colorado to make use of the Little Thompson Observatory, including remote observing from classrooms.

Nex-Gen Space Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-10-26

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), third from right, cuts the yellow ribbon presenting the James Webb Space Telescope permanent exhibit at the Maryland Science Center on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 in Baltimore. Mikulski is joined by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, far left; Adam Reiss, recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and professor of astronomy and physics at Johns Hopkins University; Jeffrey Grant, VP and General Manager of the Space Systems Division, Northrop Grumman; Van Reiner, President and CEO of the Maryland Science Center, Baltimore and Dr. John Grunsfeld, former astronaut and Deputy Director, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore. The Webb telescope will provide images of the first galaxies ever formed and explore planets around distant stars. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

The high energy astronomy observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neighbors, A. K.; Doolittle, R. F.; Halpers, R. E.

1977-01-01

The forthcoming NASA project of orbiting High Energy Astronomy Observatories (HEAO's) designed to probe the universe by tracing celestial radiations and particles is outlined. Solutions to engineering problems concerning HEAO's which are integrated, yet built to function independently are discussed, including the onboard digital processor, mirror assembly and the thermal shield. The principle of maximal efficiency with minimal cost and the potential capability of the project to provide explanations to black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts are also stressed. The first satellite is scheduled for launch in April 1977.

The Observatory as Laboratory: Spectral Analysis at Mount Wilson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brashear, Ronald

2018-01-01

This paper will discuss the seminal changes in astronomical research practices made at the Mount Wilson Observatory in the early twentieth century by George Ellery Hale and his staff. Hale’s desire to set the agenda for solar and stellar astronomical research is often described in terms of his new telescopes, primarily the solar tower observatories and the 60- and 100-inch telescopes on Mount Wilson. This paper will focus more on the ancillary but no less critical parts of Hale’s research mission: the establishment of associated “physical” laboratories as part of the observatory complex where observational spectral data could be quickly compared with spectra obtained using specialized laboratory equipment. Hale built a spectroscopic laboratory on the mountain and a more elaborate physical laboratory in Pasadena and staffed it with highly trained physicists, not classically trained astronomers. The success of Hale’s vision for an astronomical observatory quickly made the Carnegie Institution’s Mount Wilson Observatory one of the most important astrophysical research centers in the world.

The old Jesuit observatory in Graz. (German Title: Die alte Jesuiten-Sternwarte in Graz)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinmayr, Johann; Müller, Isolde; Posch, Thomas

2011-08-01

We give a brief overview of the development of astronomical research at the University of Graz from the 16th to the 18th century. This period is intimately connected to the activities of the Jesuit Order and to the counter-reformation in Inner Austria (a territory roughly corresponding to today's Styria, Carinthia, Slovenia and the County of Görz in Italy). Since the opening of the University in 1585, several Jesuits achieved distinction as mathematicians, physicists and astronomers in Graz. Among them are Paul Guldin, who corresponded with Johannes Kepler and died in Graz in 1643, as well as Leopold Biwald and Karl Tirnberger. Between 1745 and 1774, the Jesuit University of Graz also had a chair of astronomy and an observatory. The chair and the observatory were well endowed at the beginning, but later on neglected by their former funders and closed down after less than 30 years. Efforts to re-establish an observatory at Graz at the beginning of the 19th century failed. They were successful only towards the end of the 19th century, which is however a period beyond the scope of the present paper.

Astronomical observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponomarev, D. N.

1983-01-01

The layout and equipment of astronomical observatories, the oldest scientific institutions of human society are discussed. The example of leading observatories of the USSR allows the reader to familiarize himself with both their modern counterparts, as well as the goals and problems on which astronomers are presently working.

The role of geomagnetic observatory data during the Swarm mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridley, Victoria; Macmillan, Susan; Beggan, Ciaran

2014-05-01

The scientific use of Swarm magnetic data and Swarm-derived products is greatly enhanced through combination with observatory data and indices. The strength of observatory data is their long-term accuracy, with great care being taken to ensure temperature control and correction, platform stability and magnetic cleanliness at each site. Observatory data are being distributed with Swarm data as an auxiliary product. We describe the preparation of the data set of ground observatory hourly mean values, including procedures to check and select observatory data spanning the modern magnetic survey satellite era. Existing collaborations, such as INTERMAGNET and the World Data Centres for Geomagnetism, are proving invaluable for this. We also discuss how observatory measurements are being used to ground-truth Swarm data as part of the Calibration/Validation effort. Recent efforts to improve the coverage and timeliness of observatory data have been encouraged and now over 60 INTERMAGNET observatories and several other high-quality observatories are providing close-to-definitive data within 3 months of measurement. During the Calibration/Validation period these data are gathered and homogenised on a regular basis by BGS. We then identify measurements collected during overhead passes of the Swarm satellites. For each pass, we remove an estimate of the main field from both the data collected at altitude and that collected on the ground. Both sets of data are then normalised relative to the data variance during all passes in the Calibration/Validation period. The absolute differences of the two sets of normalised data can be used as a metric of satellite data quality relative to observatory data quality. This can be examined by universal time, local time, disturbance level and geomagnetic latitude, for example. A preliminary study of CHAMP data, using definitive minute mean observatory data, has shown how this approach can provide a baseline for detecting abnormalities at all

[Comment on] BOSP members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

The new Board on Ocean Science and Policy (BOSP) (Eos, June 7, 1983, p. 402) met for the first time on May 4. John B. Slaughter, former director of the National Science Foundation and now chancellor of the University of Maryland in College Park, is the board's chairman. Other board members are D. James Baker, Jr. (University of Washington, Seattle); Kirk Bryan (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton University); John P. Craven (University of Hawaii); Charles L. Drake (Dartmouth College); Paul M. Fye (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution); Edward D. Goldberg (Scripps Institution of Oceanography); G. Ross Heath (Oregon State University); Judith T. Kildow (Massachusetts Institute of Technology); John A. Knauss (University of Rhode Island); James J. McCarthy (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University); H. William Menard (Scripps Institution of Oceanography); C. Barry Raleigh (Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory); Roger Revelle (University of California, San Diego); David A. Ross (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution); Brian J. Rothschild (University of Maryland); William M. Sackett (University of South Florida); John H. Steele (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution); and Carl Wunsch (MIT). Wallace Broecker (Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory), an original board member, resigned after the first meeting. Broecker told Eos that combining the science and policy boards resulted in a new board whose mission is too broad. A new board member will be appointed in Broecker's place

John Dewey's Visits to Hawai'i

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwan, Hunter

2015-01-01

John Dewey visited Hawai'i on three separate occasions. Of all three trips, by far the most important, as far as Dewey's influence on education in Hawai'i is concerned, was in 1899 when he came with his wife, Alice Chipman Dewey, to help launch the University Extension program in Honolulu. The Deweys' second trip was a very brief one--twenty years…

Geomagnetic Observatory Data for Real-Time Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Love, J. J.; Finn, C. A.; Rigler, E. J.; Kelbert, A.; Bedrosian, P.

2015-12-01

The global network of magnetic observatories represents a unique collective asset for the scientific community. Historically, magnetic observatories have supported global magnetic-field mapping projects and fundamental research of the Earth's interior and surrounding space environment. More recently, real-time data streams from magnetic observatories have become an important contributor to multi-sensor, operational monitoring of evolving space weather conditions, especially during magnetic storms. In this context, the U.S. Geological Survey (1) provides real-time observatory data to allied space weather monitoring projects, including those of NOAA, the U.S. Air Force, NASA, several international agencies, and private industry, (2) collaborates with Schlumberger to provide real-time geomagnetic data needed for directional drilling for oil and gas in Alaska, (3) develops products for real-time evaluation of hazards for the electric-power grid industry that are associated with the storm-time induction of geoelectric fields in the Earth's conducting lithosphere. In order to implement strategic priorities established by the USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area and the National Science and Technology Council, and with a focus on developing new real-time products, the USGS is (1) leveraging data management protocols already developed by the USGS Earthquake Program, (2) developing algorithms for mapping geomagnetic activity, a collaboration with NASA and NOAA, (3) supporting magnetotelluric surveys and developing Earth conductivity models, a collaboration with Oregon State University and the NSF's EarthScope Program, (4) studying the use of geomagnetic activity maps and Earth conductivity models for real-time estimation of geoelectric fields, (5) initiating geoelectric monitoring at several observatories, (6) validating real-time estimation algorithms against historical geomagnetic and geoelectric data. The success of these long-term projects is subject to funding constraints

The Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A.; Melsheimer, T.; Rideout, C.; Vanlew, K.

1998-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is believed to be the first observatory built as part of a high school and accessible to other schools remotely, via the Internet. This observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction is nearly completed and first light is planned for fall 1998. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. Local schools and youth organizations will have prioritized access to the telescope, and there will also be opportunities for public viewing. After midnight, the telescope will be open to world-wide use by schools via the Internet following the model of the first TIE observatory, the 24" telescope on Mt. Wilson. That telescope has been in use for the past four years by up to 50 schools per month. Students remotely connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images on their local computers. The observatory grew out of grassroots support from the local community surrounding Berthoud, Colorado, a town of 3,500 residents. TIE has provided the observatory with a Tinsley 18" Cassegrain telescope on a 10-year loan. The facility has been built with tremendous support from volunteers and the local school district. We have applied for an IDEAS grant to provide teacher training workshops which will allow K-12 schools in northern Colorado to make use of the Little Thompson Observatory, including remote observing from classrooms.

Mission Study for Generation-X: A Large Area and High Angular Observatory to Study the Early Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brissenden, Roger

2005-01-01

In this report we provide a summary of the technical progress achieved during the last year Generation-X Vision Mission Study. In addition, we provide a brief programmatic status. The Generation-X (Gen-X) Vision Mission Study investigates the science requirements, mission concepts and technology drivers for an X-ray telescope designed to study the new frontier of astrophysics: the birth and evolution of the first stars, galaxies and black holes in the early Universe. X-ray astronomy offers an opportunity to detect these via the activity of the black holes, and the supernova explosions and gamma-ray burst afterglows of the massive stars. However, such objects are beyond the grasp of current missions which are operating or even under development. Our team has conceived a Gen-X Vision Mission based on an X-ray observatory with 100 m2 collecting area at 1 keV (1000 times larger than Chandra) and 0.1 arcsecond angular resolution (several times better than Chandra and 50 times better than the Constellation-X resolution goal). Such a high energy observatory will be capable of detecting the earliest black holes and galaxies in the Universe, and will also study extremes of density, gravity, magnetic fields, and kinetic energy which cannot be created in laboratories. In our study we develop the mission concept and define candidate technologies and performance requirements for Gen-X. The baseline Gen-X mission involves four 8 m diameter X-ray telescopes operating at Sun-Earth L2. We trade against an alternate concept of a single 26 m diameter telescope with focal plane instruments on a separate spacecraft. A telescope of this size will require either robotic or human-assisted in-flight assembly. The required effective area implies that extremely lightweight grazing incidence X-ray optics must be developed. To achieve the required areal density of at least 100 times lower than for Chandra, we study 0.2 mm thick mirrors which have active on-orbit figure control. We also study

Deepest X-Rays Ever Reveal universe Teeming With Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-03-01

For the first time, astronomers believe they have proof black holes of all sizes once ruled the universe. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory provided the deepest X-ray images ever recorded, and those pictures deliver a novel look at the past 12 billion years of black holes. Two independent teams of astronomers today presented images that contain the faintest X-ray sources ever detected, which include an abundance of active super massive black holes. "The Chandra data show us that giant black holes were much more active in the past than at present," said Riccardo Giacconi, of Johns Hopkins University and Associated Universities, Inc., Washington, DC. The exposure is known as "Chandra Deep Field South" since it is located in the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Fornax. "In this million-second image, we also detect relatively faint X-ray emission from galaxies, groups, and clusters of galaxies". The images, known as Chandra Deep Fields, were obtained during many long exposures over the course of more than a year. Data from the Chandra Deep Field South will be placed in a public archive for scientists beginning today. "For the first time, we are able to use X-rays to look back to a time when normal galaxies were several billion years younger," said Ann Hornschemeier, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. The group’s 500,000-second exposure included the Hubble Deep Field North, allowing scientists the opportunity to combine the power of Chandra and the Hubble Space Telescope, two of NASA's Great Observatories. The Penn State team recently acquired an additional 500,000 seconds of data, creating another one-million-second Chandra Deep Field, located in the constellation of Ursa Major. Chandra Deep Field North/Hubble Deep Field North Press Image and Caption The images are called Chandra Deep Fields because they are comparable to the famous Hubble Deep Field in being able to see further and fainter objects than any image of the universe taken at X

Project of space research and technology center in Engelhardt astronomical observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nefedyev, Y.; Gusev, A.; Sherstukov, O.; Kascheev, R.; Zagretdinov, R.

2012-09-01

Today on the basis of Engelhardt astronomical observatory (EAO) is created Space research and technology center as consistent with Program for expansion of the Kazan University. The Centre has the following missions: • EDUCATION • SCIENCE • ASTRONOMICAL TOURISM

Aspects of Reading Acquisition; Proceedings of the Annual Hyman Blumberg Symposium on Research in Early Childhood Education (5th, Johns Hopkins University, Nov. 13-14, 1974).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guthrie, John T., Ed.

Papers collected in this volume were presented at the Fifth Annual Blumberg Symposium on Research in Early Childhood Education, held at Johns Hopkins University in 1974. Selections include "Alexia" (D. Frank Benson), "Young Children's Expectations for Reading" (Doris R. Entwisle), "Relations between Acquisition of…

Welfare effects of reduced milk production associated with Johne's disease on Johne's-positive versus Johne's-negative dairy operations.

PubMed

Losinger, Willard C

2006-08-01

An examination of the economic impacts of reduced milk production associated with Johne's disease on Johne's-positive and Johne's-negative dairy operations indicated that, if Johne's disease had not existed in US dairy cows in 1996, then the economic surplus of Johne's-negative operations would have been $600 million+/-$530 million lower, while the economic surplus of Johne's-positive operations would have been higher by $28 million+/-$79 million, which was not significantly different from zero. The data available for projecting changes in surplus were not sufficiently precise to allow an exact statement on whether Johne's-positive operations would have been better or worse off economically, in terms of the value received for producing more milk if they had not been affected by Johne's disease. The changes in producer surplus, based upon eliminating specific epidemiological risk factors for Johne's disease, were disaggregated between Johne's-positive dairy operations exposed to the risk factor and all other US dairy operations. Eliminating the risk factor of having any cows not born on the operation would have had a significant positive effect on the economic surplus of Johne's-positive operations that had any cows not born on the operation.

WNCC Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, L. F.

2003-05-01

Western Nevada Community College (WNCC), located in Carson City, Nevada, is a small two year college with only 6,000 students. Associate degrees and Cer- tificates of Achievement are awarded. The college was built and started classes in 1971 and about 12 years ago the chair of the physics department along with a few in administration had dreams of building a small observatory for education. Around that time a local foundation, Nevada Gaming Foundation for Education Excellence, was looking for a beneficiary in the education field to receive a grant. They decided an observatory at the college met their criteria. Grants to the foundation instigated by Senators, businesses, and Casinos and donations from the local public now total $1.3 million. This paper will explain the different facets of building the observatory, the planning, construction, telescopes and equipment decisions and how we think it will operate for the public, education and research. The organization of local volunteers to operate and maintain the observatory and the planned re- search will be explained.

``Route of astronomical observatories'' project: Classical observatories from the Renaissance to the rise of astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfschmidt, Gudrun

2016-10-01

Observatories offer a good possibility for serial transnational applications. For example one can choose groups like baroque or neoclassical observatories, solar physics observatories or a group of observatories equipped with the same kind of instruments or made by famous firms. I will discuss what has been achieved and show examples, like the route of astronomical observatories, the transition from classical astronomy to modern astrophysics. I will also discuss why the implementation of the World Heritage & Astronomy initiative is difficult and why there are problems to nominate observatories for election in the national tentative lists.

The NCU Lu-Lin Observatory Survived the Taiwan 921 Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsay, W. S.; Chang, K. H.; Li, H. H.

1999-12-01

The NCU (National Central University) Lu-Lin Observatory is located at Mt. Front Lu-Lin, 120o 52' 25" E and 23o 28' 07" N, a 2862-m peak in the Yu-Shan National Park. The construction of Lu-Lin Observatory was finished in January 1999. Fortunately the Lu-Lin Observatory survived the Taiwan 921 Earthquake that was 7.3 on the Ritcher scale. We are proud of the design of Lu-Lin Observatory adopted H-beam and steel wall even the center of earthquake was only 40 km away. The initial study of Lu-Lin site was started since late 1989. Later on, a three-year project was founded by the National Science Council , which supported the development of a modern seeing monitor for this site survey study from 1990 through 1993. The average seeing of Lu-Lin site is about 1.39 arc-second with average 200 clear nights annually. The sky background of this site is 20.72 mag/arcsec2 in V band and 21.22 mag/arcsec2 in B band. The Lu-Lin observatory is developed for both research and education activity. A homemade 76-cm Super Light Telescope (SLT) and three TAOS's 50-cm robotic telescopes will be the two major research facilities. This work is supported by the National Science Council of Taiwan.

EUSO-SPB2: Second Generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a SuperPressure Balloon, Colorado School of Mines Co-I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiencke, Lawrence

This is a Co-Investigator Proposal for EUSO-SPB2, second generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super-Pressure Balloon. The PI is Angela V. Olinto (University of Chicago) Co-Is at Marshall Space Flight Center (Institution PI, M. Christl), Colorado School of Mines (Institution PI, L.Wiencke), University of Alabama Huntsville (Institution PI, P. Reardon), and Lehman College, CUNY (Institution PI, L. Anchordoqui). We propose to design, build, deploy, and publish the scientific results of a second generation of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), to be flown aboard a Super-Pressure Balloon (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 will monitor the night sky of the Southern hemisphere to study cosmic rays of very high to ultrahigh energies and pioneer the search for cosmogenic tau neutrinos from space. EUSO-SPB2 will be the first instrument to observe Cherenkov light from extensive airshowers high in the atmosphere. EUSO-SPB2 will observe a large sample of cosmic rays from 0.1 to 1 EeV with the Cherenkov technique and will discriminate among the Cherenkov profiles of primary protons, heavy nuclei, and photons. It will also characterize the background for upward going showers initiated by the decay of tau leptons, which are expected to be produced by Earth-skimming tau neutrinos. A coincidence veto will be developed for EUSO-SPB2 so it can characterize the background for Cherenkov signals from the neutrino produced tau leptons. EUSO-SPB2 will also use fluorescence observations to measure, for the first time, the evolution of nearly horizontal high altitude extensive air showers, which develop at the nearly constant low-density atmosphere. Such measurements will provide a unique channel to probe hadronic interaction models at ultrahigh energies, and may elucidate the reason why ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) showers observed by ground-based detectors contain more muons than expected from hadronic interaction models. EUSO-SPB2 is a pathfinder for the more ambitious

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and Post-war Japanese Optical Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Toshiyuki

This paper depicts some aspects of the formative process of the Japanese optical and infrared astronomical community in the post-war period, featuring the transition of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(NAOJ). We take up three cases of telescope construction, examining their background and their contribution to the Japanese astronomical community. Through these cases, the characteristics of traditions and cultures of optical and infrared astronomy in Japan are considered. Although the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (TAO) of the University of Tokyo, the predecessor of NAOJ, was originally founded as an agency for practical astronomical observation such as time and almanac service, it has become an international centre for all types of astrophysical research. Research and development of telescopes and observational instruments have become an important part of the astronomers' practice. Now, however, a number of Japanese universities are planning to have their own large to middle-sized telescopes, and a new style of astronomical research is emerging involving astrophysical studies utilising data acquired from the Virtual Observatory, so there is a distinct possibility that the status of the NAOJ will change even further in the future.

Robotic Spectroscopy at the Dark Sky Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Daniel E.; Gray, Richard O.; Mashburn, Jonathan; Swenson, Aaron W.; McGahee, Courtney E.; Briley, Michael M.

2018-06-01

Spectroscopic observations using the classification-resolution Gray-Miller spectrograph attached to the Dark Sky Observatory 32 inch telescope (Appalachian State University, North Carolina) have been automated with a robotic script called the “Robotic Spectroscopist” (RS). RS runs autonomously during the night and controls all operations related to spectroscopic observing. At the heart of RS are a number of algorithms that first select and center the target star in the field of an imaging camera and then on the spectrograph slit. RS monitors the observatory weather station, and suspends operations and closes the dome when weather conditions warrant, and can reopen and resume observations when the weather improves. RS selects targets from a list using a queue-observing protocol based on observer-assigned priorities, but also uses target-selection criteria based on weather conditions, especially seeing. At the end of the night RS transfers the data files to the main campus, where they are reduced with an automatic pipeline. Our experience has shown that RS is more efficient and consistent than a human observer, and produces data sets that are ideal for automatic reduction. RS should be adaptable for use at other similar observatories, and so we are making the code freely available to the astronomical community.

The SOAR Telescope Project Southern Observatory for Astronomical Research (SOAR)

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-21

completed SOAR dome and facility. 2. Dome The preliminary design of the dome was handled by M3 (US). A Brazilian firm, Equatorial Sistemas led the...for the Gemini Telescope during construction, now Project Manager at the National Solar Observatory • Robert Shelton, Provost of the University on

The IRIS network site at the Wilcox Solar Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoeksema, J. T.; Scherrer, P. H.

1991-01-01

The site for the International Research on the Interior of the Sun (IRIS) instrument housed at the Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University (near San Francisco, USA) is described together with the instrument operation procedure. The IRIS instrument, which measures global oscillations of the sun, operates continuously every clear day since it was installed in August 1987.

Astronomical publications of Melbourne Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andropoulos, Jenny Ioanna

2014-05-01

During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, four well-equipped government observatories were maintained in Australia - in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. These institutions conducted astronomical observations, often in the course of providing a local time service, and they also collected and collated meteorological data. As well, some of these observatories were involved at times in geodetic surveying, geomagnetic recording, gravity measurements, seismology, tide recording and physical standards, so the term "observatory" was being used in a rather broad sense! Despite the international renown that once applied to Williamstown and Melbourne Observatories, relatively little has been written by modern-day scholars about astronomical activities at these observatories. This research is intended to rectify this situation to some extent by gathering, cataloguing and analysing the published astronomical output of the two Observatories to see what contributions they made to science and society. It also compares their contributions with those of Sydney, Adelaide and Perth Observatories. Overall, Williamstown and Melbourne Observatories produced a prodigious amount of material on astronomy in scientific and technical journals, in reports and in newspapers. The other observatories more or less did likewise, so no observatory of those studied markedly outperformed the others in the long term, especially when account is taken of their relative resourcing in staff and equipment.

Scholarship in Teaching and Learning: An Interview with John Mitterer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, David B.

2009-01-01

John Mitterer earned his PhD in cognitive psychology from McMaster University. Like many teaching professors, his career took an unexpected turn early on when he was hired to teach introductory psychology at Brock University, near Niagara Falls, in Ontario, Canada. It was love at first lecture. He never left the course and now, as a full professor…

Enabling Remote and Automated Operations at The Red Buttes Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, Tyler G.; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kasper, David; Yeigh, Rex R.

2016-01-01

The Red Buttes Observatory (RBO) is a 60 centimeter Cassegrain telescope located ten miles south of Laramie, Wyoming. The size and proximity of the telescope comfortably make the site ideal for remote and automated observations. This task required development of confidence in control systems for the dome, telescope, and camera. Python and WinSCP script routines were created for the management of science images and weather. These scripts control the observatory via the ASCOM standard libraries and allow autonomous operation after initiation.The automation tasks were completed primarily to rejuvenate an aging and underutilized observatory with hopes to contribute to an international exoplanet hunting team with other interests in potentially hazardous asteroid detection. RBO is owned and operated solely by the University of Wyoming. The updates and proprietor status have encouraged the development of an undergraduate astronomical methods course including hands-on experience with a research telescope, a rarity in bachelor programs for astrophysics.

Chandra X-Ray Observatory High Resolution Mirror Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This photograph shows the mirrors of the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), being assembled in the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical 'telescope' portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for its project management. The Observatory was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-93 mission.

The Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A. E.; VanLew, K.; Melsheimer, T.; Sackett, C.

1999-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. Construction of the dome and the remote control system has been completed, and the telescope is now on-line and operational over the Internet. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. Local schools and youth organizations have prioritized access to the telescope, and there are monthly opportunities for public viewing. In the future, the telescope will be open after midnight to world-wide use by schools following the model of the first TIE observatory, the 24" telescope on Mt. Wilson. Students remotely connect to the observatory over the Internet, and then receive the images on their local computers. The observatory grew out of grassroots support from the local community surrounding Berthoud, Colorado, a town of 3,500 residents. TIE has provided the observatory with a Tinsley 18" Cassegrain telescope on a 10-year loan. The facility has been built with tremendous support from volunteers and the local school district. With funding from an IDEAS grant, we have begun teacher training workshops which will allow K-12 schools in northern Colorado to make use of the Little Thompson Observatory, including remote observing from classrooms.

NASA Awards Chandra X-Ray Observatory Follow-On Contract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-08-01

NASA has awarded a contract to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., to provide science and operational support for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, one of the world's most powerful tools to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The contract will have a period of performance from August 31, 2003, through July 31, 2010, with an estimated value of 373 million. It is a follow-on contract to the existing contract with Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory that has provided science and operations support to the Observatory since its launch in July 1999. At launch the intended mission life was five years. As a result of Chandra's success, NASA extended the mission from five to 10 years. The value of the original contract was 289 million. The follow-on contract with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory will continue through the 10-year mission. The contract type is cost reimbursement with no fee. The contract covers mission operations and data analysis, which includes the observatory operations, science data processing and the general and guaranteed time observer (astronomer) support. The observatory operations tasks include monitoring the health and status of the observatory and developing and up linking the observation sequences during Chandra's communication coverage periods. The science data processing tasks include the competitive selection, planning, and coordination of science observations with the general observers and processing and delivery of the resulting scientific data. There are approximately 200 to 250 observing proposals selected annually out of about 800 submitted, with a total amount of observing time of about 20 million seconds. Chandra has exceeded expectations of scientists, giving them unique insight into phenomena light years away, such as exotic celestial objects, matter falling into black holes, and stellar explosions. X-ray astronomy can only be performed from space because Earth's atmosphere

Three Short Videos by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wessells, Stephen; Lowenstern, Jake; Venezky, Dina

2009-01-01

This is a collection of videos of unscripted interviews with Jake Lowenstern, who is the Scientist in Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). YVO was created as a partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and University of Utah to strengthen the long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake unrest in the Yellowstone National Park region. Yellowstone is the site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and the first National Park. YVO is one of the five USGS Volcano Observatories that monitor volcanoes within the United States for science and public safety. These video presentations give insights about many topics of interest about this area. Title: Yes! Yellowstone is a Volcano An unscripted interview, January 2009, 7:00 Minutes Description: USGS Scientist-in-Charge of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Jake Lowenstern, answers the following questions to explain volcanic features at Yellowstone: 'How do we know Yellowstone is a volcano?', 'What is a Supervolcano?', 'What is a Caldera?','Why are there geysers at Yellowstone?', and 'What are the other geologic hazards in Yellowstone?' Title: Yellowstone Volcano Observatory An unscripted interview, January 2009, 7:15 Minutes Description: USGS Scientist-in-Charge of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Jake Lowenstern, answers the following questions about the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory: 'What is YVO?', 'How do you monitor volcanic activity at Yellowstone?', 'How are satellites used to study deformation?', 'Do you monitor geysers or any other aspect of the Park?', 'Are earthquakes and ground deformation common at Yellowstone?', 'Why is YVO a relatively small group?', and 'Where can I get more information?' Title: Yellowstone Eruptions An unscripted interview, January 2009, 6.45 Minutes Description: USGS Scientist-in-Charge of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Jake Lowenstern, answers the following questions to explain volcanic

LIGO - The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abramovici, Alex; Althouse, William E.; Drever, Ronald W. P.; Gursel, Yekta; Kawamura, Seiji; Raab, Frederick J.; Shoemaker, David; Sievers, Lisa; Spero, Robert E.; Thorne, Kip S.

1992-01-01

The goal of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project is to detect and study astrophysical gravitational waves and use data from them for research in physics and astronomy. LIGO will support studies concerning the nature and nonlinear dynamics for gravity, the structures of black holes, and the equation of state of nuclear matter. It will also measure the masses, birth rates, collisions, and distributions of black holes and neutron stars in the universe and probe the cores of supernovae and the very early universe. The technology for LIGO has been developed during the past 20 years. Construction will begin in 1992, and under the present schedule, LIGO's gravitational-wave searches will begin in 1998.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Madhulika Guhathakurta, far right, SDO Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, speaks during a briefing to discuss recent images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. Pictured from left of Dr. Guhathakurta's are: Tom Woods, principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder; Philip H. Scherrer, principal investigator, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument, Stanford University in Palo Alto; Alan Title, principal investigator, Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto and Dean Pesnell, SDO project scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Scientists involved in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission attend a press conference to discuss recent images captured by the SDO spacecraft Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. Pictured right to left are: Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO program scientist, NASA Headquarters in Washington; Tom Woods, principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder; Philip H. Scherrer, principal investigator, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument, Stanford University in Palo Alto; Alan Title, principal investigator, Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto and Dean Pesnell, SDO project scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Tools for Coordinated Planning Between Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jeremy; Fishman, Mark; Grella, Vince; Kerbel, Uri; Maks, Lori; Misra, Dharitri; Pell, Vince; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

With the realization of NASA's era of great observatories, there are now more than three space-based telescopes operating in different wavebands. This situation provides astronomers with a unique opportunity to simultaneously observe with multiple observatories. Yet scheduling multiple observatories simultaneously is highly inefficient when compared to observations using only one single observatory. Thus, programs using multiple observatories are limited not due to scientific restrictions, but due to operational inefficiencies. At present, multi-observatory programs are conducted by submitting observing proposals separately to each concerned observatory. To assure that the proposed observations can be scheduled, each observatory's staff has to check that the observations are valid and meet all the constraints for their own observatory; in addition, they have to verify that the observations satisfy the constraints of the other observatories. Thus, coordinated observations require painstaking manual collaboration among the observatory staff at each observatory. Due to the lack of automated tools for coordinated observations, this process is time consuming, error-prone, and the outcome of the requests is not certain until the very end. To increase observatory operations efficiency, such manpower intensive processes need to undergo re-engineering. To overcome this critical deficiency, Goddard Space Flight Center's Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch is developing a prototype effort called the Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT). The main objective of the VOLT project is to provide visual tools to help automate the planning of coordinated observations by multiple astronomical observatories, as well as to increase the scheduling probability of all observations.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-05-01

This photograph shows the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) being removed from the test structure in the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-12-16

This is a photograph of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) integration at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-12-16

This is a photograph of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) integration at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSCF was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-05-01

This photograph shows the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) being removed from the test structure in the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

Arecibo Observatory support of the US international cometary Explorer mission encounter at comet Giacobini-Zinner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, D. D.; Ward, M. T.

1986-01-01

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico participated in the support of the U.S. International Cometary Explorer (ICE) mission when the ICE spacecraft passed through the tail of comet Giacobini-Zinner on September 11, 1985. The Arecibo Observatory is a research facility of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) operated by Cornell University under contract to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Coverage of the encounter involved the use of the observatory's 305-m (1000-ft) radio reflector antenna and RF and data system equipment fabricated or modified specifically for support of the ICE mission. The successful implementation, testing, and operation of this temporary receive, record, and data relay capability resulted from a cooperative effort by personnel at the Arecibo Observatory, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Running a distributed virtual observatory: U.S. Virtual Astronomical Observatory operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGlynn, Thomas A.; Hanisch, Robert J.; Berriman, G. Bruce; Thakar, Aniruddha R.

2012-09-01

Operation of the US Virtual Astronomical Observatory shares some issues with modern physical observatories, e.g., intimidating data volumes and rapid technological change, and must also address unique concerns like the lack of direct control of the underlying and scattered data resources, and the distributed nature of the observatory itself. In this paper we discuss how the VAO has addressed these challenges to provide the astronomical community with a coherent set of science-enabling tools and services. The distributed nature of our virtual observatory-with data and personnel spanning geographic, institutional and regime boundaries-is simultaneously a major operational headache and the primary science motivation for the VAO. Most astronomy today uses data from many resources. Facilitation of matching heterogeneous datasets is a fundamental reason for the virtual observatory. Key aspects of our approach include continuous monitoring and validation of VAO and VO services and the datasets provided by the community, monitoring of user requests to optimize access, caching for large datasets, and providing distributed storage services that allow user to collect results near large data repositories. Some elements are now fully implemented, while others are planned for subsequent years. The distributed nature of the VAO requires careful attention to what can be a straightforward operation at a conventional observatory, e.g., the organization of the web site or the collection and combined analysis of logs. Many of these strategies use and extend protocols developed by the international virtual observatory community. Our long-term challenge is working with the underlying data providers to ensure high quality implementation of VO data access protocols (new and better 'telescopes'), assisting astronomical developers to build robust integrating tools (new 'instruments'), and coordinating with the research community to maximize the science enabled.

NASA Announces Contest to Name X-Ray Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-04-01

NASA is searching for a new name for the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), currently scheduled for launch Dec. 3, 1998, from the Space Shuttle Columbia. AXAF is the third of NASA's Great Observatories, after the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Once in orbit around Earth, it will explore hot, turbulent regions in the universe where X-rays are produced. Dr. Alan Bunner, director of NASA's Structure and Evolution of the universe science program, will announce April 18 at the National Science Teacher's Association meeting in Las Vegas, NV, the start of a contest, open to people worldwide, to find a new name for the observatory. Entries should contain the name of a person (not living), place, or thing from history, mythology, or fiction. Contestants should describe in a few sentences why this choice would be a good name for AXAF. The name must not have been used before on space missions by NASA or other organizations or countries. The grand prize will be a trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, to see the launch of the satellite aboard the Space Shuttle. Ten runner-up prizes will be awarded and all entrants will receive an AXAF poster. The grand prize is sponsored by TRW Inc., AXAF's prime contractor. The AXAF Science Center in Cambridge, MA, will run the contest for NASA. NASA will announce the final selection of the winning name later this year. Entries also can be mailed to: AXAF Contest, AXAF Science Center, Office of Education and Public Outreach, 60 Garden Street, MS 83, Cambridge, MA 02138. Mailed entries must be postmarked no later than June 30, 1998. All entries must state a name for the mission, along with the reason the name would make a good choice. The observatory, now in the final stages of assembly and testing at TRW's facility in Redondo Beach, CA, is more than 45 feet long and weighs 10,500 pounds. AXAF is the largest and most powerful X-ray observatory ever constructed, and its images will be

Odessa Observatory as a Cultural and Scientific Educational Center on the Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karetnikov, V. G.; Dorokhova, T. N.

2007-10-01

Odessa is a large port city on the Black Sea. Historically, transport, economy and business problems call forth the necessity of a major astronomical center in the city. In 2006 the Astronomical Observatory of Odessa National University celebrates its 135th Anniversary. Some interesting astronomical buildings and instruments of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the extensive scientific investigations which are reflected in numerous publications make the Observatory not only a scientific and educational establishment but also an historical and cultural center.

Education and public outreach at the Carl Sagan Solar Observatory of the University of Sonora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saucedo-Morales Julio; Loera-González, Pablo

2013-05-01

We discuss the importance of small solar observatories for EPO (Education and Public Outreach), mentioning why they are relevant and what kind of equipment and software require. We stress the fact that technological advances have made them affordable and that they should be widely available. This work is a result of our experience with one: The Carl Sagan Solar Observatory (CSSO). We briefly describe its status and the solar data obtained daily with students participation. We present examples of the data obtained in the visible, Ca II and two in Hα. Data which is widely used for education. Finally we talk about the capability for remote operation as an open invitation for collaboration in educational and scientific projects.

Education and public outreach at the Carl Sagan Solar Observatory of the University of Sonora.

PubMed

Saucedo-Morales, Julio; Loera-González, Pablo

2013-05-01

We discuss the importance of small solar observatories for EPO (Education and Public Outreach), mentioning why they are relevant and what kind of equipment and software require. We stress the fact that technological advances have made them affordable and that they should be widely available. This work is a result of our experience with one: The Carl Sagan Solar Observatory (CSSO). We briefly describe its status and the solar data obtained daily with students participation. We present examples of the data obtained in the visible, Ca II and two in Hα. Data which is widely used for education. Finally we talk about the capability for remote operation as an open invitation for collaboration in educational and scientific projects.

The Boulder magnetic observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Finn, Carol A.; Pedrie, Kolby L.; Blum, Cletus C.

2015-08-14

The Boulder magnetic observatory has, since 1963, been operated by the Geomagnetism Program of the U.S. Geological Survey in accordance with Bureau and national priorities. Data from the observatory are used for a wide variety of scientific purposes, both pure and applied. The observatory also supports developmental projects within the Geomagnetism Program and collaborative projects with allied geophysical agencies.

Comparison of Superconducting and Spring Gravimeters at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Satoshi; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Kim, Tae-Hee; Tamura, Yoshiaki

2017-04-01

Continuous microgravity monitoring is utilized to gain new insights into changes in the subsurface distribution of magma and/or fluid that commonly occur beneath active volcanoes. Rather new superconducting and spring gravimeters, iGrav#003 and gPhone#136 are collocated with a superconducting gravimeter, TT#70 at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, since the end of September, 2016 in order to evaluate those performances before field deployment planned in 2017. Calibration of iGrav#003 was carried out by collocation with an absolute gravimeter FG5 of the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo (Okubo, 2016, personal comm.) at a Fundamental Gravity Station in Sendai in July, 2016. Based on the scale factors of iGrav#003 obtained by the calibration and of gPhone#136 provided by the manufacturer (Micro-g LaCoste, Inc.), tidal analyses are performed by means of BAYTAP-G (Tamura et al., 1991, GJI). Amplitudes and phases of each major tidal constituent mutually agree well within ±4 % and ±3 degrees, respectively. The instrumental drift rate of iGrav#003 is very low, about 5 micro-Gal/month, whereas that of gPhone#136 is very high, about 500 micro-Gal/month. The high drift rate of gPhone#136, however, is well approximated by a quadratic function at present and can be removed. The detrended time series of gPhone#136 shows good agreement with iGrav#003 time series in the overall feature: gravity fluctuations with amplitudes of about a few micro-Gal and with durations of a few days, which may be due to variations in the moisture content of the topmost unsaturated sedimentary layer and the water table height. It suggests that both instruments may capture volcanic signals associated with pressure changes in magma chambers, dike intrusion/withdrawing, and so on. iGrav#003 will be installed in the Zao volcanological observatory of Tohoku University located at about 3 km from the summit crater, and gPhone#136 will be

A Reply to John Searle and Other Traditionalists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brice, Robert Greenleaf

2008-01-01

In an article entitled "Traditionalists & Their Challengers," John Searle says there is "supposed to be a major debate" in the universities as to whether liberal education should be replaced with multiculturalism. He finds this debate "puzzling," "disappointing," even "depressing." By dividing academia into two groups, the so-called "defenders of…

Implementing an Education and Outreach Program for the Gemini Observatory in Chile.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, M. A.

2006-08-01

Beginning in 2001, the Gemini Observatory began the development of an innovative and aggressive education and outreach program at its Southern Hemisphere site in northern Chile. A principal focus of this effort is centered on local education and outreach to communities surrounding the observatory and its base facility in La Serena Chile. Programs are now established with local schools using two portable StarLab planetaria, an internet-based teacher exchange called StarTeachers and multiple partnerships with local educational institutions. Other elements include a CD-ROM-based virtual tour that allows students, teachers and the public to experience the observatory's sites in Chile and Hawaii. This virtual environment allows interaction using a variety of immersive scenarios such as a simulated observation using real data from Gemini. Pilot projects like "Live from Gemini" are currently being developed which use internet videoconferencing technologies to bring the observatory's facilities into classrooms at universities and remote institutions. Lessons learned from the implementation of these and other programs will be introduced and the challenges of developing educational programming in a developing country will be shared.

Status And Performance Of The Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope at Etelman Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, David C.; Gendre, Bruce; Neff, James E.; Giblin, Timothy W.

2016-01-01

The Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope is an 0.5m robotic telescope located at the easternmost and southernmost optical observatory in the United States at a latitude of 18.5N and longitude of 65W. The observatory is located on the island of St Thomas in the USVI. Astronomers from the College of Charleston, the US Air Force Academy, and the University of the Virgin Islands collaborate to maintain and operate the facility. The primary scientific focus of the facility is the optical follow-up of high-energy transients though a variety of other science interests are also being pursued including follow-up of candidate extra-solar planets, rotation studies of cool stars, and near-Earth asteroid and space situational awareness studies. The facility also supports a wide-reaching education and outreach program dedicated to raising the level of STEAM engagement and enrichment in the USVI. We detail the characteristics, capabilities, and early results from the observatory. The observatory is growing its staff and science activities and potential topics for collaboration will be discussed.

Education and public astronomy programs at the Carter Observatory: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orchiston, W.; Dodd, R. J.

1996-05-01

This paper outlines the extensive range of public programs offered by the Carter Observatory, including 'public nights', new planetarium and audio-visual shows, displays, the Carter Memorial Lectures, the annual 'Astronomical Handbook' and other publications, and a monthtly newspaper column and three monthly radio programs. It also deals with the Observatory's involvement in undergraduate and postgraduate astronomy at Victoria University of Wellington, various adult education training programs, holiday programs, and the recent development of the Education Service in response to the introduction of an Astronomy curriculum into schools throughout New Zealand. Some possible future developments in the public astronomy and education areas are also discussed.

The Willard L. Eccles Observatory: Commissioning and Development of Remote Operation Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, Wayne; Dawson, Kyle; Gondolo, Paolo; Ricketts, Paul; Ramsrud, Nicolas; Samarasingha, Upul

2011-03-01

The University of Utah completed construction of the Willard L. Eccles Observatory located on Frisco Peak near Milford, UT in October 2009. The observatory site is located on a prominent peak at an altitude of approximately 9600 feet in a region with minimal light pollution. The Frisco Peak site was chosen after careful consideration of many factors including climate, light pollution and available infrastructure. The facility houses a 32" telescope manufactured by DFM Engineering of Longmont, CO. Further development of remote operation capabilities is currently being undertaken. Monitoring of the weather and seeing conditions are being performed and confirm the excellent nature of the site for astronomical observations. The observatory facilities will be used for educational and public outreach activities as well as research projects. A description of the facility and its planned use will be provided.

Observatory for education and public outreach controlled through the World Wide Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzik, T. Gregory; Motl, Patrick M.; Burks, Geoffrey S.; Fisher, Paul; Giammanco, James; Landolt, Arlo U.; Stacy, J. G.; Tohline, Joel E.; Wefel, Katrina

1998-05-01

For the last two and a half years the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Louisiana State University has been engaged in a collaborative effort with the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society to develop a observatory that can be used for astronomy education from primary school; through graduate studies as well as for recreation and public outreach. The observatory includes a 2,300 square feet facility, a 20-inch diameter Ritchey-Chretien telescope, a black-thinned CCD camera, a computer control system and an internet T1 link. The on site public outreach and education program has been fully active since Fall, 1997 and we are currently in the process of developing a platform- independent system for remotely controlling the observatory over the internet. The initial version of the Java/World Wide Web based software is currently functioning and provides interactive control of the observatory via any Java compatible web browser. The main principles of the remote control system are presented in this paper, along with a discussion of the education and outreach goals of the observatory, details of the facility and hardware, initial measurements of system performance, and a discussion of our future development plans.

Looking to the future of organs-on-chips: interview with Professor John Wikswo.

PubMed

Wikswo, John P

2017-06-01

John Wikswo talks to Francesca Lake, Managing Editor: John is the founding Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education (VIIBRE). He is also the Gordon A Cain University Professor; a B learned Professor of Living State Physics; and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Physics. John earned his PhD in physics at Stanford University (CA, USA). After serving as a Research Fellow in Cardiology at Stanford, he joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA), where he went on to make the first measurement of the magnetic field of an isolated nerve. He founded VIIBRE at Vanderbilt in 2001 in order to foster and enhance interdisciplinary research in the biophysical sciences, bioengineering and medicine. VIIBRE efforts have led to the development of devices integral to organ-on-chip research. He is focusing on the neurovascular unit-on-a-chip, heart-on-a-chip, a missing organ microformulator, and microfluidic pumps and valves to control and analyze organs-on-chips.

The Virtual Observatory: I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanisch, R. J.

2014-11-01

The concept of the Virtual Observatory arose more-or-less simultaneously in the United States and Europe circa 2000. Ten pages of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium: Panel Reports (National Academy Press, Washington, 2001), that is, the detailed recommendations of the Panel on Theory, Computation, and Data Exploration of the 2000 Decadal Survey in Astronomy, are dedicated to describing the motivation for, scientific value of, and major components required in implementing the National Virtual Observatory. European initiatives included the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory at the European Southern Observatory, the AstroGrid project in the United Kingdom, and the Euro-VO (sponsored by the European Union). Organizational/conceptual meetings were held in the US at the California Institute of Technology (Virtual Observatories of the Future, June 13-16, 2000) and at ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany (Mining the Sky, July 31-August 4, 2000; Toward an International Virtual Observatory, June 10-14, 2002). The nascent US, UK, and European VO projects formed the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) at the June 2002 meeting in Garching, with yours truly as the first chair. The IVOA has grown to a membership of twenty-one national projects and programs on six continents, and has developed a broad suite of data access protocols and standards that have been widely implemented. Astronomers can now discover, access, and compare data from hundreds of telescopes and facilities, hosted at hundreds of organizations worldwide, stored in thousands of databases, all with a single query.

Scientific results obtained by the Busot observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Lozano, R.; Rodes, J. J.; Torrejón, J. M.; Bernabéu, G.; Berná, J. Á.

2016-12-01

We present the discovery of three new W UMa systems by our group as a part of a photometric follow-up of variable stars carried out with the Busot observatory 36 cm robotic telescope in collaboration with the X-ray astronomy group at University of Alicante (Alicante, Spain). Specifically we show the high limiting magnitude to detect moving objects (V˜ 21 mag), and the high stability and accuracy attained in photometry which allow us to measure very shallow planet transits.

Johns Hopkins University Announces Frederick CREST Classes for Fall 2016 | Poster

Cancer.gov

Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU) Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) division recently announced two classes that will be hosted at the Frederick Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST) this fall. According to a JHU press release, the classes are Biochemistry, which is part of the M.S. in Biotechnology program at JHU AAP, and Molecular Biology, a part

Astronomical Honeymoon Continues as X-Ray Observatory Marks First Anniversary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-08-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory celebrates its initial year in orbit with an impressive list of firsts. Through Chandra's unique X-ray vision, scientists have seen for the first time the full impact of a blast wave from an exploding star, a flare from a brown dwarf, and a small galaxy being cannibalized by a larger one. Chandra is the third in NASA's family of great observatories, complementing the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. "Our goal is to identify never-before-seen phenomena, whether they're new or millions of years old. All this leads to a better understanding of our universe, " said Martin Weisskopf, chief project scientist for the Chandra program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. "Indeed, Chandra has changed the way we look at the universe." Chandra was launched in July 1999. After only two months in space, the observatory revealed a brilliant ring around the heart of the Crab Pulsar in the Crab Nebula ­ the remains of a stellar explosion ­ providing clues about how the nebula is energized by a pulsing neutron, or collapsed, star. Chandra also detected a faint X-ray source in the Milky Way galaxy, which may be the long-sought X-ray emission from the known massive black hole at the galaxy's center. A black hole is a region of space with so much concentrated mass there is no way for a nearby object, even light, to escape its gravitational pull. The observatory captured as well an image that revealed gas funneling into a massive black hole in the heart of a galaxy, two million light years from our own Milky Way, is much cooler than expected. "Chandra is teaching us to expect the unexpected about all sorts of objects ranging from comets in our solar system and relatively nearby brown dwarfs to distant black holes billions of light years away," said Harvey Tananbaum, director of the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, MA. Perhaps one of Chandra's greatest contributions to X-ray astronomy is the resolution

Education and public outreach at the Carl Sagan Solar Observatory of the University of Sonora

PubMed Central

Saucedo-Morales, Julio; Loera-González, Pablo

2013-01-01

We discuss the importance of small solar observatories for EPO (Education and Public Outreach), mentioning why they are relevant and what kind of equipment and software require. We stress the fact that technological advances have made them affordable and that they should be widely available. This work is a result of our experience with one: The Carl Sagan Solar Observatory (CSSO). We briefly describe its status and the solar data obtained daily with students participation. We present examples of the data obtained in the visible, Ca II and two in Hα. Data which is widely used for education. Finally we talk about the capability for remote operation as an open invitation for collaboration in educational and scientific projects. PMID:25685436

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1978-01-01

Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by TRW, the second High Energy Astronomy Observatory was launched November 13, 1978. The observatory carried the largest X-ray telescope ever built and was renamed the Einstein Observatory after achieving orbit.

Constellation X-Ray Observatory Unlocking the Mysteries of Black Holes, Dark Matter and Life Cycles of Matter in the Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, Kim; Wanjek, Christopher

2004-01-01

This document provides an overview of the Contellation X-Ray Observatory and its mission. The observatory consists of four x-ray telescopes borne on a satellite constellation at the Earth-Sun L2 point.

John Bardeen: an extraordinary physicist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoddeson, Lillian

2008-04-01

On the morning of 1 November 1956 the US physicist John Bardeen dropped the frying-pan of eggs that he was cooking for breakfast, scattering its contents on the kitchen floor. He had just heard that he had won the Nobel Prize for Physics along with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for their invention of the transistor. That evening Bardeen was startled again, this time by a parade of his colleagues from the University of Illinois marching to the door of his home bearing champagne and singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow".

A continued program of planetary study at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trafton, L.

1991-01-01

The program conducts solar system research in support of NASA missions and of general astronomical interest. Investigations of composition, physical characteristics and changes in solar system bodies are conducted primarily using the facilities of McDonald Observatory. Progress, accomplishments, and projected accomplishments are discussed.

The Little Thompson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, A.; VanLew, K.; Melsheimer, T.; Sackett, C.

2000-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is the second member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. The telescope is operational over the Internet, and we are now debugging the software to enable schools to control the telescope from classroom computers and take images. Local schools and youth organizations have prioritized access to the telescope, and there are monthly opportunities for public viewing. In the future, the telescope will be open after midnight to world-wide use by schools following the model of the first TIE observatory, the 24" telescope on Mt. Wilson. The observatory grew out of grassroots support from the local community surrounding Berthoud, Colorado, a town of 3,500 residents. TIE has provided the observatory with a Tinsley 18" Cassegrain telescope on a 10-year loan. The facility has been built with tremendous support from volunteers and the local school district. With funding from an IDEAS grant, we have completed the first teacher training workshops to allow K-12 schools in northern Colorado to make use of the Little Thompson Observatory, including remote observing from classrooms. The workshops were accredited by the school district, and received very favorable reviews.

Ancient "Observatories" - A Relevant Concept?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Juan Antonio

It is quite common, when reading popular books on astronomy, to see a place referred to as "the oldest observatory in the world". In addition, numerous books on archaeoastronomy, of various levels of quality, frequently refer to the existence of "prehistoric" or "ancient" observatories when describing or citing monuments that were certainly not built with the primary purpose of observing the skies. Internet sources are also guilty of this practice. In this chapter, the different meanings of the word observatory will be analyzed, looking at how their significances can be easily confused or even interchanged. The proclaimed "ancient observatories" are a typical result of this situation. Finally, the relevance of the concept of the ancient observatory will be evaluated.

The Virtual Solar Observatory and the Heliophysics Meta-Virtual Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurman, Joseph B.

2007-01-01

The Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) is now able to search for solar data ranging from the radio to gamma rays, obtained from space and groundbased observatories, from 26 sources at 12 data providers, and from 1915 to the present. The solar physics community can use a Web interface or an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows integrating VSO searches into other software, including other Web services. Over the next few years, this integration will be especially obvious as the NASA Heliophysics division sponsors the development of a heliophysics-wide virtual observatory (VO), based on existing VO's in heliospheric, magnetospheric, and ionospheric physics as well as the VSO. We examine some of the challenges and potential of such a "meta-VO."

The Johns Hopkins Address Registration System (JHARS): Anatomy of an Application.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cyzyk, Mark

2003-01-01

Describes the registration system at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, which allows centralized administration and self-signup for access to the Hopkins network. Reception of the system has been overwhelmingly positive. (SLD)

Design and development status of the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory 6.5m telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morokuma, Tomoki; Aoki, Tsutomu; Doi, Mamoru; Handa, Toshihiro; Kamizuka, Takafumi; Kato, Natsuko; Kawara, Kimiaki; Kohno, Kotaro; Konishi, Masahiro; Koshida, Shintaro; Minezaki, Takeo; Miyata, Takashi; Motohara, Kentaro; Sako, Shigeyuki; Soyano, Takao; Takahashi, Hidenori; Tamura, Yoichi; Tanabe, Toshihiko; Tanaka, Masuo; Tarusawa, Ken'ichi; Yoshii, Yuzuru

2014-07-01

We here summarize the design and the current fabrication status for the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) 6.5-m telescope. The TAO telescope is operated at one of the best sites for infrared observations, at the summit of Co. Chajnantor in Chile, and is optimized for infrared observations. The telescope mount, mirrors, and mirror support systems are now at the final design phase. The mechanical and optical designs are done by following and referring to those of the Magellan telescopes, MMT, and Large Binocular Telescope. The final focal ratio is 12.2. The field-of-view is as wide as 25 arcmin in diameter and the plate scale is 2.75 arcsec mm-1. The F/1.25 light-weighted borosilicate (Ohara E6) honeycomb primary mirror is adopted and being fabricated by the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory. The primary mirror is supported by 104 loadspreaders bonded to the back surface of the mirror and 6 adjustable hardpoints. The mirror is actively controlled by adjusting the actuator forces based on the realtime wavefront measurement. The actuators are optimized for operation at high altitude of the site, 5640-m above the sea level, by considering the low temperature and low air pressure. The mirror is held in the primary mirror cell which is used as a part of the vacuum chamber when the mirror surface is aluminized without being detached from the cell. The pupil is set at the secondary mirror to minimize infrared radiation into instruments. The telescope has two Nasmyth foci for near-infrared and mid-infrared facility instruments (SWIMS and MIMIZUKU, respectively) and one folded-Caseggrain focus for carry-in instruments. At each focus, autoguider and wavefront measurement systems are attached to achieve seeing-limited image quality. The telescope mount is designed as a tripod-disk type alt-azimuth mount. Both the azimuthal and elevation axes are supported by and run on the hydrostatic bearings. Friction drives are selected for these axis drives. The telescope

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-04-15

This photograph captures the installation of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), Advanced Charged-Coupled Device (CCD) Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) into the Vacuum Chamber at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The ACIS is one of two focal plane instruments. As the name suggests, this instrument is an array of CCDs similar to those used in a camcorder. This instrument will be especially useful because it can make x-ray images and measure the energies of incoming x-rays. It is the instrument of choice for studying the temperature variation across x-ray sources, such as vast clouds of hot-gas intergalactic space. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

Everyday astronomy @ Sydney Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parello, S. L.

2008-06-01

Catering to a broad range of audiences, including many non-English speaking visitors, Sydney Observatory offers everything from school programmes to public sessions, day care activities to night observing, personal interactions to web-based outreach. With a history of nearly 150 years of watching the heavens, Sydney Observatory is now engaged in sharing the wonder with everybody in traditional and innovative ways. Along with time-honoured tours of the sky through two main telescopes, as well as a small planetarium, Sydney Observatory also boasts a 3D theatre, and offers programmes 363 days a year - rain or shine, day and night. Additionally, our website neversleeps, with a blog, YouTube videos, and night sky watching podcasts. And for good measure, a sprinkling of special events such as the incomparable Festival of the Stars, for which most of northern Sydney turns out their lights. Sydney Observatory is the oldest working observatory in Australia, and we're thrilled to be looking forward to our 150th Anniversary next year in anticipation of the International Year of Astronomy immediately thereafter.

John N Bahcall (1934 2005)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergström, Lars; Botner, Olga; Carlson, Per; Hulth, Per Olof; Ohlsson, Tommy

2005-01-01

the Universe, properties of quasars, structure of the galaxies, the evolution of stars, and the identification of the first neutron star companion. John was an active member of the International Advisory Committee of the Nobel Symposium 129 on Neutrino Physics in Enköping, Sweden between August 19 and August 24, 2004, but he was unfortunately not able to attend the Symposium himself due to his illness. He will be hugely missed in the scientific community and especially among neutrino physicists. We, the members of the Local Organizing Committee of the Symposium, will always remember his large enthusiasm and creativity, warm friendship, and sharp intellect.

Johns Hopkins University Announces Frederick CREST Classes for Fall 2016 | Poster

Cancer.gov

Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU) Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) division recently announced two classes that will be hosted at the Frederick Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST) this fall. According to a JHU press release, the classes are Biochemistry, which is part of the M.S. in Biotechnology program at JHU AAP, and Molecular Biology, a part of the M.S. in Bioinformatics program at JHU AAP.

How To Cover NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-07-01

NASA's newest space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, is scheduled for launch not earlier than July 20, 1999, aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-93. The world's most powerful X-ray observatory, Chandra will join the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's other great observatories in an unprecedented study of our universe. With its capability to "see" an otherwise invisible but violent, vibrant and ever-changing universe, Chandra will provide insights into the universe's structure and evolution. The following information is designed to assist news media representatives cover launch and activation of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Covering from the Chandra Control Center NASA will establish a news center at the Chandra X-ray Observatory Operations Control Center in Cambridge, Mass., during the critical period of launch and early activation. The news center will be open from approximately two days prior to launch until the observatory is established in its operating orbit approximately 11 days after launch. The telephone numbers for the news center are: (617) 496-4454 (617) 496-4462 (617) 496-4484 The news center will be staffed around the clock during the Shuttle mission by media relations officers knowledgeable about the Chandra mission and its status. Media covering from the news center will be provided work space and have opportunities for face-to-face interviews with Chandra management, control team members and Chandra scientists. They will be able to participate in daily Chandra status briefings and have access to a special control room viewing area. Additionally, media covering from Cambridge will receive periodic status reports on Chandra and the STS-93 mission, and will be able to participate in interactive televised briefings on the STS-93 mission originating from other NASA centers. While advance accreditation is not required, media interested in covering Chandra from the Operations Control Center should contact Dave Drachlis by telephone at (256) 544

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidouche, M.; Young, E.; Marcum, P.; Krabbe, A.

2010-12-01

We present one of the new generations of observatories, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This is an airborne observatory consisting of a 2.7-m telescope mounted on a modified Boeing B747-SP airplane. Flying at an up to 45,000 ft (14 km) altitude, SOFIA will observe above more than 99 percent of the Earth's atmospheric water vapor allowing observations in the normally obscured far-infrared. We outline the observatory capabilities and goals. The first-generation science instruments flying on board SOFIA and their main astronomical goals are also presented.

CSU's MWV Observatory: A Facility for Research, Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hood, John; Carpenter, N. D.; McCarty, C. B.; Samford, J. H.; Johnson, M.; Puckett, A. W.; Williams, R. N.; Cruzen, S. T.

2014-01-01

The Mead Westvaco Observatory (MWVO), located in Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, is dedicated to education and research in astronomy through hands-on engagement and public participation. The MWVO has recently received funding to upgrade from a 16-inch Meade LX-200 telescope to a PlaneWave CDK 24-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham Astrograph telescope. This and other technological upgrades will allow this observatory to stream live webcasts for astronomical events, allowing a worldwide public audience to become a part of the growing astronomical community. This poster will explain the upgrades that are currently in progress as well as the results from the current calibrations. The goal of these upgrades is to provide facilities capable of both research-class projects and widespread use in education and public outreach. We will present our initial calibration and tests of the observatory equipment, as well as its use in webcasts of astronomical events, in solar observing through the use of specialized piggy-backed telescopes, and in research into such topics as asteroids, planetary and nebula imaging. We will describe a pilot research project on asteroid orbit refinement and light curves, to be carried out by Columbus State University students. We will also outline many of the K-12 educational and public outreach activities we have designed for these facilities. Support and funding for the acquisition and installation of the new PlaneWave CDK 24 has been provided by the International Museum and Library Services via the Museums for America Award.

AUGO II: a comprehensive subauroral zone observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schofield, I. S.; Connors, M. G.

2010-12-01

A new geophysical observatory dedicated to the study of the aurora borealis will be built 25 km southwest of the town of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. It is anticipated to see first light in the winter of 2010/2011 and be fully operational in the fall of 2011. Based on the highly successful Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory (AUGO), opened in 2002 at the Athabasca University campus in Athabasca, Alberta, AUGO II will have expanded observational capacity featuring up to eight climate-controlled domed optical observation suites for instrumentation, on-site accommodation for up to six researchers, and most importantly, dark skies free of light pollution from urban development. AUGO II will share the same advantages as its predecessor, one being its location in central Alberta, allowing routine study of the subauroral zone, auroral oval studies during active times, and very rarely of the polar cap. Like the original AUGO, AUGO II will be in close proximity to major highways, be connected to a high bandwidth network, and be within two hour driving distance to the city of Edmonton and its international airport. Opportunities are open for guest researchers in space physics to conduct auroral studies at this new, state-of-the-art research facility through the installation of remotely controlled instruments and/or campaigns. An innovative program of instrument development will accompany the new observatory’s enhanced infrastructure with a focus on magnetics and H-beta meridian scanning photometry.

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee Brings Astronomy To The Hawaiian Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, I.; Harvey, J.; Usuda, K. S.; Fujihara, G.; Hamilton, J.

2010-08-01

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC) combines the outreach activities of the 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. For the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 we branded our annual local events, and in addition developed several unique activities and products to bring astronomy to the public during IYA. Our Journey Through The Universe classroom visit and teacher training program was augmented by several evening public events for the whole family. For AstroDay we developed a set of astronomy trading cards, such that people had to visit all the observatory booths to collect the whole set. In collaboration with the local newspapers, we produced an astronomy supplement, available both on paper and online, highlighting the work being done at our observatories. A year-long introductory astronomy class for K-12 teachers was held, emphasizing hands-on activities to teach important concepts. In collaboration with a local supermarket, we held a poster contest for students, making the connection between astronomy and Hawaiian culture. We also participated in the "100 Hours of Astronomy" webcast. In the fall, we celebrated the Galilean Nights with an all-observatories block party, with activities, music, and give-aways.

The Lowell Observatory Predoctoral Scholar Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prato, Lisa; Nofi, Larissa

2018-01-01

Lowell Observatory is pleased to solicit applications for our Predoctoral Scholar Fellowship Program. Now beginning its tenth year, this program is designed to provide unique research opportunities to graduate students in good standing, currently enrolled at Ph.D. granting institutions. Lowell staff research spans a wide range of topics, from astronomical instrumentation, to icy bodies in our solar system, exoplanet science, stellar populations, star formation, and dwarf galaxies. Strong collaborations, the new Ph.D. program at Northern Arizona University, and cooperative links across the greater Flagstaff astronomical community create a powerful multi-institutional locus in northern Arizona. Lowell Observatory's new 4.3 meter Discovery Channel Telescope is operating at full science capacity and boasts some of the most cutting-edge and exciting capabilities available in optical/infrared astronomy. Student research is expected to lead to a thesis dissertation appropriate for graduation at the doctoral level at the student's home institution. For more information, see http://www2.lowell.edu/rsch/predoc.php and links therein. Applications for Fall 2018 are due by May 1, 2018; alternate application dates will be considered on an individual basis.

Hawaii's Annual Journey Through the Universe Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, J.; Daou, D.; Day, B.; Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2012-08-01

Hawaii's annual Journey through the Universe program is a flagship Gemini public education and outreach event that engages the public, teachers, astronomers, engineers, thousands of local students and staff from all of the Mauna Kea Observatories. The program inspires, educates, and engages teachers, students, and their families as well as the community. From February 10-18, 2011, fifty-one astronomy educators from observatories on Mauna Kea and across the world visited over 6,500 students in 310 classrooms at 18 schools. Two family science events were held for over 2,500 people at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Education Center and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The local Chamber of Commerce(s) held an appreciation celebration for the astronomers attended by over 170 members from the local government and business community. Now going into its eighth year in Hawaii, the 2012 Journey Through the Universe program will continue working with the observatories on Mauna Kea and with the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI). As a new partner in our Journey program, NLSI will join the Journey team (Janice Harvey, Gemini Observatory, Journey Team Leader) and give an overview of the successes and future developments of this remarkable program and its growth. The future of America rests on our ability to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. Science education is key and Journey through the Universe opens the doors of scientific discovery for our students. www.gemini.edu/journey

From The Pierre Auger Observatory to AugerPrime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parra, Alejandra; Martínez Bravo, Oscar; Pierre Auger Collaboration

2017-06-01

In the present work we report the principal motivation and reasons for the new stage of the Pierre Auger Observatory, AugerPrime. This upgrade has as its principal goal to clarify the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays through improvement in studies of the mass composition. To accomplished this goal, AugerPrime will use air shower universality, which states that extensive air showers can be completely described by three parameters: the primary energy E 0, the atmospheric shower depth of maximum X max, and the number of muons, Nμ . The Auger Collaboration has planned to complement its surface array (SD), based on water-Cherenkov detectors (WCD) with scintillator detectors, calls SSD (Scintillator Surface Detector). These will be placed at the top of each WCD station. The SSD will allow a shower to shower analysis, instead of the statistical analysis that the Observatory has previously done, to determine the mass composition of the primary particle by the electromagnetic to muonic ratio.

The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project in Nebraska and Public Outreach for the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, Gregory

2005-04-01

The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) is a statewide education and research experiment involving Nebraska high school students, teachers, and college undergraduates in the study of extensive cosmic-ray air showers. A network of high school teams construct, install, and operate school-based detectors in coordination with University of Nebraska physics professors and graduate students. The detector system at each school is an array of scintillation counters recycled from the Chicago Air Shower Array in weather-proof enclosures on the school roof, with a GPS receiver providing a time stamp for cosmic-ray events. The detectors are connected to triggering electronics and a data-acquisition PC inside the building. Students share data via the Internet to search for time coincidences with other sites. CROP has enlisted 26 schools in its first 5 years of operation with the aim of expanding to the 314 high schools in the state over the next several years. The presenter also serves as the Task Leader for Education and Outreach for the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory, and selected public outreach activities related to the experiment will be described.

John Twysden and John Palmer: 17th-century Northamptonshire astronomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, M. A.

2008-01-01

John Twysden (1607-1688) and John Palmer (1612-1679) were two astronomers in the circle of Samuel Foster (circa 1600-1652), the subject of a recent paper in this journal. John Twysden qualified in law and medicine and led a peripatetic life around England and Europe. John Palmer was Rector of Ecton, Northamptonshire and later Archdeacon of Northampton. The two astronomers catalogued observations made from Northamptonshire from the 1640s to the 1670s. In their later years Twysden and Palmer published works on a variety of topics, often astronomical. Palmer engaged in correspondence with Henry Oldenburg, the first secretary of the Royal Society, on topics in astronomy and mathematics.

Observing globular cluster RR Lyraes with the BYU West Mountain Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, E. J.; Joner, M. D.; Walton, R. S.

2016-05-01

We have utilized the 0.9-meter telescope of the Brigham Young University West Mountain Observatory to secure data on six northern hemi- sphere globular clusters. Here we present observations of RR Lyrae stars located in these clusters. We compare light curves produced using both DAOPHOT and ISIS software packages. Light curve fitting is done with FITLC.

The water Cherenkov detectors of the HAWC Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longo, Megan; Mostafa, Miguel

2012-10-01

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is a very high-energy gamma-ray detector which is currently under construction at 4100 m in Sierra Negra, Mexico. The observatory will be composed of an array of 300 Water Cherenkov Detectors (WCDs). Each WCD consists of a 5 m tall by 7.3 m wide steel tank containing a hermetically sealed plastic bag, called a bladder, which is filled with 200,000 liters of purified water. The detectors are each equipped with four upward-facing photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), anchored to the bottom of the bladder. At Colorado State University (CSU) we have the only full-size prototype outside of the HAWC site. It serves as a testbed for installation and operation procedures for the HAWC observatory. The WCD at CSU has been fully operational since March 2011, and has several components not yet present at the HAWC site. In addition to the four HAWC position PMTs, our prototype has three additional PMTs, including one shrouded (dark) PMT. We also have five scintillator paddles, four buried underneath the HAWC position PMTs, and one freely moving paddle above the volume of water. These extra additions will allow us to work on muon reconstruction with a single WCD. We will describe the analysis being done with the data taken with the CSU prototype, its impact on the HAWC detector, and future plans for the prototype.

Studying the Light Pollution around Urban Observatories: Columbus State University’s WestRock Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Keeffe, Brendon Andrew; Johnson, Michael

2017-01-01

Light pollution plays an ever increasing role in the operations of observatories across the world. This is especially true in urban environments like Columbus, GA, where Columbus State University’s WestRock Observatory is located. Light pollution’s effects on an observatory include high background levels, which results in a lower signal to noise ratio. Overall, this will limit what the telescope can detect, and therefore limit the capabilities of the observatory as a whole.Light pollution has been mapped in Columbus before using VIIRS DNB composites. However, this approach did not provide the detailed resolution required to narrow down the problem areas around the vicinity of the observatory. The purpose of this study is to assess the current state of light pollution surrounding the WestRock observatory by measuring and mapping the brightness of the sky due to light pollution using light meters and geographic information system (GIS) software.Compared to VIIRS data this study allows for an improved spatial resolution and a direct measurement of the sky background. This assessment will enable future studies to compare their results to the baseline established here, ensuring that any changes to the way the outdoors are illuminated and their effects can be accurately measured, and counterbalanced.

'Pinning and flux dynamics I' in the memory of Professor John Clem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Harald W.

2014-04-01

The local Organizing Committee and the International Advisory Committee of EUCAS 2013 decided to dedicate the Session 'Pinning and Flux Dynamics I' to the memory of Professor John Clem, who passed away on 2 August 2013. Let me briefly summarize John's career and try to convey the incredible loss for the whole superconductor community. John was born in 1938 in Waukegan, a small town in Illinois. After school he obtained several scholarships at the University of Illinois. There he received a BSc in Engineering Physics in 1960, followed by an MSc in Physics in 1962, and earned a PhD focusing on the theory of superconductivity under John Bardeen in 1965. After two years of postdoctoral positions at the University of Maryland and the Technical University of Munich, he joined the Physics Department of the Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory in 1967, where he spent the rest of his scientific career. He became Full Professor at ISU and Senior Physicist at the Ames Lab in 1975 and was Chairman of the Physics Department from 1982 to 1985. He spent several sabbaticals in the US at IBM Yorktown Heights, Stanford and EPRI in Palo Alto, was named 'Distinguished Professor' at ISU, was a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics in London and, at the ASC 2012 in Portland he received the IEEE Award for 'Continuing and Significant Contributions in the Field of Applied Superconductivity', especially for his theoretical insight into the nature of vortices in 2D superconductors, which he called 'pancake vortices'. John, who married his high school sweetheart Judy right after college graduation, immediately turned Ames into a much-visited center for scientists from all over the world (including myself), who were interested in vortex physics and the properties of the flux line lattice, flux pinning, flux cutting and vortex dynamics. But it was not only the science at ISU that attracted us, it was also the warm atmosphere created by John and Judy at

Toward a Contextual Theological Reading of John Amos Comenius

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, Justin

2016-01-01

John Amos Comenius developed a revolutionary philosophy of education in seventeenth-century Europe. He argued for ideas such as universal education, which was virtually unheard of in his time but has become standard in modern western society. In the middle of the twentieth century, Comenius's ideas were heralded in the secular educational…

Adaptability in the Development of Data Archiving Services at Johns Hopkins University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petters, J.; DiLauro, T.; Fearon, D.; Pralle, B.

2015-12-01

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Data Management Services provides archiving services for institutional researchers through the JHU Data Archive, thereby increasing the access to and use of their research data. From its inception our unit's archiving service has evolved considerably. While some of these changes have been internally driven so that our unit can archive quality data collections more efficiently, we have also developed archiving policies and procedures on the fly in response to researcher needs. Providing our archiving services for JHU research groups from a variety of research disciplines have surfaced different sets of expectations and needs. We have used each interaction to help us refine our services and quickly satisfy the researchers we serve (following the first agile principle). Here we discuss the development of our newest archiving service model, its implementation over the past several months, and the processes by which we have continued to refine and improve our archiving services since its implementation. Through this discussion we will illustrate the benefits of planning, structure and flexibility in development of archiving services that maximize the potential value of research data. We will describe interactions with research groups, including those from environmental engineering and international health, and how we were able to rapidly modify and develop our archiving services to meet their needs (e.g. in an 'agile' way). For example, our interactions with both of these research groups led first to discussion in regular standing meetings and eventually development of new archiving policies and procedures. These policies and procedures centered on limiting access to archived research data while associated manuscripts progress through peer-review and publication.

EUSO-SPB2: Second Generation Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) on Board a Super-Pressure Balloon (SPB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anchordoqui, Luis

This is a Co-Investigator Proposal for EUSO-SPB2 being led by PI Angela V. Olinto at the University of Chicago as the lead Institution. This is the Lehman College (City University of New York) Task Statement. We propose to design, build, deploy, and publish the scientific results of a second generation of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), to be flown aboard a Super-Pressure Balloon (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 will monitor the night sky of the Southern hemisphere to study cosmic rays of very high to ultrahigh energies and pioneer the search for cosmogenic tau neutrinos from space. EUSO-SPB2 will be the first instrument to observe Cherenkov light from extensive airshowers high in the atmosphere. EUSO-SPB2 will observe a large sample of cosmic rays from 0.1 to 1 EeV with the Cherenkov technique and will discriminate among the Cherenkov profiles of primary protons, heavy nuclei, and photons. It will also characterize the background for upward going showers initiated by the decay of tau leptons, which are expected to be produced by Earth-skimming tau neutrinos. A coincidence veto will be developed for EUSO-SPB2 so it can characterize the background for Cherenkov signals from the neutrino produced tau leptons. EUSO-SPB2 will also use fluorescence observations to measure, for the first time, the evolution of nearly horizontal high altitude extensive air showers, which develop at the nearly constant low-density atmosphere. Such measurements will provide a unique channel to probe hadronic interaction models at ultrahigh energies, and may elucidate the reason why ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) showers observed by ground-based detectors contain more muons than expected from hadronic interaction models. EUSO-SPB2 is a pathfinder for the more ambitious space-based measurements by the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA), currently proposed for a NASA design study. POEMMA will combine the well-developed Orbiting Wide-field Light-collectors (OWL) concept

Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research: scientific and cultural exchange in undergraduate engineering.

PubMed

Wisneski, Andrew D; Huang, Lixia; Hong, Bo; Wang, Xiaoqin

2011-01-01

A model for an international undergraduate biomedical engineering research exchange program is outlined. In 2008, the Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China established the Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research. Undergraduate biomedical engineering students from both universities are offered the opportunity to participate in research at the overseas institution. Programs such as these will not only provide research experiences for undergraduates but valuable cultural exchange and enrichment as well. Currently, strict course scheduling and rigorous curricula in most biomedical engineering programs may present obstacles for students to partake in study abroad opportunities. Universities are encouraged to harbor abroad opportunities for undergraduate engineering students, for which this particular program can serve as a model.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1978-11-13

The launch of an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle is shown in this photograph. The Atlas/Centaur, launched on November 13, 1978, carried the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 into the required orbit. The second observatory, the HEAO-2 (nicknamed the Einstein Observatory in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein) carried the first telescope capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (sofia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becklin, E. E.

1997-08-01

The joint US and German SOFIA project to develop and operate a 2.5 meter infrared airborne telescope in a Boeing 747-SP began earlier this year. Universities Space Research Association (USRA), teamed with Raytheon E systems and United Airlines, was selected by NASA to develop and operate SOFIA. The 2.5 meter telescope will be designed and built by a consortium of German companies lead by MAN-GHH. Work on the aircraft and the primary mirror has started. First science flights will begin in 2001, and the observatory is expected to operate for over 20 years. The specifications, instruments and science potential of SOFIA are discussed.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Venezky, Dina Y.; Orr, Tim R.

2008-01-01

Lava from Kilauea volcano flowing through a forest in the Royal Gardens subdivision, Hawai'i, in February 2008. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) monitors the volcanoes of Hawai'i and is located within Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. HVO is one of five USGS Volcano Hazards Program observatories that monitor U.S. volcanoes for science and public safety. Learn more about Kilauea and HVO at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

Cardinal John Henry Newman and 'the ideal state and purpose of a university': nurse education, research and practice development for the twenty-first century.

PubMed

Rolfe, Gary

2012-06-01

Cardinal John Henry Newman's book, The Idea of a University, first published in the mid nineteenth century, is often invoked as the epitome of the liberal Enlightenment University in discussions and debates about the role and purpose of nurse education. In this article I will examine Newman's book in greater detail and with a more critical eye than is generally the case in the writing of nurse academics. In particular, I will focus on the claims that Newman was a champion of the Enlightenment University of the nineteenth century, that he promoted the idea of 'disinterested' universal knowledge for its own sake, that he was an early advocate of the pursuit of knowledge through scientific research, and the supposition that he would have welcomed the discipline of nursing into the University. In each case, I will suggest that these claims are based on an extremely selective reading of Newman's work. I will conclude by employing the example of practice development to propose an alternative way for nursing to find its place in the modern University that does not involve a retreat into what I will argue is an outdated and nostalgic view of the aims and purpose of higher education. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Observatory Sponsoring Astronomical Image Contest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-05-01

and to provide a showcase for a broad range of astronomical research and celestial objects," Adams added. In addition, NRAO is developing enhanced data visualization techniques and data-processing recipes to assist radio astronomers in making quality images and in combining radio data with data collected at other wavelengths, such as visible-light or infrared, to make composite images. "We encourage all our telescope users to take advantage of these techniques to showcase their research," said Juan Uson, a member of the NRAO scientific staff and the observatory's EPO scientist. "All these efforts should demonstrate the vital and exciting roles that radio telescopes, radio observers, and the NRAO play in modern astronomy," Lo said. "While we want to encourage images that capture the imagination, we also want to emphasize that extra effort invested in enhanced imagery also will certainly pay off scientifically, by revealing subtleties and details that may have great significance for our understanding of astronomical objects," he added. Details of the NRAO Image Contest, which will become an annual event, are on the observatory's Web site. The observatory will announce winners on October 15. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative: Data, Data and More Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, M. F.; Vardaro, M.; Belabbassi, L.; Smith, M. J.; Garzio, L. M.; Knuth, F.; Glenn, S. M.; Schofield, O.; Lichtenwalner, C. S.; Kerfoot, J.

2016-02-01

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and managed by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, is a networked infrastructure of science-driven sensor systems that measure the physical, chemical, geological, and biological variables in the ocean and seafloor on coastal, regional, and global scales. OOI long term research arrays have been installed off the Washington coast (Cabled), Massachusetts and Oregon coasts (Coastal) and off Alaska, Greenland, Chile and Argentina (Global). Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Oregon State University are responsible for the coastal and global moorings and their autonomous vehicles. The University of Washington is responsible for cabled seafloor systems and moorings. Rutgers University operates the Cyberinfrastructure (CI) portion of the OOI, which acquires, processes and distributes data to the scientists, researchers, educators and the public. It also provides observatory mission command and control, data assessment and distribution, and long-term data management. This talk will present an overview of the OOI infrastructure and its three primary websites which include: 1) An OOI overview website offering technical information on the infrastructure ranging from instruments to science goals, news, deployment updates, and information on the proposal process, 2) The Education and Public Engagement website where students can view and analyze exactly the same data that scientists have access to at exactly the same time, but with simple visualization tools and compartmentalized lessons that lead them through complex science questions, and 3) The primary data access website and machine to machine interface where anyone can plot or download data from the over 700 instruments within the OOI Network.

Griffith Observatory: Hollywood's Celestial Theater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margolis, Emily A.; Dr. Stuart W. Leslie

2018-01-01

The Griffith Observatory, perched atop the Hollywood Hills, is perhaps the most recognizable observatory in the world. Since opening in 1935, this Los Angeles icon has brought millions of visitors closer to the heavens. Through an analysis of planning documentation, internal newsletters, media coverage, programming and exhibition design, I demonstrate how the Observatory’s Southern California location shaped its form and function. The astronomical community at nearby Mt. Wilson Observatory and Caltech informed the selection of instrumentation and programming, especially for presentations with the Observatory’s Zeiss Planetarium, the second installed in the United States. Meanwhile the Observatory staff called upon some of Hollywood’s best artists, model makers, and scriptwriters to translate the latest astronomical discoveries into spectacular audiovisual experiences, which were enhanced with Space Age technological displays on loan from Southern California’s aerospace companies. The influences of these three communities- professional astronomy, entertainment, and aerospace- persist today and continue to make Griffith Observatory one of the premiere sites of public astronomy in the country.

John Lewis | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Lewis John Lewis John Lewis Researcher IV-Chemical Engineering John.Lewis@nrel.gov | 303-275-3021 Education Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 1996 M.S. Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 1993 B.S. Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M

The ESA Herschel Space Observatory -first year achievements and early science highlights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilbratt, Göran

The Herschel Space Observatory was suc-cessfully launched on 14 May 2009, carried into space by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher together with the second passenger Planck, both spacecraft being injected into transfer orbits towards L2 with exquisite precision. Herschel is the most recent observatory mission in the European Space Agency (ESA) science programme. It carries a 3.5 metre diameter Cassegrain passively cooled monolithic silicon carbide telescope. The focal plane units of the science payload complement -two cameras/medium resolution imaging spectrometers, the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), and the very high resolution Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) spectrometer -are housed in a superfluid helium cryostat. Herschel is the first large aperture space infrared observatory, it builds on previous infrared space missions including the IRAS, ISO, AKARI, and Spitzer observatories, by offering a much larger telescope and pushes towards longer wavelengths. It will perform imaging photometry and spectroscopy in the far infrared and submillimetre part of the spectrum, covering approximately the 55-672 micron range. I will describe Herschel and its science capabilities putting it into perspective. Herschel is designed to observe the 'cool universe'; the key science objectives include star and galaxy formation and evolution, and in particular the physics, dynamics, and chemistry of the interstellar medium and its molecular clouds, the wombs of the stars and planets. Herschel is currently opening a new window to study how the universe has evolved to become the universe we see today, and how our star the sun, our planet the earth, and we ourselves fit in. I will outline the early inflight operations of Herschel and the transition from launch and early operational phases into the routine science phase. I will present the demonstrated science capabilities and provide examples of scientific

Observatory Improvements for SOFIA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peralta, Robert A.; Jensen, Stephen C.

2012-01-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a joint project between NASA and Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), the German Space Agency. SOFIA is based in a Boeing 747 SP and flown in the stratosphere to observe infrared wavelengths unobservable from the ground. In 2007 Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) inherited and began work on improving the plane and its telescope. The improvements continue today with upgrading the plane and improving the telescope. The Observatory Verification and Validation (V&V) process is to ensure that the observatory is where the program says it is. The Telescope Status Display (TSD) will provide any information from the on board network to monitors that will display the requested information. In order to assess risks to the program, one must work through the various threats associate with that risk. Once all the risks are closed the program can work towards improving the observatory.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Scientists involved in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission attend a press conference to discuss recent images captured by the SDO spacecraft Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. On Feb. 11, 2010, NASA launched the SDO spacecraft, which is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun. Seated left to right are: Dean Pesnell, SDO project scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; Alan Title, principal investigator, Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto; Philip H. Scherrer, principal investigator, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument, Stanford University in Palo Alto; Tom Woods, principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment Instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder and Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO program scientist, NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Iranian National Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosroshahi, H. G.; Danesh, A.; Molaeinezhad, A.

2016-09-01

The Iranian National Observatory is under construction at an altitude of 3600m at Gargash summit 300km southern Tehran. The site selection was concluded in 2007 and the site monitoring activities have begun since then, which indicates a high quality of the site with a median seeing of 0.7 arcsec through the year. One of the major observing facilities of the observatory is a 3.4m Alt-Az Ritchey-Chretien optical telescope which is currently under design. This f/11 telescope will be equipped with high resolution medium-wide field imaging cameras as well as medium and high resolution spectrographs. In this review, I will give an overview of astronomy research and education in Iran. Then I will go through the past and present activities of the Iranian National Observatory project including the site quality, telescope specifications and instrument capabilities.

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee brings Astronomy to the Hawaiian Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, Ingeborg; Harvey, J.; Usuda, K. S.; Fujihara, G.

2010-01-01

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC) combines the outreach activities of the 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai`i. For the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 we branded our annual local events, and in addition developed several unique activities and products to bring astronomy to the public during IYA. Our Journey Through The Universe classroom visit and teacher training program was augmented by several evening public events for the whole family. For AstroDay we developed a set of astronomy trading cards, such that people had to visit all the observatory booths to collect the whole set. In collaboration with the local newspapers we produced an astronomy supplement, available both on paper and online, highlighting the work being done at our observatories. A year-long introductory astronomy class for K-12 teachers was held, emphasizing hands-on activities to teach important concepts. In collaboration with a local supermarket we held a poster contest for students, making the connection between astronomy and Hawaiian culture. We also participated in the "100 Hours for Astronomy" webcast. In the fall we celebrated the Galilean Nights with an all-observatories block party, with activities, music, and give-aways.

Activities of the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, H. J.

1986-01-01

McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin reports on its activities during the period 1 Jan. 1986 to 30 June 1986. Extensive observations of Halley's Comet were obtained. The comet exhibited large variability; moreover, its variability was much more rapid than can be accounted for by water vaporization as the sole controller of activity. Jupiter satellite Io's atmosphere was found to be distended by more than the equilibrium scale height but less than for unimpeded streaming into space. The atmosphere is at least temporarily bound to IO. Uranus' (3-0) H2 quadrupole line shapes require a modification of Baines and Bergstralh's standard model which incorporates at high altitude absorbing haze in addition to the lower haze layer. A fraction of normal H2 equal to 0.25 + or 0.10 is derived, in good agreement with the standard model. This result is unchanged when the preliminary temperature structure derived by the Voyager Radio Occultation Experiment is used instead of Appleby's model c. Out of the six Pluto-Charon mutual events observed this year, data were obtained on four. Preliminary analysis is yielding improved estimates for the diameters, masses, densities, and albedos of these objects.

Observatory data and the Swarm mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macmillan, S.; Olsen, N.

2013-11-01

The ESA Swarm mission to identify and measure very accurately the different magnetic signals that arise in the Earth's core, mantle, crust, oceans, ionosphere and magnetosphere, which together form the magnetic field around the Earth, has increased interest in magnetic data collected on the surface of the Earth at observatories. The scientific use of Swarm data and Swarm-derived products is greatly enhanced by combination with observatory data and indices. As part of the Swarm Level-2 data activities plans are in place to distribute such ground-based data along with the Swarm data as auxiliary data products. We describe here the preparation of the data set of ground observatory hourly mean values, including procedures to check and select observatory data spanning the modern magnetic survey satellite era. We discuss other possible combined uses of satellite and observatory data, in particular those that may use higher cadence 1-second and 1-minute data from observatories.

Commisioning and ``First-Light'' of the Willard L. Eccles Observatory at Frisco Peak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, Wayne; Dawson, Kyle; Ricketts, Paul; Ramsrud, Nicolas; Samarasingha, Upul

2010-10-01

The University of Utah completed construction of the Willard L. Eccles Observatory located on Frisco Peak near Milford, Utah in October 2009. The observatory site is located on a prominent peak at an altitude of approximately 9600 feet in a region with minimal light pollution. The Frisco Peak site was chosen after careful consideration of many factors including climate, light pollution and available infrastructure. The facility houses a 32'' Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope manufactured by DFM Engineering of Longmont, CO. Commissioning and development of remote operation capabilities is currently being undertaken. Monitoring of the weather and seeing conditions are being performed and confirm the excellent nature of the site for astronomical observations. The observatory facilities will be used for educational and public outreach activities as well as research projects. A description of the facility and its planned use will be provided. Measurements of the ``seeing'' and night sky background from images obtained with the telescope will also be presented.

The Space Telescope Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahcall, J. N.; Odell, C. R.

1979-01-01

A convenient guide to the expected characteristics of the Space Telescope Observatory for astronomers and physicists is presented. An attempt is made to provide enough detail so that a professional scientist, observer or theorist, can plan how the observatory may be used to further his observing programs or to test theoretical models.

First Light from the 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope At Lowell Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Jeffrey C.; Levine, S.

2013-01-01

Seven years after groundbreaking on July 12, 2005, the 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) is now complete and into commissioning. We obtained first light images in mid 2012 with a 4K x 4K CCD and have recently obtained our first images with the DCT's main camera, the 6K x 6K Large Monolithic Imager (LMI, see adjacent poster by Massey). We held a celebratory gala on July 21, 2012, in Flagstaff. The DCT's delivered image quality is regularly subarcsecond with near-uniform image quality across the FOV from zenith to >2 airmasses, although we have not fully commissioned the active optics system. We attribute this to the outstanding quality of the mirror figures, performed by the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences (for M1) and L3 Brashear (for M2). The instrument cube at the RC focus can accommodate four instruments plus the LMI. Designed and built at Lowell Observatory, the cube also contains the DCT's autoguider and wavefront sensor. First light instruments include the 4000 DeVeny spectrograph (the former KPNO White Spectrograph), a low-resolution, high-throughput IR spectrograph, and a higher-resolution IR spectrograph/imager being built by Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with the University of Maryland. We are seeking funding for long-slit and fiber-fed echelle spectrographs for higher resolution optical spectroscopy. The DCT can also be configured to host Nasmyth and prime focus instruments. Discovery Communications and its founder John Hendricks contributed $16M to the $53M cost of the telescope, in return for naming rights and first rights to public, educational use of images in their programming. Analysis of data and publication by astronomers in professional journals follows the same procedure as for any other major telescope facility. Discovery's first DCT feature, "Scanning the Skies," aired on September 9, 2012. Future outreach plans include initiating webcasts to classrooms via the Discovery Education networks

GAIA virtual observatory - development and practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syrjäsuo, Mikko; Marple, Steve

2010-05-01

The Global Auroral Imaging Access, or GAIA, is a virtual observatory providing quick access to summary data from satellite and ground-based instruments that remote sense auroral precipitation (http://gaia-vxo.org). This web-based service facilitates locating data relevant to particular events by simultaneously displaying summary images from various data sets around the world. At the moment, there are GAIA server nodes in Canada, Finland, Norway and the UK. The development is an international effort and the software and metadata are freely available. The GAIA system is based on a relational database which is queried by a dedicated software suite that also creates the graphical end-user interface if such is needed. Most commonly, the virtual observatory is used interactively by using a web browser: the user provides the date and the type of data of interest. As the summary data from multiple instruments are displayed simultaneously, the user can conveniently explore the recorded data. The virtual observatory provides essentially instant access to the images originating from all major auroral instrument networks including THEMIS, NORSTAR, GLORIA and MIRACLE. The scientific, educational and outreach use is limited by creativity rather than access. The first version of the GAIA was developed at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) in 2004-2005. This proof-of-concept included mainly THEMIS and MIRACLE data, which comprised of millions of summary plots and thumbnail images. However, it was soon realised that a complete re-design was necessary to increase flexibility. In the presentation, we will discuss the early history and motivation of GAIA as well as how the development continued towards the current version. The emphasis will be on practical problems and their solutions. Relevant design choices will also be highlighted.

Possible Space-Based Gravitational-Wave Observatory Mission Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livas, Jeffrey C.

2015-01-01

The existence of gravitational waves was established by the discovery of the Binary Pulsar PSR 1913+16 by Hulse and Taylor in 1974, for which they were awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize. However, it is the exploitation of these gravitational waves for the extraction of the astrophysical parameters of the sources that will open the first new astronomical window since the development of gamma ray telescopes in the 1970's and enable a new era of discovery and understanding of the Universe. Direct detection is expected in at least two frequency bands from the ground before the end of the decade with Advanced LIGO and Pulsar Timing Arrays. However, many of the most exciting sources will be continuously observable in the band from 0.1-100 mHz, accessible only from space due to seismic noise and gravity gradients in that band that disturb ground-based observatories. This poster will discuss a possible mission concept, Space-based Gravitational-wave Observatory (SGO-Mid) developed from the original Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) reference mission but updated to reduce risk and cost.

John Dewey as Administrator: The Inglorious End of the Laboratory School in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knoll, Michael

2015-01-01

The Laboratory School of the University of Chicago founded by John Dewey in 1896 is considered as one of the most innovative schools of progressive education. Its history, and specifically its sudden end, is still of general interest. In sympathy with Dewey, most historians tend to put the main blame for the tragedy on University President William…

Studies of dark energy with X-ray observatories.

PubMed

Vikhlinin, Alexey

2010-04-20

I review the contribution of Chandra X-ray Observatory to studies of dark energy. There are two broad classes of observable effects of dark energy: evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe, and slow down in the rate of growth of cosmic structures. Chandra has detected and measured both of these effects through observations of galaxy clusters. A combination of the Chandra results with other cosmological datasets leads to 5% constraints on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter, and limits possible deviations of gravity on large scales from general relativity.

INTERMAGNET and magnetic observatories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Chulliat, Arnaud

2012-01-01

A magnetic observatory is a specially designed ground-based facility that supports time-series measurement of the Earth’s magnetic field. Observatory data record a superposition of time-dependent signals related to a fantastic diversity of physical processes in the Earth’s core, mantle, lithosphere, ocean, ionosphere, magnetosphere, and, even, the Sun and solar wind.

Local Observations, Global Connections: An Educational Program Using Ocean Networks Canada's Community-Based Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelz, M.; Hoeberechts, M.; Ewing, N.; Davidson, E.; Riddell, D. J.

2014-12-01

Schools on Canada's west coast and in the Canadian Arctic are participating in the pilot year of a novel educational program based on analyzing, understanding and sharing ocean data collected by cabled observatories. The core of the program is "local observations, global connections." First, students develop an understanding of ocean conditions at their doorstep through the analysis of community-based observatory data. Then, they connect that knowledge with the health of the global ocean by engaging with students at other schools participating in the educational program and through supplemental educational resources. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, operates cabled ocean observatories which supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to a broad suite of subsea instruments from the coast to the deep sea. This Internet connectivity permits researchers, students and members of the public to download freely available data on their computers anywhere around the globe, in near real-time. In addition to the large NEPTUNE and VENUS cabled observatories off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, ONC has been installing smaller, community-based cabled observatories. Currently two are installed: one in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and one at Brentwood College School, on Mill Bay in Saanich Inlet, BC. Several more community-based observatories are scheduled for installation within the next year. The observatories support a variety of subsea instruments, such as a video camera, hydrophone and water quality monitor and shore-based equipment including a weather station and a video camera. Schools in communities hosting an observatory are invited to participate in the program, alongside schools located in other coastal and inland communities. Students and teachers access educational material and data through a web portal, and use video conferencing and social media tools to communicate their findings. A series of lesson plans

Overseas Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas, London (England).

The following articles and reports are presented in this publication of "Overseas Universities:""Appropriate Technology and University Education," by John Twidell; "The Training of Engineering Staff for Higher Education Institutions in Developing Countries," by D. W. Daniel, C. A. Leal, J. H. Maynes and T. Wilmore;…

Astronomical Archive at Tartu Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annuk, K.

2007-10-01

Archiving astronomical data is important task not only at large observatories but also at small observatories. Here we describe the astronomical archive at Tartu Observatory. The archive consists of old photographic plate images, photographic spectrograms, CCD direct--images and CCD spectroscopic data. The photographic plate digitizing project was started in 2005. An on-line database (based on MySQL) was created. The database includes CCD data as well photographic data. A PHP-MySQL interface was written for access to all data.

WFIRST Observatory Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruk, Jeffrey W.

2012-01-01

The WFIRST observatory will be a powerful and flexible wide-field near-infrared facility. The planned surveys will provide data applicable to an enormous variety of astrophysical science. This presentation will provide a description of the observatory and its performance characteristics. This will include a discussion of the point spread function, signal-to-noise budgets for representative observing scenarios and the corresponding limiting sensitivity. Emphasis will be given to providing prospective Guest Observers with information needed to begin thinking about new observing programs.

The Exoplanet Microlensing Survey by the Proposed WFIRST Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Richard; Kruk, Jeffrey; Anderson, Jay; Beaulieu, Jean-Philippe; Bennett, David P.; Catanzarite, Joseph; Cheng, Ed; Gaudi, Scott; Gehrels, Neil; Kane, Stephen;

Archive interoperability in the Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genova, Françoise

2003-02-01

Main goals of Virtual Observatory projects are to build interoperability between astronomical on-line services, observatory archives, databases and results published in journals, and to develop tools permitting the best scientific usage from the very large data sets stored in observatory archives and produced by large surveys. The different Virtual Observatory projects collaborate to define common exchange standards, which are the key for a truly International Virtual Observatory: for instance their first common milestone has been a standard allowing exchange of tabular data, called VOTable. The Interoperability Work Area of the European Astrophysical Virtual Observatory project aims at networking European archives, by building a prototype using the CDS VizieR and Aladin tools, and at defining basic rules to help archive providers in interoperability implementation. The prototype is accessible for scientific usage, to get user feedback (and science results!) at an early stage of the project. ISO archive participates very actively to this endeavour, and more generally to information networking. The on-going inclusion of the ISO log in SIMBAD will allow higher level links for users.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becklin, Eric E.

1998-08-01

The joint US and German SOFIA project to develop and operate a 2.5 meter IR airborne telescope in a Boeing 747-SP is now in its second year. The Universities Space Research Association, teamed with Raytheon E-Systems and United Airlines, is developing and will operate SOFIA. The 2.5 meter telescope will be designed and built by a consortium of German companies led by MAN. Work on the aircraft and the primary mirror has started. First science flights will begin in 2001 with 20 percent of the observing time assigned to German investigators. The observatory is expected to operate for over 20 years. The sensitivity, characteristics and science instrument complement are discussed.

ESO's First Observatory Celebrates 40th Anniversary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-03-01

ESO's La Silla Observatory, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, became the largest astronomical observatory of its time. It led Europe to the frontline of astronomical research, and is still one of the most scientifically productive in ground-based astronomy. ESO PR Photo 12a/09 La Silla Aerial View ESO PR Photo 12b/09 The ESO New Technology Telescope ESO PR Photo 12c/09 SEST on La Silla ESO PR Photo 12d/09 Looking for the best site ESO PR Video 12a/09 ESOcast 5 With about 300 refereed publications attributable to the work of the observatory per year, La Silla remains at the forefront of astronomy. It has led to an enormous number of scientific discoveries, including several "firsts". The HARPS spectrograph is the world's foremost exoplanet hunter. It detected the system around Gliese 581, which contains what may be the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone, outside the Solar System (ESO 22/07). Several telescopes at La Silla played a crucial role in discovering that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating (ESO 21/98) and in linking gamma-ray bursts -- the most energetic explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang - with the explosions of massive stars (ESO 15/98). Since 1987, the ESO La Silla Observatory has also played an important role in the study and follow-up of the nearest supernova, SN 1987A (ESO 08/07). "The La Silla Observatory continues to offer the astronomical community exceptional capabilities," says ESO Director General, Tim de Zeeuw. "It was ESO's first presence in Chile and as such, it triggered a very long and fruitful collaboration with this country and its scientific community." The La Silla Observatory is located at the edge of the Chilean Atacama Desert, one of the driest and loneliest areas of the world. Like other observatories in this geographical area, La Silla is located far from sources of polluting light and, as the Paranal Observatory that houses the Very Large Telescope, it has one of the darkest and clearest

Assessment of Internship Effectiveness in South Italy Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

della Volpe, Maddalena

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the way internships are currently evaluated in Campania Universities by host institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The author collected and described questionnaires used by the universities of the Regional Observatory of Campania University System. These questionnaires are given by…

The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hearnshaw, John; Orchiston, Wayne

The development of astronomy and astrophysics in New Zealand from the earliest European exploration and settlement to the present day is discussed. The major contributions to astronomy by amateur astronomers are covered, as is the later development of astronomy and astrophysics in New Zealand's universities. The account includes the founding of professional observatories for optical astronomy at Mt. John (belonging to the University of Canterbury) and for radio astronomy at Warkworth (belonging to the Auckland University of Technology). Several major international collaborations in which New Zealand is participating (or has participated) are described, including SALT, MOA, IceCube and SKA. The founding and history of the Carter Observatory in Wellington, of the Stardome Observatory in Auckland (both engaged in astronomical education and outreach) and of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand are briefly covered.

John Tracy Clinic/University of San Diego Graduate Program: A Distance Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, Mary

2010-01-01

The John Tracy Clinic (JTC) has a long history in the development and implementation of distance education courses for parents. It began with the founder of JTC, Louise Tracy, who personally corresponded with parents of young children with hearing loss around the globe to provide them hope, guidance, and encouragement. Mrs. Tracy's correspondence…

Instruments at the Lowell Observatory Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacoby, George H.; Bida, Thomas A.; Fischer, Debra; Horch, Elliott; Kutyrev, Alexander; Mace, Gregory N.; Massey, Philip; Roe, Henry G.; Prato, Lisa A.

2017-01-01

The Lowell Observatory Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) has been in full science operation for 2 years (2015 and 2016). Five instruments have been commissioned during that period, and two additional instruments are planned for 2017. These include:+ Large Monolithic Imager (LMI) - a CCD imager (12.6 arcmin FoV)+ DeVeny - a general purpose optical spectrograph (2 arcmin slit length, 10 grating choices)+ NIHTS - a low resolution (R=160) YJHK spectrograph (1.3 arcmin slit)+ DSSI - a two-channel optical speckle imager (5 arcsec FoV)+ IGRINS - a high resolution (45,000) HK spectrograph, on loan from the University of Texas.In the upcoming year, instruments will be delivered from the University of Maryland (RIMAS - a YJHK imager/spectrograph) and from Yale University (EXPRES - a very high resolution stabilized optical echelle for PRV).Each of these instruments will be described, along with their primary science goals.

Meharry-Johns Hopkins Center for Prostate Cancer Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

formerly at the Institute for Health, Social, and Community Research (IHSCR) Center for Survey Research ( CSR ) at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC...survey will be conducted at CSR which is now located at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH) located in Raleigh, NC. The Sons...Statement of Work must be approved by the Grants Officer. This approval must be obtained prior to initiating any change to the original Statement of

Sofia Observatory Performance and Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Temi, Pasquale; Miller, Walter; Dunham, Edward; McLean, Ian; Wolf, Jurgen; Becklin, Eric; Bida, Tom; Brewster, Rick; Casey, Sean; Collins, Peter;

The architecture of Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory 1906 - 1912, compared with other observatories (German Title: Die Architektur der Hamburg-Bergedorfer Sternwarte 1906 - 1912 im Vergleich mit anderen Observatorien)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Peter

The foundation of the astrophysical observatories in Potsdam-Telegrafenberg in 1874, in Meudon near Paris in 1875 and in Mount Hamilton in California in 1875 resulted in a complete change of observatory architecture. Astrometry had become irrelevant; meridian halls, i.e. an exact north-south orientation, were no longer necessary. The location in the centre of a (university) town was disadvantageous, due to vibrations caused by traffic and artificial light at night. New principles were defined: considerable distance (from the city center), secluded and exposed position (on a mountain) and construction of pavilions: inside a park a pavilion was built for each instrument. Other observatories of this type are: Pic du Midi in the French Alps, built as from 1878 as the first permanent observatory in the high mountains; Nice, Mont Gros, (1879); Brussels, Uccle (1883); Edinburgh, Blackford Hill (1892); Heidelberg, Königstuhl (1896); Barcelona, Monte Tibidado (1902). The original Hamburg Observatory was a modest rectangular building near the Millernrtor; in 1833 it became a State institute. As from 1906 erection of a spacious complex in Bergedorf, 20 km northeast of the city center, took place. Except for the unavailable position on a mountain, this complex fulfilled all principles of a modern observatory: in a park pavilion architecture in an elegant neo-baroque style designed by Albert Erbe (architect of the new Hamburger Kunsthalle with cupola). At the Hamburg Observatory the domed structures were cleverly hierarchised leaving an open view to the south. At the beginning astrometry and astrophysics were equally important; there was still a meridian circle. Apart from that, the instruments were manifold: a large refractor 0.60 m (installed by Repsold/Hamburg, 9 m focal length) and a large reflector 1 m (Zeiss/Jena, 3m focal length). Both were the largest instruments of their kind in the German Empire. In addition, there was the Lippert Astrograph on an elegant polar

In Brief: Deep-sea observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2008-11-01

The first deep-sea ocean observatory offshore of the continental United States has begun operating in the waters off central California. The remotely operated Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) will allow scientists to monitor the deep sea continuously. Among the first devices to be hooked up to the observatory are instruments to monitor earthquakes, videotape deep-sea animals, and study the effects of acidification on seafloor animals. ``Some day we may look back at the first packets of data streaming in from the MARS observatory as the equivalent of those first words spoken by Alexander Graham Bell: `Watson, come here, I need you!','' commented Marcia McNutt, president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, which coordinated construction of the observatory. For more information, see http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2008/mars-live/mars-live.html.

Highly Inventive Explorer of Creativity: An Interview with John Baer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henshon, Suzanna E.

2009-01-01

Dr. John Baer is a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Rider University. Dr. Baer has published 10 books and scores of research articles and book chapters on creativity, cooperative learning, and other educational psychology topics. His research on the development of creativity and his teaching have both won national awards,…

John Martin Wood (1938-2008)--pioneering biochemist, educator and communicator.

PubMed

Tobin, Desmond J; Pittelkow, Mark R; Slominski, Andrzej

2008-07-01

John Martin Wood, Emeritus Professor of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Bradford died in Wieck by Greifswald, Germany after a short illness on February 5, 2008 - just short of his 70(th) year. John worked as a pioneering biochemist and educator in the US and in Britain across two research careers. He devoted the first twenty-five years to the role of transition metals in biology, and his last twenty-years to cutaneous enzymology and melanogenesis. Working together with his wife Professor Karin U. Schallreuter, his research on oxidative stress handling in skin and on the expression of a cutaneous catecholaminergic system will help direct research in these fields for many years to come. John impressed on his fellow cutaneous researchers and students the critical importance of appreciating the true role of enzymes in skin health and disease. This obituary aims to contextualize the significant contributions made by this remarkable man to experimental dermatology.

The Role of the Virtual Astronomical Observatory in the Era of Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berriman, G. B.; Hanisch, R. J.; Lazio, T. J.

2013-01-01

The Virtual Observatory (VO) is realizing global electronic integration of astronomy data. The rapid growth in the size and complexity of data sets is transforming the computing landscape in astronomy. One of the long-term goals of the U.S. VO project, the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO), is development of an information backbone that responds to this growth. Such a backbone will, when complete, provide innovative mechanisms for fast discovery of, and access to, massive data sets, and services that enable distributed storage, publication processing of large datasets. All these services will be built so that new projects can incorporate them as part of their data management and processing plans. Services under development to date include a general purpose indexing scheme for fast access to data sets, a cross-comparison engine that operate on catalogs of 1 billion records or more, and an interface for managing distributed data sets and connecting them to data discovery and analysis tools. The VAO advises projects on technology solutions for their data access and processing needs, and recently advised the Sagan Workshop on using cloud computing to support hands-on data analysis sessions for 150+ participants. Acknowledgements: The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is managed by the VAO, LLC, a non-profit company established as a partnership of the Associated Universities, Inc. and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. The VAO is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Fossil Flora of the John Day Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knowlton, Frank Hall

1902-01-01

expedition into this region made under the auspices of the University of California. When these plants were submitted to me for study, it was thought possible to present their description, together with a revision of our knowledge of the previously known forms, within a space sufficiently small to permit the publication of the matter as an appendix to a paper on the general geology of the area, then in preparation by Dr. Merriam. But it soon became apparent that this could not be adequately done within the space available, and a short preliminary report was prepared for and published by Dr. Merriam. The results of a complete restudy of all available fossil plant material from the John Day Basin are now presented. I wish to record my great indebtedness to Dr. Merriam, who not only accompanied me at a considerable personal sacrifice on a trip through the region in 1901, but placed unreservedly at my disposal all material bearing in any way on the problem then in the paleontological museum of the University of California. To Dr. Arthur Hollick I am indebted for the loan of all material from the John Day region belonging to Columbia University, and now deposited in the New York Botanical Garden at Bronx Park. This material, together with the rich collections belonging to the United States National Museum, represents practically all now known to have come from the John Day Basin.

New Opportunities for Cabled Ocean Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duennebier, F. K.; Butler, R.; Karl, D. M.; Roger, L. B.

2002-12-01

With the decommissioning of transoceanic telecommunications cables as they become obsolete or uneconomical, there is an opportunity to use these systems for ocean observatories. Two coaxial cables, TPC-1 and HAW-2 are currently in use for observatories, and another, ANZCAN, is scheduled to be used beginning in 2004 to provide a cabled observatory at Station ALOHA, north of Oahu. The ALOHA observatory will provide several Mb/s data rates and about 1 kW of power to experiments installed at Station ALOHA. Sensors can be installed either by wet mateable connection to a junction box on the ocean floor using an ROV, or by acoustic data link to the system. In either case real-time data will be provided to users over the Internet. A Small Experiment Module, to be first installed at the Hawaii-2 Observatory, and later at Station ALOHA, will provide relatively cheap and uncomplicated access to the observatories for relatively simple sensors. Within the next few years, the first electro-optical cables installed in the 1980's will be decommissioned and could be available for scientific use. These cables could provide long "extension cords" (thousands of km) with very high bandwidth and reasonable power to several observatories in remote locations in the ocean. While they could be used in-place, a more exciting scenario is to use cable ships to pick up sections of cable and move them to locations of higher scientific interest. While such moves would not be cheap, the costs would rival the cost of installation and maintenance of a buoyed observatory, with far more bandwidth and power available for science use.

Daily variation characteristics at polar geomagnetic observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepidi, S.; Cafarella, L.; Pietrolungo, M.; Di Mauro, D.

2011-08-01

This paper is based on the statistical analysis of the diurnal variation as observed at six polar geomagnetic observatories, three in the Northern and three in the Southern hemisphere. Data are for 2006, a year of low geomagnetic activity. We compared the Italian observatory Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB; corrected geomagnetic latitude: 80.0°S), the French-Italian observatory Dome C (DMC; 88.9°S), the French observatory Dumont D'Urville (DRV; 80.4°S) and the three Canadian observatories, Resolute Bay (RES; 83.0°N), Cambridge Bay (CBB; 77.0°N) and Alert (ALE, 87.2°N). The aim of this work was to highlight analogies and differences in daily variation as observed at the different observatories during low geomagnetic activity year, also considering Interplanetary Magnetic Field conditions and geomagnetic indices.

Observatories of Sawai Jai Singh II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson-Roehr, Susan N.

Sawai Jai Singh II, Maharaja of Amber and Jaipur, constructed five observatories in the second quarter of the eighteenth century in the north Indian cities of Shahjahanabad (Delhi), Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura, and Varanasi. Believing the accuracy of his naked-eye observations would improve with larger, more stable instruments, Jai Singh reengineered common brass instruments using stone construction methods. His applied ingenuity led to the invention of several outsize masonry instruments, the majority of which were used to determine the coordinates of celestial objects with reference to the local horizon. During Jai Singh's lifetime, the observatories were used to make observations in order to update existing ephemerides such as the Zīj-i Ulugh Begī. Jai Singh established communications with European astronomers through a number of Jesuits living and working in India. In addition to dispatching ambassadorial parties to Portugal, he invited French and Bavarian Jesuits to visit and make use of the observatories in Shahjahanabad and Jaipur. The observatories were abandoned after Jai Singh's death in 1743 CE. The Mathura observatory was disassembled completely before 1857. The instruments at the remaining observatories were restored extensively during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory

DOE PAGES

Aab, Alexander

2015-07-08

The Pierre Auger Observatory, located on a vast, high plain in western Argentina, is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory. The objectives of the Observatory are to probe the origin and characteristics of cosmic rays above 1017 eV and study the interactions of these, the most energetic particles observed in nature. The Auger design features an array of 1660 water Cherenkov particle detector stations spread over 3000 km 2 overlooked by 24 air fluorescence telescopes. Additionally, three high elevation fluorescence telescopes overlook a 23.5 km 2, 61-detector infilled array with 750 m spacing. The Observatory has been in successful operationmore » since completion in 2008 and has recorded data from an exposure exceeding 40,000 km 2 sr yr. This paper describes the design and performance of the detectors, related subsystems and infrastructure that make up the Observatory.« less

Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory as Cultural Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Farmanyan, S. V.

2017-07-01

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is presented as a cultural centre for Armenia and the Armenian nation in general. Besides being scientific and educational centre, the Observatory is famous for its unique architectural ensemble, rich botanical garden and world of birds, as well as it is one of the most frequently visited sightseeing of Armenia. In recent years, the Observatory has also taken the initiative of the coordination of the Cultural Astronomy in Armenia and in this field, unites the astronomers, historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, culturologists, literary critics, linguists, art historians and other experts. Keywords: Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, architecture, botanic garden, tourism, Cultural Astronomy.

Foreword: Sir John Pendry FRS Sir John Pendry FRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inglesfield, John; Echenique, Pedro

2008-07-01

energy lies in a band-gap; the image states form a Rydberg series, and as their energy is just below the vacuum level, they are normally unoccupied. This makes inverse photoemission the ideal technique for observing them. Recent developments on two-photon photoemission, energy- and time-resolved, have produced a wealth of experimental information on these states. Since their prediction and observation, image states have become a playground for theoretical and experimental studies of many-electron effects at surfaces. It is remarkable how John Pendry maintained his position as the leading theoretical surface physicist in the UK (and possibly the world) at the same time that he developed new areas of research. In 1981 John moved to Imperial College as Professor of Theoretical Solid State Physics and Head of the Condensed Matter Theory Group, and soon after began to study the behaviour of electrons in disordered systems, a field in which he collaborated with his colleague Angus MacKinnon. John applied group theoretical methods to study the transport of electrons in disordered media, and obtained for the first time a complete solution of the general scattering problem in one dimension [13], deriving advanced techniques for studying higher dimensions [14]. A key result was the prediction that in all dimensions, the channels for transport (distinct ways in which an electron can propagate through the system) are either open (that is, essentially transparent) or closed (opaque) in the limit of large systems [15]. These notions are relevant to such topical research as the conductivity of bio-molecules. In this novel approach to transport, John was helped by his wife Pat, who is a mathematician by training, with a thesis on group representation theory—John benefited not only from Pat's expertise, but also from her library on group theory, which was far better than that of most universities! (John and Pat wrote a joint paper shortly after they met in Cambridge, on scattering

Q & A with Ed Tech Leaders: Interview with John R. Savery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulgham, Susan M.; Shaughnessy, Michael F.

2014-01-01

John R. Savery is Professor of Education and Director of Instructional Services at the University of Akron. His research and teaching interests focus on problem-based learning and technology-rich learning environments. As Director he supports faculty integration of instructional technology across the spectrum, from traditional classrooms to…

The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Mark

2008-05-01

Observing the formation and evolution of ordinary galaxies at early cosmic times requires data at many wavelengths in order to recognize, separate and analyze the many physical processes which shape galaxies' history, including the growth of large scale structure, gravitational interactions, star formation, and active nuclei. Extremely deep data, covering an adequately large volume, are needed to detect ordinary galaxies in sufficient numbers at such great distances. The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) was designed for this purpose as an anthology of deep field observing programs that span the electromagnetic spectrum. GOODS targets two fields, one in each hemisphere. Some of the deepest and most extensive imaging and spectroscopic surveys have been carried out in the GOODS fields, using nearly every major space- and ground-based observatory. Many of these data have been taken as part of large, public surveys (including several Hubble Treasury, Spitzer Legacy, and ESO Large Programs), which have produced large data sets that are widely used by the astronomical community. I will review the history of the GOODS program, highlighting results on the formation and early growth of galaxies and their active nuclei. I will also describe new and upcoming observations, such as the GOODS Herschel Key Program, which will continue to fill out our portrait of galaxies in the young universe.

From Universal Access to Universal Proficiency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Anne C.

2003-01-01

Panel of five education experts--Elliot Eisner, John Goodlad, Patricia Graham, Phillip Schlechty, and Warren Simons--answer questions related to recent school reform efforts, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, aimed at achieving universal educational proficiency. (PKP)

Educational Programs at the Lake Afton Public Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, D. R.; Novacek, G. R.

1994-05-01

The Lake Afton Public Observatory was founded 14 years ago as a joint project of the city, county, local schools, and Wichita State University to provide educational programs for the public and school children. A staff of 4 professional astronomers presents daytime and evening programs at the Observatory and makes presentations in schools to over 20,000 people per year. Programs are scheduled 6 days a week during the academic year and 3 days a week in the summer. Our public programs deviate significantly from the traditional observatory open house by following a specific theme. Selection and discussion of each object is centered on that theme. For example, a program on The Life Story of a Star would view a diffuse nebula (to discuss star formation), a young star cluster (to discuss one outcome of star formation), a double star (to discuss how the properties of stars are determined), and a planetary nebula (to discuss the death of a star). To complement the observing experiences of our visitors, we have developed a wide range of interactive exhibits to develop the concepts touched on in the viewing programs. We have also developed exhibit lending kits for extended use in school classrooms, educational games, activity manuals for teachers, and short videos to introduce single concepts in the classroom. In the past year we have begun to offer a series of workshops for in-service teachers to expand their knowledge of astronomy and to provide them with additional resources for teaching astronomy. This work is supported in part by NSF EPSCoR grant OSR-9255223.

Promoting Your e-Books: Lessons from the UK JISC National e-Book Observatory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonsdale, Ray; Armstrong, Chris

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from the qualitative strand of the National e-Book Observatory (2007-2009) project, relating to the promotion of e-textbooks in UK universities by the library, academics and publishers. A complementary paper on the ways in which students and academics locate e-books provided by their…

Obituary: John Beverley Oke, 1928-2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesser, James Edward

2004-12-01

John Beverley (Bev) Oke passed away of heart failure early on 2 March 2004 at his Victoria, B.C. home. Bev's insatiable scientific curiosity led to fundamental contributions in many areas of stellar and extragalactic astronomy, including the development of advanced instrumentation for the largest optical telescopes and the mentoring of scores of grateful students and colleagues. Bev Oke was born in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada on 23 March 1928, the son of Lyla Parteshuk and the Rev. C. Clare Oke. He entered the University of Toronto in 1945 to study physics with a steadily increasing fraction of astronomy, receiving his BA in 1949. Summer employment at the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO, 1948) and at the Dominion Observatory (Ottawa, 1949, 1950) sealed his interest in astronomy as a career. For his MA thesis (1950, Toronto), performed under theoretician Ralph Williamson, he made interior models of the Sun, and was proud to have proved that the proton-proton cycle was indeed the source of solar energy. Upon entering Princeton University he worked with Martin Schwarzschild on stellar interiors models and Lyman Spitzer on interstellar lines. A lifelong friendship with Alan Sandage began during Bev's second year while Alan was a post-doc at Princeton. During Bev's third year he spent three months in Pasadena with Lyman obtaining data for his thesis on Of stars. While in Pasadena he began a second life-long collaboration with Jesse Greenstein, an astronomer whose approach to science Bev deeply respected. In the small field of astronomy in that era, Bev wrote to DDO Director Jack Heard indicating the nearing completion of his PhD studies and his interest in a position. This led to a lectureship at the University of Toronto (1953-1956), followed by an Assistant Professorship (1956-1958). Bev's interest in instruments began at this time, when he built a device to convert photographic density to intensity, and worked with DDO engineer-machinist Jerry Longworth to implement

An international network of magnetic observatories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Chulliat, A.

2013-01-01

Since its formation in the late 1980s, the International Real-Time Magnetic Observatory Network (INTERMAGNET), a voluntary consortium of geophysical institutes from around the world, has promoted the operation of magnetic observatories according to modern standards [eg. Rasson, 2007]. INTERMAGNET institutes have cooperatively developed infrastructure for data exchange and management ads well as methods for data processing and checking. INTERMAGNET institute have also helped to expand global geomagnetic monitoring capacity, most notably by assisting magnetic observatory institutes in economically developing countries by working directly with local geophysicists. Today the INTERMAGNET consortium encompasses 57 institutes from 40 countries supporting 120 observatories (see Figures 1a and 1b). INTERMAGNET data record a wide variety of time series signals related to a host of different physical processes in the Earth's interiors and in the Earth's surrounding space environment [e.g., Love, 2008]. Observatory data have always had a diverse user community, and to meet evolving demand, INTERMAGNET has recently coordinated the introduction of several new data services.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Unveils New Images

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-04-20

Alan Title, second from left, principal investigator, Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto, speaks during a briefing to discuss recent images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the Newseum in Washington. Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun. During its five-year mission, it will examine the sun's magnetic field and also provide a better understanding of the role the sun plays in Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate. Pictured from left to right: Dean Pesnell, SDO project scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., Alan Title, Philip H. Scherrer, principal investigator, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument, Stanford University in Palo Alto, Tom Woods, principal investigator, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment instrument, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado in Boulder and Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO program scientist, NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Cultivating Hygiene as a Science: The Welch-Rose Report's Influence at Johns Hopkins and Beyond.

PubMed

Thomas, Karen Kruse

2016-03-01

In 1915, William Henry Welch and Wickliffe Rose submitted a report to the Rockefeller Foundation that became the template for public health professional education in the United States and abroad. Based on the Welch-Rose Report's recommendations, the Foundation awarded a grant to Johns Hopkins University in 1916 to establish the first independent graduate school of public health, with Welch serving as the founding dean. The Welch-Rose Report and, by extension, the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health established and transmitted a new model of scientific training that wove the laboratory mindset together with the methods of public health administration and epidemiologic fieldwork. During the School's first quarter-century, faculty and alumni were remarkably active in frontline public health problem-solving, as well as launching public health agencies and schools of all types and sizes. The most lasting contribution of the Welch-Rose Report and the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, now the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been to "cultivate the science of hygiene" to bring about exponential growth in the evidence base for public health. The schools that have adopted the Johns Hopkins model of public health education worldwide have produced professionals who have worked to achieve wide-ranging reforms dedicated to preserving life, protecting health, and preventing injury across populations and continents. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

OSO-6 Orbiting Solar Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The description, development history, test history, and orbital performance analysis of the OSO-6 Orbiting Solar Observatory are presented. The OSO-6 Orbiting Solar Observatory was the sixth flight model of a series of scientific spacecraft designed to provide a stable platform for experiments engaged in the collection of solar and celestial radiation data. The design objective was 180 days of orbital operation. The OSO-6 has telemetered an enormous amount of very useful experiment and housekeeping data to GSFC ground stations. Observatory operation during the two-year reporting period was very successful except for some experiment instrument problems.

The Search for Hot Jupiters using Red Buttes Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorber, Rebecca L.; Kar, Aman; Hancock, Daniel A.; Leuquire, Jacob D.; Suhaimi, Afiq; Kasper, David; Jang-Condell, Hannah

2018-01-01

The goal of this research is to use the University of Wyoming’s Red Buttes Observatory (RBO) to perform manual, remote, or automated observations of transiting exoplanet candidates. The data contributes to discovery of star systems that include never before identified exoplanets. RBO houses a 0.6-meter telescope and is located approximately 10 miles south of the University of Wyoming’s campus. Our targets are catalogued by the KELT (Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope) Survey, a photometric search for transiting exoplanets around bright main sequence stars. The KELT Follow-up Network (KELT-FUN), a collaboration of small-aperture telescope users located all over the world, confirms new exoplanet candidates. As part of KELT-FUN, students use the RBO to monitor candidates identified by the KELT team. RBO typically detects transits around stars that are 8-12 in V magnitude, with transit durations of ~1-4 hours and full depth relative changes in brightness above 2 mmags. Using AstroImageJ, we process the data and we look for any indication of a transit occurrence in the processed lightcurve which might confirm the presence of the potential exoplanet. Our team has contributed over 50 light curves to KELT-FUN to date. We are able to compare our data with simultaneous observations by other members of KELT-FUN to maximize the utility of our observations. This project gives undergraduates an authentic scientific research experience, learning how to operate an observatory, process data, and participate in a scientific collaboration.

Moving toward queue operations at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Michelle L.; Summers, Doug; Astier, Joseph; Suarez Sola, Igor; Veillet, Christian; Power, Jennifer; Cardwell, Andrew; Walsh, Shane

2016-07-01

The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO), a joint scientific venture between the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft (LBTB), University of Arizona, Ohio State University (OSU), and the Research Corporation, is one of the newest additions to the world's collection of large optical/infrared ground-based telescopes. With its unique, twin 8.4m mirror design providing a 22.8 meter interferometric baseline and the collecting area of an 11.8m telescope, LBT has a window of opportunity to exploit its singular status as the "first" of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). Prompted by urgency to maximize scientific output during this favorable interval, LBTO recently re-evaluated its operations model and developed a new strategy that augments classical observing with queue. Aided by trained observatory staff, queue mode will allow for flexible, multi-instrument observing responsive to site conditions. Our plan is to implement a staged rollout that will provide many of the benefits of queue observing sooner rather than later - with more bells and whistles coming in future stages. In this paper, we outline LBTO's new scientific model, focusing specifically on our "lean" resourcing and development, reuse and adaptation of existing software, challenges presented from our one-of-a-kind binocular operations, and lessons learned. We also outline further stages of development and our ultimate goals for queue.

The Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey: Herschel Image Atlas and Aperture Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Jason K.; Sanders, D. B.; Larson, K. L.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Howell, J. H.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Xu, K. C.; Paladini, R.; Schulz, B.; Shupe, D.; Appleton, P.; Armus, L.; Billot, N.; Chan, B. H. P.; Evans, A. S.; Fadda, D.; Frayer, D. T.; Haan, S.; Ishida, C. M.; Iwasawa, K.; Kim, D.-C.; Lord, S.; Murphy, E.; Petric, A.; Privon, G. C.; Surace, J. A.; Treister, E.

2017-04-01

Far-infrared images and photometry are presented for 201 Luminous and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies [LIRGs: log ({L}{IR}/{L}⊙ )=11.00{--}11.99, ULIRGs: log ({L}{IR}/{L}⊙ )=12.00{--}12.99], in the Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), based on observations with the Herschel Space Observatory Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) instruments. The image atlas displays each GOALS target in the three PACS bands (70, 100, and 160 μm) and the three SPIRE bands (250, 350, and 500 μm), optimized to reveal structures at both high and low surface brightness levels, with images scaled to simplify comparison of structures in the same physical areas of ˜100 × 100 kpc2. Flux densities of companion galaxies in merging systems are provided where possible, depending on their angular separation and the spatial resolution in each passband, along with integrated system fluxes (sum of components). This data set constitutes the imaging and photometric component of the GOALS Herschel OT1 observing program, and is complementary to atlases presented for the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Collectively, these data will enable a wide range of detailed studies of active galactic nucleus and starburst activity within the most luminous infrared galaxies in the local universe. Based on Herschel Space Observatory observations. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by the European-led Principal Investigator consortia, and important participation from NASA.

The European Virtual Observatory EURO-VO | Euro-VO

Science.gov Websites

: VOTECH EuroVO-DCA EuroVO-AIDA EuroVO-ICE The European Virtual Observatory EURO-VO The Virtual Observatory news Workshop on Virtual Observatory Tools and their Applications, Krakow, Poland June 16-18, organized present the Astronomical Virtual Observatory at the Copernicus (European Earth Observation Programme) Big

Mechanical Overview of the International X-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, David W.; McClelland, Ryan S.

2009-01-01

The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is a new collaboration between NASA, ESA, and JAXA which is under study for launch in 2020. IXO will be a large 6600 kilogram Great Observatory-class mission which will build upon the legacies of the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories. It combines elements from NASA's Constellation-X program and ESA's XEUS program. The observatory will have a 20-25 meter focal length, which necessitates the use of a deployable instrument module. Currently the project is actively trading configurations and layouts of the various instruments and spacecraft components. This paper will provide a snapshot of the latest observatory configuration under consideration and summarize the observatory from the mechanical engineering perspective.

School-Business-University Collaborative: A New Paradigm for Urban Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deighan, William P.

This paper describes a new paradigm for urban education, a school, business, and university collaboration in Cleveland (Ohio). Participating in the partnership are John F. Kennedy High School, the East Ohio Gas Company, and the Graduate Program in Administration and Supervision at John Carroll University in University Heights (Ohio). The paper…

Image Processing for Educators in Global Hands-On Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, J. P.; Pennypacker, C. R.; White, G. L.

2006-08-01

A method of image processing to find time-varying objects is being developed for the National Virtual Observatory as part of Global Hands-On Universe(tm) (Lawrence Hall of Science; University of California, Berkeley). Objects that vary in space or time are of prime importance in modern astronomy and astrophysics. Such objects include active galactic nuclei, variable stars, supernovae, or moving objects across a field of view such as an asteroid, comet, or extrasolar planet transiting its parent star. The search for these objects is undertaken by acquiring an image of the region of the sky where they occur followed by a second image taken at a later time. Ideally, both images are taken with the same telescope using the same filter and charge-coupled device. The two images are aligned and subtracted with the subtracted image revealing any changes in light during the time period between the two images. We have used a method of Christophe Alard using the image processing software IDL Version 6.2 (Research Systems, Inc.) with the exception of the background correction, which is done on the two images prior to the subtraction. Testing has been extensive, using images provided by a number of National Virtual Observatory and collaborating projects. They include the Supernovae Trace Cosmic Expansion (Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory), Supernovae/ Acceleration Program (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search (Lowell Observatory), and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Paris, France). Further testing has been done with students, including a May 2006 two week program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Students from Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX) and Jackson State University (Jackson, MS) used the subtraction method to analyze images from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) searching for new asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects. In October 2006 students from five U.S. high schools

Kitt Peak National Observatory | ast.noao.edu

Science.gov Websites

National Observatory (KPNO), part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), supports the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth for nighttime optical and infrared astronomy and NOAO is the national center for ground-based nighttime astronomy in the United States and is operated

ESO's Two Observatories Merge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-02-01

On February 1, 2005, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has merged its two observatories, La Silla and Paranal, into one. This move will help Europe's prime organisation for astronomy to better manage its many and diverse projects by deploying available resources more efficiently where and when they are needed. The merged observatory will be known as the La Silla Paranal Observatory. Catherine Cesarsky, ESO's Director General, comments the new development: "The merging, which was planned during the past year with the deep involvement of all the staff, has created unified maintenance and engineering (including software, mechanics, electronics and optics) departments across the two sites, further increasing the already very high efficiency of our telescopes. It is my great pleasure to commend the excellent work of Jorge Melnick, former director of the La Silla Observatory, and of Roberto Gilmozzi, the director of Paranal." ESO's headquarters are located in Garching, in the vicinity of Munich (Bavaria, Germany), and this intergovernmental organisation has established itself as a world-leader in astronomy. Created in 1962, ESO is now supported by eleven member states (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). It operates major telescopes on two remote sites, all located in Chile: La Silla, about 600 km north of Santiago and at an altitude of 2400m; Paranal, a 2600m high mountain in the Atacama Desert 120 km south of the coastal city of Antofagasta. Most recently, ESO has started the construction of an observatory at Chajnantor, a 5000m high site, also in the Atacama Desert. La Silla, north of the town of La Serena, has been the bastion of the organization's facilities since 1964. It is the site of two of the most productive 4-m class telescopes in the world, the New Technology Telescope (NTT) - the first major telescope equipped with active optics - and the 3.6-m, which hosts HARPS

Sir John and Lady Rita Cornforth: a distinguished chemical partnership.

PubMed

Purchase, Rupert; Hanson, James R

2015-01-01

This review describes the life of Sir John Cornforth AC CBE FRS, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975. It covers his early life in Australia, his work in Oxford, the National Institute for Medical Research, the Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology and the University of Sussex, together with the contributions made by his wife, Lady Rita Cornforth.

The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO-UV), as a bridge to future UV astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shustov, B.; Gómez de Castro, A. I.; Sachkov, M.; Vallejo, J. C.; Marcos-Arenal, P.; Kanev, E.; Savanov, I.; Shugarov, A.; Sichevskii, S.

2018-04-01

Ultraviolet (UV) astronomy is a vital branch of space astronomy. Many dozens of short-term UV-experiments in space, as well as long-term observatories, have brought a very important knowledge on the physics and chemistry of the Universe during the last decades. Unfortunately, no large UV-observatories are planned to be launched by most of space agencies in the coming 10-15 years. Conversely, the large UVOIR observatories of the future will appear not earlier than in 2030s. This paper briefly describes the projects that have been proposed by various groups. We conclude that the World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) will be the only 2-m class UV telescope with capabilities similar to those of the HST for the next decade. The WSO-UV has been described in detail in previous publications, and this paper updates the main characteristics of its instruments and the current state of the whole project. It also addresses the major science topics that have been included in the core program of the WSO-UV, making this core program very relevant to the current state of the UV-astronomy. Finally, we also present here the ground segment architecture that will implement this program.

Worldwide R&D of Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, C. Z.; Zhao, Y. H.

2008-07-01

Virtual Observatory (VO) is a data intensive online astronomical research and education environment, taking advantages of advanced information technologies to achieve seamless and uniform access to astronomical information. The concept of VO was introduced in the late 1990s to meet the challenges brought up with data avalanche in astronomy. In the paper, current status of International Virtual Observatory Alliance, technical highlights from world wide VO projects are reviewed, a brief introduction of Chinese Virtual Observatory is given.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-01

A crew member of the STS-93 mission took this photograph of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, still attached to the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), backdropped against the darkness of space not long after its release from Orbiter Columbia. Two firings of an attached IUS rocket placed the Observatory into its working orbit. The primary duty of the crew of this mission was to deploy the 50,162-pound Observatory, the world's most powerful x-ray telescope.

Cyberinfrastructure for the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orcutt, J. A.; Vernon, F. L.; Arrott, M.; Chave, A.; Schofield, O.; Peach, C.; Krueger, I.; Meisinger, M.

2008-12-01

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is an environmental observatory covering a diversity of oceanic environments, ranging from the coastal to the deep ocean. The physical infrastructure comprises a combination of seafloor cables, buoys and autonomous vehicles. It is currently in the final design phase, with construction planned to begin in mid-2010 and deployment phased over five years. The Consortium for Ocean Leadership manages this Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction program with subcontracts to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Washington and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. High-level requirements for the CI include the delivery of near-real-time data with minimal latencies, open data, data analysis and data assimilation into models, and subsequent interactive modification of the network (including autonomous vehicles) by the cyberinfrastructure. Network connections include a heterogeneous combination of fiber optics, acoustic modems, and Iridium satellite telemetry. The cyberinfrastructure design loosely couples services that exist throughout the network and share common software and middleware as necessary. In this sense, the system appears to be identical at all scales, so it is self-similar or fractal by design. The system provides near-real-time access to data and developed knowledge by the OOI's Education and Public Engagement program, to the physical infrastructure by the marine operators and to the larger community including scientists, the public, schools and decision makers. Social networking is employed to facilitate the virtual organization that builds, operates and maintains the OOI as well as providing a variety of interfaces to the data and knowledge generated by the program. We are working closely with NOAA to exchange near-real-time data through interfaces to their Data Interchange Facility (DIF) program within the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Efficiencies have been emphasized through

George Ellery Hale's Early Solar Research at Chicago, Kenwood, Harvard, and Yerkes Observatories, 1882-1904

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osterbrock, D. E.

1999-05-01

Growing up in Chicago, George Ellery Hale, later the prime spirit in founding the AAS, was a precocious boy scientist. He was deeply interested in spectroscopy and astrophysics from an early age. His wealthy parents encouraged Hale's aspirations with magazines, books, and instruments, and he acquired his first telescope when he was 14. He knew as mentors classical astronomers S. W. Burnham and George W. Hough, but he preferred astrophysics and designed his own Kenwood Physical Obseervatory around a grating in a Rowland circle mounting, fed by a heliostat, both built for him by instrument-maker John A. Brashear. For his undergraduate thesis at MIT, Hale invented and (at Harvard College Observatory) demonstrated the spectroheliograph. With it, and a high-quality 12-in refractor at his later Kenwood Astrophysical Observatory (at the same site, the Hale family home, 4 miles from the present Hilton Hotel where the SPD, HAD and AAS are meeting) Hale did excellent solar research, especially on promineneces, flocculi, and the near-ultraviolet spectrum of the chromosphere. As a teen-ager and a young adult Hale traveled widely, and met several important piuoneer solar physicists, including Charles A. Young, Jules Janssen, Samuel P. Langley, and Henry Rowland. Hale designed Yerkes Observatory for solar and stellar research, and headed the solar work himself. One of his aims always was to compare other stars with the sun. Hale's telescopes, instruments, methods, and resulting papers will be described and illustrated by numerous slides.

Earth Observatory Satellite system definition study. Report no. 5: System design and specifications. Part 1: Observatory system element specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The performance, design, and quality assurance requirements for the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) Observatory and Ground System program elements required to perform the Land Resources Management (LRM) A-type mission are presented. The requirements for the Observatory element with the exception of the instruments specifications are contained in the first part.

Design and Construction of VUES: The Vilnius University Echelle Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurgenson, Colby; Fischer, Debra; McCracken, Tyler; Sawyer, David; Giguere, Matt; Szymkowiak, Andrew; Santoro, Fernando; Muller, Gary

2016-03-01

In February 2014, the Yale Exoplanet Laboratory was commissioned to design, build, and deliver a high resolution (R=60,000) spectrograph for the 1.65m telescope at the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory. The observatory is operated by the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy at Vilnius University. The Vilnius University Echelle Spectrograph (VUES) is a white-pupil design that is fed via an octagonal fiber from the telescope and has an operational bandpass from 400nm to 880nm. VUES incorporates a novel modular optomechanical design that allows for quick assembly and alignment on commercial optical tables. This approach allowed the spectrograph to be assembled and commissioned at Yale using lab optical tables and then reassembled at the observatory on a different optical table with excellent repeatability. The assembly and alignment process for the spectrograph was reduced to a few days, allowing the spectrograph to be completely disassembled for shipment to Lithuania, and then installed at the observatory during a 10-day period in June of 2015.

Early German plans for southern observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfschmidt, G.

2002-07-01

As early as the 18th and 19th centuries, French and English observers were active in South Africa. Around the beginning of the 20th century, Heidelberg and Potsdam astronomers proposed a southern observatory. Then Göttingen astronomers suggested building an observatory in Windhoek for photographing the sky and measuring the solar constant. In 1910 Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916), after a visit to observatories in the United States, pointed out the usefulness of an observatory in South West Africa, in a climate superior to that in Germany, giving German astronomers access to the southern sky. Seeing tests were begun in 1910 by Potsdam astronomers, but WW I stopped the plans. In 1928 Erwin Finlay-Freundlich (1885-1964), inspired by the Hamburg astronomer Walter Baade (1893-1960), worked out a detailed plan for a southern observatory with a reflecting telescope, spectrographs and an astrograph with an objective prism. Paul Guthnick (1879-1947), director of the Berlin observatory, in cooperation with APO Potsdam and Hamburg, made a site survey to Africa in 1929 and found the conditions in Windhoek to be ideal. Observations were started in the 1930s by Berlin and Breslau astronomers, but were stopped by WW II. In the 1950s, astronomers from Hamburg and The Netherlands renewed the discussion in the framework of European cooperation, and this led to the founding of ESO in 1963.

Multifrequency analysis of a decametric storm observed at Voyager 1 and ground-based observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maeda, K.; Carr, T. D.

1989-01-01

Observations of a Jovian decametric non-Io-A noise storm made from Voyager 1, the University of Florida Radio Observatory, the University of Texas Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Jupiter station at Goddard Space Flight Center at frequencies of 26.3, 22.2, 20.0, and 18.0 MHz were found to be correlated. The activity observed at the ground stations occurred 68 min after the corresponding activity at Voyager 1. After correction is made for propagation time differences, this delay is reduced to 34 min. It is demonstrated that at each frequency the envelope of the individual-event beams occurring during the storm (some or all of which are associated with dynamic spectral arcs) is a quasi-constant structure that corotates with the inner Jovian magnetosphere, and that the width of this envelope beam is frequency dependent. The width increases as frequency is decreased, mainly because of the change in position of the trailing-edge beam boundary. Evidence for a relatively slow temporal change in beam geometry is also presented.

The influence of the observatory latitude on the study of ultra high energy cosmic rays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anjos, Rita C. dos; De Souza, Vitor; De Almeida, Rogerio M.

2017-07-01

Recent precision measurements of the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) arrival directions, spectrum and parameters related to the mass of the primary particle have been done by the HiRes, Pierre Auger and Telescope Array (TA) Observatories. In this paper, distributions of arrival directions of events in the nearby Universe are assumed to correlate with sources in the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS), IRAS 1.2 Jy Survey, Palermo Swift-BAT and Swift-BAT catalogs, and the effect of the latitude of the observatory on the measurement of the energy spectrum and on the capability of measuring anisotropy is studied. The differences between givenmore » latitudes on the northern and southern hemispheres are quantified. It is shown that the latitude of the observatory: a) has an influence on the total flux measured and b) imposes an important limitation on the capability of measuring an anisotropic sky.« less

Our Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, Alan

2001-03-01

The Universe in which we live is unimaginably vast and ancient, with countless star systems, galaxies, and extraordinary phenomena such as black holes, dark matter, and gamma ray bursts. What phenomena remain mysteries, even to seasoned scientists? Our Universe is a fascinating collection of essays by some of the world's foremost astrophysicists. Some are theorists, some computational modelers, some observers, but all offer their insights into the most cutting-edge, difficult, and curious aspects of astrophysics. Compiled, the essays describe more than the latest techniques and findings. Each of the ten contributors offers a more personal perspective on their work, revealing what motivates them and how their careers and lives have been shaped by their desire to understand our universe. S. Alan Stern is Director of the Department of Space Studies at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He is a planetary scientist and astrophysicist with both observational and theoretical interests. Stern is an avid pilot and a principal investigator in NASA's planetary research program, and he was selected to be a NASA space shuttle mission specialist finalist. He is the author of more than 100 papers and popular articles. His most recent book is Pluto & Charon (Wiley, 1997). Contributors: Dr. John Huchra, Harvard University Dr. Esther Hu, University of Hawaii, Honolulu Dr. John Mather, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Dr. Nick Gnedin, University of Colorado, Boulder Dr. Doug Richstone, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Dr. Bohdan Paczynski, Princeton University, NJ Dr. Megan Donahue, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Dr. Jerry Ostriker, Princeton University, New Jersey G. Bothun, University of Oregon, Eugene

SOFIA - Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunz, Nans; Bowers, Al

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The contents include: 1) Heritage & History; 2) Level 1 Requirements; 3) Top Level Overview of the Observatory; 4) Development Challenges; and 5) Highlight Photos.

Need for a network of observatories for space debris dynamical and physical characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piergentili, Fabrizio; Santoni, Fabio; Castronuovo, Marco; Portelli, Claudio; Cardona, Tommaso; Arena, Lorenzo; Sciré, Gioacchino; Seitzer, Patrick

2016-01-01

Space debris represents a major concern for space missions since the risk of impact with uncontrolled objects has increased dramatically in recent years. Passive and active mitigation countermeasures are currently under consideration but, at the base of any of such corrective actions is the space debris continuous monitoring through ground based surveillance systems.At the present, many space agencies have the capability to get optical measurements of space orbiting objects mainly relaying on single observatories. The recent research in the field of space debris, demonstrated how it is possible to increase the effectiveness of optical measurements exploitation by using joint observations of the same target from different sites.The University of Rome "La Sapienza", in collaboration with Italian Space Agency (ASI), is developing a scientific network of observatories dedicated to Space Debris deployed in Italy (S5Scope at Rome and SPADE at Matera) and in Kenya at the Broglio Space Center in Malindi (EQUO). ASI founded a program dedicated to space debris, in order to spread the Italian capability to deal with different aspects of this issue. In this framework, the University of Rome is in charge of coordinating the observatories network both in the operation scheduling and in the data analysis. This work describes the features of the observatories dedicated to space debris observation, highlighting their capabilities and detailing their instrumentation. Moreover, the main features of the scheduler under development, devoted to harmonizing the operations of the network, will be shown. This is a new system, which will autonomously coordinate the observations, aiming to optimize results in terms of number of followed targets, amount of time dedicated to survey, accuracy of orbit determination and feasibility of attitude determination through photometric data.Thus, the authors will describe the techniques developed and applied (i) to implement the multi-site orbit

NASA capabilities roadmap: advanced telescopes and observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, Lee D.

2005-01-01

The NASA Advanced Telescopes and Observatories (ATO) Capability Roadmap addresses technologies necessary for NASA to enable future space telescopes and observatories collecting all electromagnetic bands, ranging from x-rays to millimeter waves, and including gravity-waves. It has derived capability priorities from current and developing Space Missions Directorate (SMD) strategic roadmaps and, where appropriate, has ensured their consistency with other NASA Strategic and Capability Roadmaps. Technology topics include optics; wavefront sensing and control and interferometry; distributed and advanced spacecraft systems; cryogenic and thermal control systems; large precision structure for observatories; and the infrastructure essential to future space telescopes and observatories.

Lick Observatory, California, and 20th Century Leadership in Optical Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Joseph

2008-04-01

With the establishment of the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in California in 1888 it was immediately established that an observatory located on a relatively high site far from city lights was a far superior location for optical astronomy than the previously common city locations. A few years after its beginning, astronomers at Lick convincingly demonstrated the clear advantage of the reflecting telescope for astrophysical research. Not only was a reflector achromatic over all wavelengths, but it could be made with a small focal ratio that provided high photographic speed. Furthermore, since light did not pass through the optic and it could be supported from behind, it could easily be made in large sizes. Over the first half of the 20^th century the establishment of the Mt. Wilson and Palomar Observatories expanded California's dominance in optical astronomy. Also with the new larger telescopes came major progress in the in design of focal plane instrumentation that allowed these telescopes to be superb tools for astrophysical research. The California observatories of the 20th century were largely independent of Federal funding for operations. Their facilities were were maintained and mostly used by their permanent staffs. This led to a style of doing forefront research that was highly effective, as both long-term survey-type programs and more speculative investigations with less-clear payoffs at the outset could be supported. Also the, the close connection of the scientists doing the research to the development of the telescopes and instruments they used for their research conferred advantages. At present, this style of doing astronomical observational research is a relatively small fraction of all this kind of research. At the end of the 20^th century the California pioneering advancement in ground-based optical astronomy was repeated with the creation of the Keck Observatory. A joint project of the University of California and the California Institute of

Establishing Regular Measurements of Halocarbons at Taunus Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuck, Tanja; Lefrancois, Fides; Gallmann, Franziska; Engel, Andreas

2017-04-01

In late 2013 an ongoing whole air flask collection program has been started at the Taunus Observatory (TO) in central Germany. Being a rural site in close vicinity to the densely populated Rhein-Main area with the city of Frankfurt, Taunus Observatory allows to assess local and regional emissions but owed to its altitude of 825m also regularly experiences background conditions. With its large caption area halocarbon measurements at the site have the potential to improve the data base for estimation of regional and total European halogenated greenhouse gas emissions. At current, flask samples are collected weekly for analysis using a GC-MS system at Frankfurt University employing a quadrupole as well as a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. The TOF instrument yields full scan mass information and allows for retrospective analysis of so far undetected non-target species. For quality assurance additional samples are collected approximately bi-weekly at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station (MHD) analyzed in Frankfurt following the same measurement procedure. Thus the TO time series can be linked to both, the in-situ AGAGE measurements and the NOAA flask sampling program at MHD. In 2017 it is planned to supplement the current flask sampling by employing an in-situ GC-MS system at the site, thus increasing the measurement frequency. We will present the timeseries of selected halocarbons recorded at Taunus Observatory. While there is good agreement of baseline mixing ratios between TO and MHD, measurements at TO are regularly influenced by elevated halocarbon mixing ratios. An analysis of HYSPLIT trajectories for the existing time series revealed significant differences in halocarbon mixing ranges depending on air mass origin.

MOLECULAR CLOUDS AND CLUMPS IN THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY-FIVE COLLEGE RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY GALACTIC RING SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rathborne, J. M.; Johnson, A. M.; Jackson, J. M.

2009-05-15

The Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (BU-FCRAO) Galactic Ring Survey (GRS) of {sup 13}CO J = 1 {yields} 0 emission covers Galactic longitudes 18{sup 0} < l < 55.{sup 0}7 and Galactic latitudes |b| {<=} 1{sup 0}. Using the SEQUOIA array on the FCRAO 14 m telescope, the GRS fully sampled the {sup 13}CO Galactic emission (46'' angular resolution on a 22'' grid) and achieved a spectral resolution of 0.21 km s{sup -1}. Because the GRS uses {sup 13}CO, an optically thin tracer, rather than {sup 12}CO, an optically thick tracer, the GRS allows a much better determination ofmore » column density and also a cleaner separation of velocity components along a line of sight. With this homogeneous, fully sampled survey of {sup 13}CO emission, we have identified 829 molecular clouds and 6124 clumps throughout the inner Galaxy using the CLUMPFIND algorithm. Here we present details of the catalog and a preliminary analysis of the properties of the molecular clouds and their clumps. Moreover, we compare clouds inside and outside of the 5 kpc ring and find that clouds within the ring typically have warmer temperatures, higher column densities, larger areas, and more clumps compared with clouds located outside the ring. This is expected if these clouds are actively forming stars. This catalog provides a useful tool for the study of molecular clouds and their embedded young stellar objects.« less

The Malaysian Robotic Solar Observatory (P29)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, M.; Asillam, M. F.; Ismail, M. K. H.

2006-11-01

Robotic observatory with small telescopes can make significant contributions to astronomy observation. They provide an encouraging environment for astronomers to focus on data analysis and research while at the same time reducing time and cost for observation. The observatory will house the primary 50cm robotic telescope in the main dome which will be used for photometry, spectroscopy and astrometry observation activities. The secondary telescope is a robotic multi-apochromatic refractor (maximum diameter: 15 cm) which will be housed in the smaller dome. This telescope set will be used for solar observation mainly in three different wavelengths simultaneously: the Continuum, H-Alpha and Calcium K-line. The observatory is also equipped with an automated weather station, cloud & rain sensor and all-sky camera to monitor the climatic condition, sense the clouds (before raining) as well as to view real time sky view above the observatory. In conjunction with the Langkawi All-Sky Camera, the observatory website will also display images from the Malaysia - Antarctica All-Sky Camera used to monitor the sky at Scott Base Antarctica. Both all-sky images can be displayed simultaneously to show the difference between the equatorial and Antarctica skies. This paper will describe the Malaysian Robotic Observatory including the systems available and method of access by other astronomers. We will also suggest possible collaboration with other observatories in this region.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-08-01

This picture is of an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle, carrying the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-1, on Launch Complex 36 at the Air Force Eastern Test Range prior to launch on August 12, 1977. The Kennedy Space Center managed the launch operations that included a pre-aunch checkout, launch, and flight, up through the observatory separation in orbit.

School-Based Health Clinics: An Analysis of the Johns Hopkins Study. Research Developments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demsko, Tobin W.

School-based health clinics, adolescent pregnancy prevention programs offering comprehensive health services, represent the latest initiative to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University designed and administered a pregnancy prevention program which offered sexuality education and family planning services…

Observatory Bibliographies as Research Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rots, Arnold H.; Winkelman, S. L.

2013-01-01

Traditionally, observatory bibliographies were maintained to provide insight in how successful a observatory is as measured by its prominence in the (refereed) literature. When we set up the bibliographic database for the Chandra X-ray Observatory (http://cxc.harvard.edu/cgi-gen/cda/bibliography) as part of the Chandra Data Archive ((http://cxc.harvard.edu/cda/), very early in the mission, our objective was to make it primarily a useful tool for our user community. To achieve this we are: (1) casting a very wide net in collecting Chandra-related publications; (2) including for each literature reference in the database a wealth of metadata that is useful for the users; and (3) providing specific links between the articles and the datasets in the archive that they use. As a result our users are able to browse the literature and the data archive simultaneously. As an added bonus, the rich metadata content and data links have also allowed us to assemble more meaningful statistics about the scientific efficacy of the observatory. In all this we collaborate closely with the Astrophysics Data System (ADS). Among the plans for future enhancement are the inclusion of press releases and the Chandra image gallery, linking with ADS semantic searching tools, full-text metadata mining, and linking with other observatories' bibliographies. This work is supported by NASA contract NAS8-03060 (CXC) and depends critically on the services provided by the ADS.

The Fram Strait integrated ocean observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahrbach, E.; Beszczynska-Möller, A.; Rettig, S.; Rohardt, G.; Sagen, H.; Sandven, S.; Hansen, E.

2012-04-01

A long-term oceanographic moored array has been operated since 1997 to measure the ocean water column properties and oceanic advective fluxes through Fram Strait. While the mooring line along 78°50'N is devoted to monitoring variability of the physical environment, the AWI Hausgarten observatory, located north of it, focuses on ecosystem properties and benthic biology. Under the EU DAMOCLES and ACOBAR projects, the oceanographic observatory has been extended towards the innovative integrated observing system, combining the deep ocean moorings, multipurpose acoustic system and a network of gliders. The main aim of this system is long-term environmental monitoring in Fram Strait, combining satellite data, acoustic tomography, oceanographic measurements at moorings and glider sections with high-resolution ice-ocean circulation models through data assimilation. In future perspective, a cable connection between the Hausgarten observatory and a land base on Svalbard is planned as the implementation of the ESONET Arctic node. To take advantage of the planned cabled node, different technologies for the underwater data transmission were reviewed and partially tested under the ESONET DM AOEM. The main focus was to design and evaluate available technical solutions for collecting data from different components of the Fram Strait ocean observing system, and an integration of available data streams for the optimal delivery to the future cabled node. The main components of the Fram Strait integrated observing system will be presented and the current status of available technologies for underwater data transfer will be reviewed. On the long term, an initiative of Helmholtz observatories foresees the interdisciplinary Earth-Observing-System FRAM which combines observatories such as the long term deep-sea ecological observatory HAUSGARTEN, the oceanographic Fram Strait integrated observing system and the Svalbard coastal stations maintained by the Norwegian ARCTOS network. A vision

John Archibald Wheeler: A study of mentoring in modern physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Terry M.

This dissertation has two objectives. The first objective is to determine where best to situate the study of mentoring (i.e. the 'making of scientists') on the landscape of the history of science and science studies. This task is accomplished by establishing mentoring studies as a link between the robust body of literature dealing with Research Schools and the emerging scholarship surrounding the development, dispersion, and evolution of pedagogy in the training of twentieth century physicists. The second, and perhaps more significant and novel objective, is to develop a means to quantitatively assess the mentoring workmanship of scientific craftsmen who preside over the final stages of preparation when apprentices are transformed into professional scientists. The project builds upon a 2006 Master's Thesis that examined John Archibald Wheeler's work as a mentor of theoretical physicists at Princeton University in the years 1938--1976. It includes Wheeler's work as a mentor at the University of Texas and is qualitatively and quantitatively enhanced by virtue of the author having access to five separate collections with archival holdings of John Wheeler's papers and correspondence, as well as having access to thirty one tape recorded interviews that feature John Wheeler as either the interviewee or a prominent subject of discussion. The project also benefited from the opportunity to meet with and gather background information from a number of John Wheeler's former colleagues and students. Included in the dissertation is a content analysis of the acknowledgements in 949 Ph.D. dissertations, 122 Master's Theses, and 670 Senior Theses that were submitted during Wheeler's career as an active mentor. By establishing a census of the students of the most active mentors at Princeton and Texas, it is possible to tabulate the publication record of these apprentice groups and obtain objective measures of mentoring efficacy. The dissertation concludes by discussing the wider

Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory as Cultural Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Farmanyan, S. V.

2016-12-01

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is presented as a cultural centre for Armenia and the Armenian nation in general. Besides being scientific and educational centre, the Observatory is famous for its unique architectural ensemble, rich botanical garden and world of birds, as well as it is one of the most frequently visited sightseeing of Armenia. In recent years, the Observatory has also taken the initiative of the coordination of the Cultural Astronomy in Armenia and in this field, unites the astronomers, historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, culturologists, literary critics, linguists, art historians and other experts.

Cherenkov Telescope Array: the next-generation gamma ray observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebr, Jan

2017-08-01

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a project to build the next generation ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies in the range from 20 GeV to 300 TeV, which will both surpass the sensitivity of existing instruments in their energy domains and extend the limits of the observed energy spectrum. It will probe some of the most energetic processes in the Universe and provide insight into topics such as the acceleration of charged cosmic rays and their role in galaxy evolution, processes in relativistic jets, wind and explosions and the nature and distribution of dark matter. The CTA Observatory will consist of more than a hundred imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT) of three different size classes, installed at two premier astronomical locations, one in each hemisphere. It is foreseen that the telescopes will use a variety of optical designs including parabolic primary mirrors, variations of the Davies-Cotton design and two-mirror setups such as the Schwarzschild-Couder telescope, and several camera designs, using both photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for detection of the nanosecond-scale Cherenkov flashes. Each telescope will feature a precise but lightweight and agile mount, allowing even the largest telescopes to change targets within 20 seconds, with systems of sensors and actuators actively controlling the shape of the reflecting surfaces. As an integral part, the Observatory will feature extensive calibration facilities, closely monitoring both the detectors themselves and the surrounding atmosphere. Several telescope prototypes already exist and the installation works at the northern site have started.

Alaska Volcano Observatory at 20

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichelberger, J. C.

2008-12-01

research opportunities for Russian and American students. AVO was a three-way partnership of the federal and state geological surveys and the state university from the start. This was not a flowering of ecumenism but was rather at the insistence of the Alaska congressional delegation. Such shared enterprises are not managerially convenient, but they do bring a diversity of roles, thinking, and expertise that would not otherwise be possible. Through AVO, the USGS performs its federally mandated role in natural hazard mitigation and draws on expertise available from its network of volcano observatories. The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys performs a similar role at the state level and, in the tradition of state surveys, provides important public communications, state data base, and mapping functions. The University of Alaska Fairbanks brought seismological, remote sensing, geodetic, petrological, and physical volcanological expertise, and uniquely within US academia was able to engage students directly in volcano observatory activities. Although this "model" cannot be adopted in total elsewhere, it has served to point the USGS Volcano Hazards Program in a direction of greater openness and inclusiveness.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-10-01

This most distant x-ray cluster of galaxies yet has been found by astronomers using Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). Approximately 10 billion light-years from Earth, the cluster 3C294 is 40 percent farther than the next most distant x-ray galaxy cluster. The existence of such a faraway cluster is important for understanding how the universe evolved. CXO's image reveals an hourglass-shaped region of x-ray emissions centered on the previously known central radio source (seen in this image as the blue central object) that extends outward for 60,000 light- years. The vast clouds of hot gas that surround such galaxies in clusters are thought to be heated by collapse toward the center of the cluster. Until CXO, x-ray telescopes have not had the needed sensitivity to identify such distant clusters of galaxies. Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe. The intensity of the x-rays in this CXO image of 3C294 is shown as red for low energy x-rays, green for intermediate, and blue for the most energetic x-rays. (Photo credit: NASA/loA/A. Fabian et al)

The Stocker AstroScience Center at Florida International University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, James R.

2014-01-01

The new Stocker AstroScience Center located on the MMC campus at Florida International University in Miami Florida represents a unique facility for STEM education that arose from a combination of private, State and university funding. The building, completed in the fall of 2013, contains some unique spaces designed not only to educate, but also to inspire students interested in science and space exploration. The observatory consists of a 4-story building (3 floors) with a 24” ACE automated telescope in an Ash dome, and an observing platform above surrounding buildings. Some of the unique features of the observatory include an entrance/exhibition hall with a 6-ft glass tile floor mural linking the Florida climate to space travel, a state-of-the art telescope control that looks like a starship bridge, and displays such as “Music from the universe”. The observatory will also be the focus of our extensive public outreach program that is entering its 20 year.

The Little Thompson Observatory's Astronomy Education Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, Andrea E.

2007-12-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is a community-built E/PO observatory and is a member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. Annually we have approximately 5,000 visitors, which is roughly equal to the population of the small town of Berthoud, CO. This past year, we have used the funding from our NASA ROSS E/PO grant to expand our teacher workshop programs, and included the baseball-sized meteorite that landed in Berthoud three years ago. Our teacher programs have involved scientists from the Southwest Research Institute and from Fiske Planetarium at CU-Boulder. We thank the NASA ROSS E/PO program for providing this funding! We also held a Colorado Project ASTRO-GEO workshop, and the observatory continues to make high-school astronomy courses available to students from the surrounding school districts. Statewide, this year we helped support the development and construction of three new educational observatories in Colorado, located in Estes Park, Keystone, and Gunnison. The LTO is grateful to have received the recently-retired 24-inch telescope from Mount Wilson Observatory as part of the TIE program. To provide a new home for this historic telescope, we have doubled the size of the observatory and are building a second dome (all with volunteer labor). During 2008 we plan to build a custom pier and refurbish the telescope.

Developing a Virtual Network of Research Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, R. P.; Kirschtl, D.

2008-12-01

The hydrologic community has been discussing the concept of a network of observatories for the advancement of hydrologic science in areas of scaling processes, in testing generality of hypotheses, and in examining non-linear couplings between hydrologic, biotic, and human systems. The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) is exploring the formation of a virtual network of observatories, formed from existing field studies without regard to funding source. Such a network would encourage sharing of data, metadata, field methods, and data analysis techniques to enable multidisciplinary synthesis, meta-analysis, and scientific collaboration in hydrologic and environmental science and engineering. The virtual network would strive to provide both the data and the environmental context of the data through advanced cyberinfrastructure support. The foundation for this virtual network is Water Data Services that enable the publication of time-series data collected at fixed points using a services-oriented architecture. These publication services, developed in the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information Systems project, permit the discovery of data from both academic and government sources through a single portal. Additional services under consideration are publication of geospatial data sets, immersive environments based upon site digital elevation models, and a common web portal to member sites populated with structured data about the site (such as land use history and geologic setting) to permit understanding the environmental context of the data being shared.

The history of Vienna University Observatory - illustrated by its historical instruments and by a typoscript by Johann Steinmayr. (Original Title: Die Geschichte der Universitätssternwarte Wien - Dargestellt anhand ihrer historischen Instrumente und eines Typoskripts von Johann Steinmayr)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamel, Jürgen; Müller, Isolde; Posch, Thomas

The present Institute for Astronomy of Vienna University comprises an important collection of historical instruments. They originate, among others, from the holdings of historical observatories, starting from the Jesuit observatory of the first half of the 18th century. The present volume offers a presentation of all instruments in photos and descriptions. Among those are telescopes from two centuries, angle measuring devices, clocks, globes, as well as various auxiliary instruments for positional astronomy and for astrophysical researches. Also instruments from Vienniese workshops, which document the high level of local instrument construction, are included in the collection. The second part of the book contains the first publication of the history of the Viennese observatories by Johann Steinmayr, written in 1932-1935, and preceded by a biographical essay by Nora Pärr. His text is based on an extensive study of sources and is until now the most complete of its kind, Steinmayr, who was a member of the Society of Jesus, was sentenced to death in 1944 by the national socialist People's Court because of his involvement in the Austrian resistance movement.

St. John's Wort (image)

MedlinePlus

The herb St. John's Wort is believed to be helpful in relieving mild to moderate depression, but should only be taken under a physician's supervision. St. John's Wort may clash with other medications or ...

The MicroObservatory Net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brecher, K.; Sadler, P.

1994-12-01

A group of scientists, engineers and educators based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) has developed a prototype of a small, inexpensive and fully integrated automated astronomical telescope and image processing system. The project team is now building five second generation instruments. The MicroObservatory has been designed to be used for classroom instruction by teachers as well as for original scientific research projects by students. Probably in no other area of frontier science is it possible for a broad spectrum of students (not just the gifted) to have access to state-of-the-art technologies that would allow for original research. The MicroObservatory combines the imaging power of a cooled CCD, with a self contained and weatherized reflecting optical telescope and mount. A microcomputer points the telescope and processes the captured images. The MicroObservatory has also been designed to be used as a valuable new capture and display device for real time astronomical imaging in planetariums and science museums. When the new instruments are completed in the next few months, they will be tried with high school students and teachers, as well as with museum groups. We are now planning to make the MicroObservatories available to students, teachers and other individual users over the Internet. We plan to allow the telescope to be controlled in real time or in batch mode, from a Macintosh or PC compatible computer. In the real-time mode, we hope to give individual access to all of the telescope control functions without the need for an "on-site" operator. Users would sign up for a specific period of time. In the batch mode, users would submit jobs for the telescope. After the MicroObservatory completed a specific job, the images would be e-mailed back to the user. At present, we are interested in gaining answers to the following questions: (1) What are the best approaches to scheduling real-time observations? (2) What criteria should be used

The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith. M. W. E.; Fox, D. B.; Cowen, D. F.; Meszaros, P.; Tesic, G.; Fixelle, J.; Bartos, I.; Sommers, P.; Ashtekar, Abhay; Babu, G. Jogesh;

NASA's Great Observatories Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on the image for larger version

In 1609, Galileo improved the newly invented telescope, turned it toward the heavens, and revolutionized our view of the universe. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of this milestone, 2009 has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy.

Today, NASA's Great Observatories are continuing Galileo's legacy with stunning images and breakthrough science from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

While Galileo observed the sky using visible light seen by the human eye, technology now allows us to observe in many wavelengths, including Spitzer's infrared view and Chandra's view in X-rays. Each wavelength region shows different aspects of celestial objects and often reveals new objects that could not otherwise be studied.

This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 is a composite of views from Spitzer, Hubble, and Chandra. The red color shows Spitzer's view in infrared light. It highlights the heat emitted by dust lanes in the galaxy where stars can form. The yellow color is Hubble's view in visible light. Most of this light comes from stars, and they trace the same spiral structure as the dust lanes. The blue color shows Chandra's view in X-ray light. Sources of X-rays include million-degree gas, exploded stars, and material colliding around black holes.

Such composite images allow astronomers to see how features seen in one wavelength match up with those seen in another wavelength. It's like seeing with a camera, night vision goggles, and X-ray vision all at once.

In the four centuries since Galileo, astronomy has changed dramatically. Yet our curiosity and quest for knowledge remain the same. So, too, does our wonder at the splendor of the universe.

The International Year of Astronomy Great Observatories Image Unveiling is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate

A Green Robotic Observatory for Astronomy Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Vishnu; Archer, K.

2008-09-01

With the development of robotic telescopes and stable remote observing software, it is currently possible for a small institution to have an affordable astronomical facility for astronomy education. However, a faculty member has to deal with the light pollution (observatory location on campus), its nightly operations and regular maintenance apart from his day time teaching and research responsibilities. While building an observatory at a remote location is a solution, the cost of constructing and operating such a facility, not to mention the environmental impact, are beyond the reach of most institutions. In an effort to resolve these issues we have developed a robotic remote observatory that can be operated via the internet from anywhere in the world, has a zero operating carbon footprint and minimum impact on the local environment. The prototype observatory is a clam-shell design that houses an 8-inch telescope with a SBIG ST-10 CCD detector. The brain of the observatory is a low draw 12-volt harsh duty computer that runs the dome, telescope, CCD camera, focuser, and weather monitoring. All equipment runs of a 12-volt AGM-style battery that has low lead content and hence more environmental-friendly to dispose. The total power of 12-14 amp/hrs is generated from a set of solar panels that are large enough to maintain a full battery charge for several cloudy days. This completely eliminates the need for a local power grid for operations. Internet access is accomplished via a high-speed cell phone broadband connection or satellite link eliminating the need for a phone network. An independent observatory monitoring system interfaces with the observatory computer during operation. The observatory converts to a trailer for transportation to the site and is converted to a semi-permanent building without wheels and towing equipment. This ensures minimal disturbance to local environment.

Early German Plans for a Southern Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfschmidt, Gudrun

As early as the 18th and 19th centuries, French and English observers were active in South Africa. Around the beginning of the 20th century the Heidelberg astronomer Max Wolf (1863-1932) proposed a southern observatory. In 1907 Hermann Carl Vogel (1841-1907), director of the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam, suggested a southern station in Spain. His ideas for building an observatory in Windhuk for photographing the sky and measuring the solar constant were taken over by the Göttingen astronomers. In 1910 Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916), after having visited the observatories in America, pointed out the usefulness of an observatory in South West Africa, where it would have better weather than in Germany and also give access to the southern sky. Seeing tests were begun in 1910 by Potsdam astronomers, but WW I stopped the plans. In 1928 Erwin Finlay-Freundlich (1885-1964), inspired by the Hamburg astronomer Walter Baade (1893-1960), worked out a detailed plan for a southern observatory with a reflecting telescope, spectrographs and an astrograph with an objective prism. Paul Guthnick (1879-1947), director of the Berlin observatory, in cooperation with APO Potsdam and Hamburg, made a site survey to Africa in 1929 and found the conditions in Windhuk to be ideal. Observations were started in the 1930s by Berlin and Breslau astronomers, but were stopped by WW II. In the 1950s, astronomers from Hamburg and The Netherlands renewed the discussion in the framework of European cooperation, and this led to the founding of ESO in 1963, as is well described by Blaauw (1991). Blaauw, Adriaan: ESO's Early History. The European Southern Observatory from Concept to Reality. Garching bei München: ESO 1991.

The Virtual Solar Observatory and the Heliophysics Meta-Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurman, J. B.; Hourclé, J. A.; Bogart, R. S.; Tian, K.; Hill, F.; Suàrez-Sola, I.; Zarro, D. M.; Davey, A. R.; Martens, P. C.; Yoshimura, K.; Reardon, K. M.

2006-12-01

The Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) has survived its infancy and provides metadata search and data identification for measurements from 45 instrument data sets held at 12 online archives, as well as flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) event lists. Like any toddler, the VSO is good at getting into anything and everything, and is now extending its grasp to more data sets, new missions, and new access methods using its application programming interface (API). We discuss and demonstrate recent changes, including developments for STEREO and SDO, and an IDL-callable interface for the VSO API. We urge the heliophysics community to help civilize this obstreperous youngster by providing input on ways to make the VSO even more useful for system science research in its role as part of the growing cluster of Heliophysics Virtual Observatories.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph Observatory summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, Virginia; Levine-Westa, Marie; Kissila, Andy; Kwacka, Eug; Hoa, Tim; Dumonta, Phil; Lismana, Doug; Fehera, Peter; Cafferty, Terry

2005-01-01

Creating an optical space telescope observatory capable of detecting and characterizing light from extra-solar terrestrial planets poses technical challenges related to extreme wavefront stability. The Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph design team has been developing an observatory based on trade studies, modeling and analysis that has guided us towards design choices to enable this challenging mission. This paper will describe the current flight baseline design of the observatory and the trade studies that have been performed. The modeling and analysis of this design will be described including predicted performance and the tasks yet to be done.

Calculation of Precipitable Water for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Aircraft (SOFIA): Airplane in the Night Sky

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, Pey Chun; Busby, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is the new generation airborne observatory station based at NASA s Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility, Palmdale, CA, to study the universe. Since the observatory detects infrared energy, water vapor is a concern in the atmosphere due to its known capacity to absorb infrared energy emitted by astronomical objects. Although SOFIA is hoping to fly above 99% of water vapor in the atmosphere it is still possible to affect astronomical observation. Water vapor is one of the toughest parameter to measure in the atmosphere, several atmosphere modeling are used to calculate water vapor loading. The water vapor loading, or Precipitable water, is being calculated by Matlab along the planned flight path. Over time, these results will help SOFIA to plan flights to regions of lower water vapor loading and hopefully improve the imagery collection of these astronomical features.

Design of a Lunar Farside Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The design of a mantendable lunar farside observatory and science base is presented. A farside observatory will allow high accuracy astronomical observations, as well as the opportunity to perform geological and low gravity studies on the Moon. The requirements of the observatory and its support facilities are determined, and a preliminary timeline for the project development is presented. The primary areas of investigation include observatory equipment, communications, habitation, and surface operations. Each area was investigated to determine the available options, and each option was evaluated to determine the advantages and disadvantages. The options selected for incorporation into the design of the farside base are presented. The observatory equipment deemed most suitable for placement on the lunar farside consist of large optical and radio arrays and seismic equipment. A communications system consisting of a temporary satellite about the L sub 2 libration point and followed by a satellite at the stable L sub 5 libration point was selected. A space station common module was found to be the most practical option for housing the astronauts at the base. Finally, a support system based upon robotic construction vehicles and the use of lunar materials was determined to be a necessary component of the base.

The universe through a glass darkly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Commissariat, Tushna

2017-04-01

In The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars, author Dava Sobel tells the previously untold tale of the women who, from 1877, worked as human calculators to process astronomical data.

The Einstein Observatory: A New Public/Private Observatory Complex for Community Education and Scientific Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowell, J.

1999-12-01

The Development Authority of Cherokee County (Georgia) is leading a public/private partnership of business/industry professionals, educators, and university scientists that seeks to develop a national prototype educational and scientific research facility for grades K-12, as well as college-level research, that will inspire our youth to become literate in science and technology. In particular, the goal is to make this complex a science, math, and engineering magnet learning facility and to raise the average SAT scores of local area students by 100 points. A dark-site mountain, nestled on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the northern-most edge of Atlanta, will become the home for the "Einstein" Observatory. The complex will have four telescopes: one 50-inch, one 24-inch, and two 16-inch telescopes. Each telescope will have digital cameras and an optic-fiber feed to a single, medium-resolution spectroscope. All four telescopes will be electronically accessible from local schools. Professional astronomers will establish suitable observational research projects and will lead K-12 and college students in the acquisition and analysis of data. Astronomers will also assist the local area schoolteachers in methods for nurturing children's scientific inquiry. The observatory mountain will have 100 platform locations for individual viewing by visiting families, school groups, and amateur astronomers. The Atlanta Astronomer Club will provide numerous evening programs and viewing opportunities for the general public. An accompanying Planetarium & Science Center will be located on the nearby campus of Reinhardt College. The Planetarium & Science Center will be integrated with Reinhardt College's theme of learning focused upon studying the past and present as a basis for projecting the future.

The Cincinnati Observatory as a Research Instrument for Undergraduate Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abel, Nicholas; Regas, Dean; Flateau, Davin C.; Larrabee, Cliff

2016-06-01

The Cincinnati Observatory, founded in 1842, was the first public observatory in the Western Hemisphere. The history of Cincinnati is closely intertwined with the history of the Observatory, and with the history of science in the United States. Previous directors of the Observatory helped to create the National Weather Service, the Minor Planet Center, and the first astronomical journal in the U.S. The Cincinnati Observatory was internationally known in the late 19th century, with Jules Verne mentioning the Cincinnati Observatory in two of his books, and the Observatory now stands as a National Historic Landmark.No longer a research instrument, the Observatory is now a tool for promoting astronomy education to the general public. However, with the 11" and 16" refracting telescopes, the Observatory telescopes are very capable of collecting data to fuel undergraduate research projects. In this poster, we will discuss the history of the Observatory, types of student research projects capable with the Cincinnati Observatory, future plans, and preliminary results. The overall goal of this project is to produce a steady supply of undergraduate students collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, and thereby introduce them to the techniques and methodology of an astronomer at an early stage of their academic career.

The Little Thompson Observatory's Astronomy Education Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweitzer, Andrea E.

2008-05-01

The Little Thompson Observatory is a community-built E/PO observatory and is a member of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) project. The observatory is located on the grounds of Berthoud High School in northern Colorado. Annually we have approximately 5,000 visitors, which is roughly equal to the population of the small town of Berthoud, CO. In spring 2008, we offered a special training session to boost participation in the GLOBE at Night international observing program. During 2005-2007 we used the funding from our NASA ROSS E/PO grant to expand our teacher workshop programs, and included the baseball-sized meteorite that landed in Berthoud four years ago. Our teacher programs are ongoing, and include scientists from the Southwest Research Institute and from Fiske Planetarium at CU-Boulder. We thank the NASA ROSS E/PO program for providing this funding! Statewide, we are a founding member of Colorado Project ASTRO-GEO, and the observatory offers high-school astronomy courses to students from the surrounding school districts. We continue to support the development and construction of three new educational observatories in Colorado, located in Estes Park, Keystone and Gunnison. The LTO is grateful to have received the retired 24-inch telescope from Mount Wilson Observatory as part of the TIE program. To provide a new home for this historic telescope, we have doubled the size of the observatory and are building a second dome (almost all construction done with volunteer labor). During 2008 we will be building a custom pier and refurbishing the telescope.

Jasper Johns' Painted Words.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinger, Esther

1989-01-01

States that the painted words in Jasper Johns' art act in two different capacities: concealed words partake in the artist's interrogation of visual perception; and visible painted words question classical representation. Argues that words are Johns' means of critiquing modernism. (RS)

The Kanzelhöhe Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pötzi, Werner; Temmer, Manuela; Veronig, Astrid; Hirtenfellner-Polanec, Wolfgang; Baumgartner, Dietmar

2013-04-01

Kanzelhöhe Observatory (KSO; kso.ac.at) located in the South of Austria is part of the Institute of Physics of the University of Graz. Since the early 1940s, the Sun has been observed in various layers and wavelengths. Currently, KSO provides high-cadence full-disk observations of the solar disk in three wavelengths: H-alpha line, Ca II K line, white light. Real-time images are published online. For scientific use, the data is processed, and immediately available to the scientific community after each observing day via the Kanzelhöhe Online Data Archive archive (KODA; kanzelhohe.uni-graz.at). KSO is part of the Global H-Alpha Network and is also one of the contributing stations for the international sunspot number. In the frame of ESA's Space Situational Awareness program, methods are currently under development for near-real image recognition with respect to solar flares and filaments. These data products will give valuable complementary information for the solar sources of space weather.

Virtual Solar Observatory Distributed Query Construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurman, J. B.; Dimitoglou, G.; Bogart, R.; Davey, A.; Hill, F.; Martens, P.

2003-01-01

Through a prototype implementation (Tian et al., this meeting) the VSO has already demonstrated the capability of unifying geographically distributed data sources following the Web Services paradigm and utilizing mechanisms such as the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). So far, four participating sites (Stanford, Montana State University, National Solar Observatory and the Solar Data Analysis Center) permit Web-accessible, time-based searches that allow browse access to a number of diverse data sets. Our latest work includes the extension of the simple, time-based queries to include numerous other searchable observation parameters. For VSO users, this extended functionality enables more refined searches. For the VSO, it is a proof of concept that more complex, distributed queries can be effectively constructed and that results from heterogeneous, remote sources can be synthesized and presented to users as a single, virtual data product.

International Program and Local Organizing Committees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-12-01

International Program Committee Dionisio Bermejo (Spain) Roman Ciurylo (Poland) Elisabeth Dalimier (France) Alexander Devdariani (Russia) Milan S Dimitrijevic (Serbia) Robert Gamache (USA) Marco A Gigosos (Spain) Motoshi Goto (Japan) Magnus Gustafsson (Sweden) Jean-Michel Hartmann (France) Carlos Iglesias (USA) John Kielkopf (USA) John C Lewis (Canada) Valery Lisitsa (Russia) Eugene Oks (USA) Christian G Parigger (USA) Gillian Peach (UK) Adriana Predoi-Cross (Canada) Roland Stamm (Germany) Local Organizing Committee Nikolay G Skvortsov (Chair, St Petersburg State University) Evgenii B Aleksandrov (Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St Petersburg) Vadim A Alekseev (Scientific Secretary, St Petersburg State University) Sergey F Boureiko (St.Petersburg State University) Yury N Gnedin (Pulkovo Observatory, St Petersburg) Alexander Z Devdariani (Deputy Chair, St Petersburg State University) Alexander P Kouzov (Deputy Chair, St Petersburg State University) Nikolay A Timofeev (St Petersburg State University)

A green observatory in the Chilean Atacama desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramolla, Michael; Westhues, Christian; Hackstein, Moritz; Haas, Martin; Hodapp, Klaus; Lemke, Roland; Barr Domínguez, Angie; Chini, Rolf; Murphy, Miguel

2016-08-01

Since 2007, the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) in Germany and Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) in Chile jointly operate the Universitätssternwarte der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (USB), which is located in direct neighborhood of the future E-ELT of ESO. It is the only observatory powered exclusively by solar panels and wind turbines. Excess power is stored in batteries that allow uninterrupted operation even in windless nights. The scientific equipment consists of three robotic optical telescopes with apertures ranging from 15 cm (RoBoTT) over 25 cm (BESTII) to 40 cm (BMT) and one 80 cm (IRIS) infra-red telescope. The optical telescopes are equipped with Johnson and Sloan broad band filters together with a large number of narrow and intermediate bands. In the infrared, J,H and K filters are available, accompanied by several narrow bands near the K band wavelength. The second Nasmyth focus in the 80 cm telescope feeds a high resolution echelle spectrograph similar to the FEROS instrument of ESO. This variety of instruments has evolved from different collaborations, i.e. with the University of Hawaii (IfA) in the USA, which provided the near-infrared-camera of the IRIS telescope, or with the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Germany, which provided the BESTII telescope. The highly automatized processes on all telescopes enable a single person to run the whole facility, providing the high cost efficiency required for an university observatory. The excellent site conditions allow projects that require daily observations of astronomical objects over epochs of several months or years. Here we report on such studies of young stellar objects from the Bochum Galactic Disk Survey, the multiplicity of stars, quasar variability or the hunt for exo-planets.

Exploring the X-Ray Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seward, Frederick D.; Charles, Philip A.

1995-11-01

Exploring the X-Ray Universe describes the view of the stars and galaxies that is obtained through X-ray telescopes. X-rays, which are invisible to human sight, are created in the cores of active galaxies, in cataclysmic stellar explosions, and in streams of gas expelled by the Sun and stars. The window on the heavens used by the X-ray astronomers shows the great drama of cosmic violence on the grandest scale.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory removed from its container in the Vertical Processing Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Inside the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF), the overhead crane lifts Chandra X-ray Observatory completely out of its protective container. While in the VPF, the telescope will undergo final installation of associated electronic components; it will also be tested, fueled and mated with the Inertial Upper Stage booster. A set of integrated tests will follow. Chandra is scheduled for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory removed from its container in the Vertical Processing Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Inside the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF), workers begin lifting the Chandra X-ray Observatory out of its protective container. While in the VPF, the telescope will undergo final installation of associated electronic components; it will also be tested, fueled and mated with the Inertial Upper Stage booster. A set of integrated tests will follow. Chandra is scheduled for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe.

Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Spacecraft Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-01

An artist conception of one of NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory STEREO spacecraft. The two observatories currently lie on either side of the sun, providing views of the entire sun simultaneously.

Look to the Stars - The APUS Observatory: An Innovative Robotic Telescope for Online Astronomical Education and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albin, Edward

2018-01-01

We report on the American Public University System’s new robotic telescope, located in Charles Town, WV -- an innovative observatory deployed in an online institution of higher education. The instrument is operated by the Department of Space Studies and is situated atop the university’s new Information Technology building. At the heart of the observatory is a Planewave CDK24 telescope, equipped with a SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera. The telescope is a key technological component in the Department's new undergraduate / graduate astronomy concentration. Since the university is a dedicated online educational institution, the acquisition of a fully remote controlled telescope ties closely into the program's philosophy of quality online instruction. Our robotic observatory is intimately integrated into our astronomy curriculum, with the telescope being utilized for original astronomical education and research purposes. For instance, not only is imagery used in the classroom and for laboratory instruction, graduate students in our MS degree program have an opportunity to collect original telescopic data for research / thesis projects. Examples of ongoing investigations with the telescope include observations of exoplanet transits and variable star photometry. When not in use for specific observing projects, the telescope is scripted to conduct autonomous supernova searches by patrolling dozens of galaxies throughout the night. Our goal is to have the instrument scheduled for continuous observing of the heavens throughout the year on all clear evenings.

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-C (OAO-C): Press kit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allaway, H. G.

1972-01-01

Mission planning for the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-C (OAO-C) is presented. The characteristics of the observatory and its capabilities are described. The following experiments are discussed: (1) Princeton Experiment Package, (2) X-ray experiment, and (3) guest investigator program. Results of the OAO-2 observatory are presented. A tabulation of flight events is included.

Robotic Software for the Thacher Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, George; Luebbers, Julien; Eastman, Jason D.; Johnson, John A.; Swift, Jonathan

2018-06-01

The Thacher Observatory—a research and educational facility located in Ojai, CA—uses a 0.7 meter telescope to conduct photometric research on a variety of targets including eclipsing binaries, exoplanet transits, and supernovae. Currently, observations are automated using commercial software. In order to expand the flexibility for specialized scientific observations and to increase the educational value of the facility on campus, we are adapting and implementing the custom observatory control software and queue scheduling developed for the Miniature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array (MINERVA) to the Thacher Observatory. We present the design and implementation of this new software as well as its demonstrated functionality on the Thacher Observatory.

Planetary research at Lowell Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baum, William A.

1988-01-01

Scientific goals include a better determination of the basic physical characteristics of cometary nuclei, a more complete understanding of the complex processes in the comae, a survey of abundances and gas/dust ratios in a large number of comets, and measurement of primordial (12)C/(13)C and (14)N/(15)N ratios. The program also includes the observation of Pluto-Charon mutual eclipses to derive dimensions. Reduction and analysis of extensive narrowband photometry of Comet Halley from Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Perth Observatory, Lowell Observatory, and Mauna Kea Observatory were completed. It was shown that the 7.4-day periodicity in the activity of Comet Halley was present from late February through at least early June 1986, but there is no conclusive evidence of periodic variability in the preperihelion data. Greatly improved NH scalelengths and lifetimes were derived from the Halley data which lead to the conclusion that the abundance of NH in comets is much higher than previously believed. Simultaneous optical and thermal infrared observations were obtained of Comet P/Temple 2 using the MKO 2.2 m telescope and the NASA IRTF. Preliminary analysis of these observations shows that the comet's nucleus is highly elongated, very dark, and quite red.

Public Outreach at Appalachian State University's Dark Sky Observatory Cline Visitor Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caton, Daniel B.; Hawkins, L.; Smith, A. B.

2012-01-01

With the recent completion of the Cline Visitor Center we have begun a program of public nights at our Dark Sky Observatory's 32-inch telescope. Events are ticketed online using an inexpensive commercial ticketing service and are limited to two groups of 60 visitors per night that arrive for 1.5-hour sessions. We are installing two large (70-inch) flat panel displays in the Center and planning additional exhibits to entertain visitors while they await their turn at the telescope's eyepiece. The facility is fully ADA compliant, with eyepiece access via a DFM Engineering Articulated Relay Eyepiece, and a wheelchair lift if needed. We present some of our experiences in this poster and encourage readers to offer suggestions. The Visitor Center was established with the support of Mr. J. Donald Cline, for which we are very grateful. The telescope was partially funded by the National Science Foundation.

APOLLO 16 ASTRONAUTS JOHN YOUNG AND CHARLES DUKE EXAMINE FAR ULTRAVIOLET CAMERA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot Charles M. Duke, Jr., left and Mission Commander John W. Young examine Far Ultraviolet Camera they will take to the Moon in March. They will measure the universe's ultraviolet spectrum. They will be launched to the Moon no earlier than March 17, 1972, with Command Module Pilot Thomas K. Mattingly, II.

Addressing the social dimensions of citizen observatories: The Ground Truth 2.0 socio-technical approach for sustainable implementation of citizen observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehn, Uta; Joshi, Somya; Pfeiffer, Ellen; Anema, Kim; Gharesifard, Mohammad; Momani, Abeer

2017-04-01

Owing to ICT-enabled citizen observatories, citizens can take on new roles in environmental monitoring, decision making and co-operative planning, and environmental stewardship. And yet implementing advanced citizen observatories for data collection, knowledge exchange and interactions to support policy objectives is neither always easy nor successful, given the required commitment, trust, and data reliability concerns. Many efforts are facing problems with the uptake and sustained engagement by citizens, limited scalability, unclear long-term sustainability and limited actual impact on governance processes. Similarly, to sustain the engagement of decision makers in citizen observatories, mechanisms are required from the start of the initiative in order to have them invest in and, hence, commit to and own the entire process. In order to implement sustainable citizen observatories, these social dimensions therefore need to be soundly managed. We provide empirical evidence of how the social dimensions of citizen observatories are being addressed in the Ground Truth 2.0 project, drawing on a range of relevant social science approaches. This project combines the social dimensions of citizen observatories with enabling technologies - via a socio-technical approach - so that their customisation and deployment is tailored to the envisaged societal and economic impacts of the observatories. The projects consists of the demonstration and validation of six scaled up citizen observatories in real operational conditions both in the EU and in Africa, with a specific focus on flora and fauna as well as water availability and water quality for land and natural resources management. The demonstration cases (4 EU and 2 African) cover the full 'spectrum' of citizen-sensed data usage and citizen engagement, and therefore allow testing and validation of the socio-technical concept for citizen observatories under a range of conditions.

ALMA Observatory Equipped with its First Antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-12-01

High in the Atacama region of northern Chile one of the world’s most advanced telescopes has just passed a major milestone. The first of many state-of-the-art antennas has been handed over to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) project. ALMA is being built by a global partnership whose North American partners are led by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). With ALMA, astronomers will study the cool Universe, the molecular gas and tiny dust grains from which stars, planetary systems, galaxies and even life are formed. ALMA will provide new, much-needed insights into the formation of stars and planets, and will reveal distant galaxies in the early Universe, which we see as they were over ten billion years ago. ALMA will initially comprise 66 high-precision antennas, with the option to expand in the future. There will be an array of fifty 12-meter diameter antennas, acting together as a single giant telescope, and a compact array composed of 7-meter and 12-meter antennas. The first 12-meter antenna to be handed over to the observatory was built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, one of the ALMA partners. It will shortly be joined by North American and European antennas. “Our Japanese colleagues have produced this state-of-the-art antenna to exacting specifications. We are very excited about the handover because now we can fully equip this antenna for scientific observations,” said Thijs de Graauw, ALMA Director. Antennas arriving at the ALMA site undergo a series of tests to ensure that they meet the strict requirements of the telescope. The antennas have surfaces accurate to less than the thickness of a human hair, and can be pointed precisely enough to pick out a golf ball at a distance of 9 miles. “The handover of the first Japanese antenna is the crowning achievement of the ALMA Project to date,” said Adrian Russell, the North American ALMA Project Director at NRAO. The

Scientific Workflows and the Sensor Web for Virtual Environmental Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonis, I.; Vahed, A.

2008-12-01

Virtual observatories mature from their original domain and become common practice for earth observation research and policy building. The term Virtual Observatory originally came from the astronomical research community. Here, virtual observatories provide universal access to the available astronomical data archives of space and ground-based observatories. Further on, as those virtual observatories aim at integrating heterogeneous ressources provided by a number of participating organizations, the virtual observatory acts as a coordinating entity that strives for common data analysis techniques and tools based on common standards. The Sensor Web is on its way to become one of the major virtual observatories outside of the astronomical research community. Like the original observatory that consists of a number of telescopes, each observing a specific part of the wave spectrum and with a collection of astronomical instruments, the Sensor Web provides a multi-eyes perspective on the current, past, as well as future situation of our planet and its surrounding spheres. The current view of the Sensor Web is that of a single worldwide collaborative, coherent, consistent and consolidated sensor data collection, fusion and distribution system. The Sensor Web can perform as an extensive monitoring and sensing system that provides timely, comprehensive, continuous and multi-mode observations. This technology is key to monitoring and understanding our natural environment, including key areas such as climate change, biodiversity, or natural disasters on local, regional, and global scales. The Sensor Web concept has been well established with ongoing global research and deployment of Sensor Web middleware and standards and represents the foundation layer of systems like the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The Sensor Web consists of a huge variety of physical and virtual sensors as well as observational data, made available on the Internet at standardized

The Paris Observatory has 350 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lequeux, James

2017-01-01

The Paris Observatory is the oldest astronomical observatory that has worked without interruption since its foundation to the present day. The building due to Claude Perrault is still in existence with few modifications, but of course other buildings have been added all along the centuries for housing new instruments and laboratories. In particular, a large dome has been built on the terrace in 1847, with a 38-cm diameter telescope completed in 1857: both are still visible. The main initial purpose of the Observatory was to determine longitudes. This was achieved by Jean-Dominique Cassini using the eclipses of the satellites of Jupiter: a much better map of France was the produced using this method, which unfortunately does not work at sea. Incidentally, the observation of these eclipses led to the discovery in 1676 of the finite velocity of light by Cassini and Rømer. Cassini also discovered the differential rotation of Jupiter and four satellites of Saturn. Then, geodesy was to be the main activity of the Observatory for more than a century, culminating in the famous Cassini map of France completed around 1790. During the first half of the 19th century, under François Arago, the Observatory was at the centre of French physics, which then developed very rapidly. Arago initiated astrophysics in 1810 by showing that the Sun and stars are made of incandescent gas. In 1854, the new director, Urbain Le Verrier, put emphasis on astrometry and celestial mechanics, discovering in particular the anomalous advance of the perihelion of Mercury, which was later to be a proof of General Relativity. In 1858, Leon Foucault built the first modern reflecting telescopes with their silvered glass mirror. Le Verrier created on his side modern meteorology, including some primitive forecasts. The following period was not so bright, due to the enormous project of the Carte du Ciel, which took much of the forces of the Observatory for half a century with little scientific return. In

Operations of and Future Plans for the Pierre Auger Observatory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abraham, : J.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.

2009-06-01

These are presentations to be presented at the 31st International Cosmic Ray Conference, in Lodz, Poland during July 2009. It consists of the following presentations: (1) Performance and operation of the Surface Detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory; (2) Extension of the Pierre Auger Observatory using high-elevation fluorescence telescopes (HEAT); (3) AMIGA - Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory; (4) Radio detection of Cosmic Rays at the southern Auger Observatory; (5) Hardware Developments for the AMIGA enhancement at the Pierre Auger Observatory; (6) A simulation of the fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Augermore » Observatory using GEANT 4; (7) Education and Public Outreach at the Pierre Auger Observatory; (8) BATATA: A device to characterize the punch-through observed in underground muon detectors and to operate as a prototype for AMIGA; and (9) Progress with the Northern Part of the Pierre Auger Observatory.« less

Distributed Observatory Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godin, M. A.; Bellingham, J. G.

2006-12-01

A collection of tools for collaboratively managing a coastal ocean observatory have been developed and used in a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary field experiment. The Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network program created these tools to support the Adaptive Sampling and Prediction (ASAP) field experiment that occurred in Monterey Bay in the summer of 2006. ASAP involved the day-to-day participation of a large group of researchers located across North America. The goal of these investigators was to adapt an array of observational assets to optimize data collection and analysis. Achieving the goal required continual interaction, but the long duration of the observatory made sustained co-location of researchers difficult. The ASAP team needed a remote collaboration tool, the capability to add non-standard, interdisciplinary data sets to the overall data collection, and the ability to retrieve standardized data sets from the collection. Over the course of several months and "virtual experiments," the Ocean Observatory Portal (COOP) collaboration tool was created, along with tools for centralizing, cataloging, and converting data sets into common formats, and tools for generating automated plots of the common format data. Accumulating the data in a central location and converting the data to common formats allowed any team member to manipulate any data set quickly, without having to rely heavily on the expertise of data generators to read the data. The common data collection allowed for the development of a wide range of comparison plots and allowed team members to assimilate new data sources into derived outputs such as ocean models quickly. In addition to the standardized outputs, team members were able to produce their own specialized products and link to these through the collaborative portal, which made the experimental process more interdisciplinary and interactive. COOP was used to manage the ASAP vehicle program from its start in July 2006. New summaries were

SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunz, Nans; Bowers, Al

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the great astronomical observatories both space and land based that are now operational. It shows the history of the development of SOFIA, from its conception in 1986 through the contract awards in 1996 and through the planned first flight in 2007. The major components of the observatory are shown and there is a comparison of the SOFIA with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), which is the direct predecessor to SOFIA. The development of the aft ramp of the KAO was developed as a result of the wind tunnel tests performed for SOFIA development. Further slides show the airborne observatory layout and the telescope's optical layout. Included are also vies of the 2.5 Meter effective aperture, and the major telescope's components. The presentations reviews the technical challenges encountered during the development of SOFIA. There are also slides that review the wind tunnel tests, and CFD modeling performed during the development of SOFIA. Closing views show many views of the airplane, and views of SOFIA.

Automatic detection of asteroids by 16" and 41" telescopes at the SFA Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuls, David Carson

2015-05-01

Major upgrades were carried out to the hardware and software of the 16-inch and 41-inch telescopes at the Stephen F. Austin State University Observatory. These upgrades allow remote operation of both telescopes and are specifically designed to enhance the amount of time the telescopes are looking for Near Earth Objects (NEO's). This ability was tested by obtaining images and astrometry data remotely from both telescopes of target NEO's which required follow-up observation.

The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory 6.5m Telescope: enclosure design and wind analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Masahiro; Sako, Shigeyuki; Uchida, Takanori; Araya, Ryou; Kim, Koui; Yoshii, Yuzuru; Doi, Mamoru; Kohno, Kotaro; Miyata, Takashi; Motohara, Kentaro; Tanaka, Masuo; Minezaki, Takeo; Morokuma, Tomoki; Tamura, Yoichi; Tanabé, Toshihiko; Kato, Natsuko; Kamizuka, Takafumi; Takahashi, Hidenori; Aoki, Tsutomu; Soyano, Takao; Tarusawa, Ken'ichi

2016-07-01

We present results on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations as well as the wind tunnel experiments for the observation facilities of the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory 6.5m Telescope being constructed at the summit of Co. Chajnantor in northern Chile. Main purpose of this study starting with the baseline design reported in 2014 is to analyze topographic effect on the wind behavior, and to evaluate the wind pressure, the air turbulence, and the air change (ventilation) efficiency in the enclosure. The wind velocity is found to be accelerated by a factor of 1.2 to reach the summit (78 m sec-1 expected at a maximum), and the resulting wind pressure (3,750 N m-2) is used for the framework design of the facilities. The CFD data reveals that the open space below the floor of the facilities works efficiently to drift away the air turbulence near the ground level which could significantly affect the dome seeing. From comparisons of the wind velocity field obtained from the CFD simulation for three configurations of the ventilation windows, we find that the windows at a level of the telescope secondary mirror have less efficiency of the air change than those at lower levels. Considering the construction and maintenance costs, and operation procedures, we finally decide to allocate 13 windows at a level of the observing floor, 12 at a level of the primary mirror, and 2 at the level of the secondary mirror. The opening area by those windows accounts for about 14% of the total interior surface of the enclosure. Typical air change rate of 20-30 per hour is expected at the wind velocity of 1 m sec-1.

Gemini Observatory |

Science.gov Websites

Now Open Operations View All Observing databases offline May 30 Status of Gemini North eNewscast View Gemini Observatory Strategic Vision PDF Gemini North with open wind vents and observing slit at sunset . Gemini South with star-trails of the South Celestial Pole overhead. Gemini Science Meeting Open For

Toward a global multi-scale heliophysics observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semeter, J. L.

2017-12-01

We live within the only known stellar-planetary system that supports life. What we learn about this system is not only relevant to human society and its expanding reach beyond Earth's surface, but also to our understanding of the origins and evolution of life in the universe. Heliophysics is focused on solar-terrestrial interactions mediated by the magnetic and plasma environment surrounding the planet. A defining feature of energy flow through this environment is interaction across physical scales. A solar disturbance aimed at Earth can excite geospace variability on scales ranging from thousands of kilometers (e.g., global convection, region 1 and 2 currents, electrojet intensifications) to 10's of meters (e.g., equatorial spread-F, dispersive Alfven waves, plasma instabilities). Most "geospace observatory" concepts are focused on a single modality (e.g., HF/UHF radar, magnetometer, optical) providing a limited parameter set over a particular spatiotemporal resolution. Data assimilation methods have been developed to couple heterogeneous and distributed observations, but resolution has typically been prescribed a-priori and according to physical assumptions. This paper develops a conceptual framework for the next generation multi-scale heliophysics observatory, capable of revealing and quantifying the complete spectrum of cross-scale interactions occurring globally within the geospace system. The envisioned concept leverages existing assets, enlists citizen scientists, and exploits low-cost access to the geospace environment. Examples are presented where distributed multi-scale observations have resulted in substantial new insight into the inner workings of our stellar-planetary system.

Neutrino Oscillations and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wark, David

2001-04-01

When the existence of the neutrino was almost apologetically first proposed by Wolfgang Pauli it was intended to explain the mysterious apparent absence of energy and momentum in beta decay. 70 years later the neutrino has indeed solved that mystery, but it has generated still more of its own. Are neutrinos massive? Is it possible to create a neutrino with its spin in the same direction as its momentum? What fraction of the mass of the Universe is made up of neutrinos? Are the flavour labels which we put on neutrinos, like electron and muon, really fixed or can they change? Why does no experiment see the predicted flux of neutrinos from the Sun? Why do there appear to be roughly equal numbers of muon and electron neutrinos created in our atmosphere, rather than the 2:1 ratio we would expect? Many of these questions were coupled when Bruno Pontecorvo first suggested that the shortfall in solar neutrino measurements were caused by neutrino oscillations - neutrinos spontaneously changing flavour as they travel from the Sun. 30 years later we still await definitive proof of that conjecture, and providing that proof is the reason for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. The talk will discuss the current state of neutrino oscillations studies, and show how the unique capabilities of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory can provide definitive proof of whether neutrino oscillations are the long-sought answer to the solar neutrino problem.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1978-01-01

Both of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) 2/Einstein Observatory imaging devices were used to observe the Great Nebula in Andromeda, M31. This image is a wide field x-ray view of the center region of M31 by the HEAO-2's Imaging Proportional Counter. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978.

Visits to La Plata Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feinstein, A.

1985-03-01

La Plata Observatory will welcome visitors to ESO-La Silla that are willing to make a stop at Buenos Aires on their trip to Chile or on their way back. There is a nice guesthouse at the Observatory that can be used, for a couple of days or so, by astronomers interested in visiting the Observatory and delivering talks on their research work to the Argentine colleagues. No payments can, however, be made at present. La Plata is at 60 km from Buenos Aires. In the same area lie the Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica dei Espacio (IAFE), in Buenos Aires proper, and the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia (IAR). about 40 km from Buenos Aires on the way to La Plata. Those interested should contacl: Sr Decano Prof. Cesar A. Mondinalli, or Dr Alejandro Feinstein, Observatorio Astron6mico, Paseo dei Bosque, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. Telex: 31216 CESLA AR.

Hydrologic Observatories: Design, Operation, and the Neuse Basin Prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reckhow, K.; Band, L.

2003-12-01

Hydrologic observatories are conceived as major research facilities that will be available to the full hydrologic community, to facilitate comprehensive, cross-disciplinary and multi-scale measurements necessary to address the current and next generation of critical science and management issues. A network of hydrologic observatories is proposed that both develop national comparable, multidisciplinary data sets and provide study areas to allow scientists, through their own creativity, to make scientific breakthroughs that would be impossible without the proposed observatories. The core objective of an observatory is to improve predictive understanding of the flow paths, fluxes, and residence times of water, sediment and nutrients (the "core data") across a range of spatial and temporal scales across `interfaces'. To assess attainment of this objective, a benchmark will be established in the first year, and evaluated periodically. The benchmark should provide an estimate of prediction uncertainty at points in the stream across scale; the general principle is that predictive understanding must be demonstrated internal to the catchment as well as its outlet. The core data will be needed for practically any hydrologic study, yet absence of these data has been a barrier to larger scale studies in the past. However, advancement of hydrologic science facilitated by the network of hydrologic observatories is expected to focus on a set of science drivers, drawn from the major scientific questions posed by the set of NRC reports and refined into CUAHSI themes. These hypotheses will be tested at all observatories and will be used in the design to ensure the sufficiency of the data set. To make the observatories a national (and international) resource, a key aspect of the operation is the support of remote PI's. This support will include a resident staff of scientists and technicians on the order of 10 FTE's, availability of dormitory, laboratory, workshop space for all

The new and improved learning community at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine resembles that at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

PubMed

Stewart, Rosalyn W; Barker, Allison R; Shochet, Robert B; Wright, Scott M

2007-05-01

In July 2005, a learning community was created at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) to foster camaraderie, networking, advising, mentoring, professionalism, clinical skills, and scholarship--The Colleges. The cultural and structural changes that emerged with the creation of this program have resulted in JHUSOM bearing a resemblance to J. K. Rowling's fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This manuscript will describe the similarities between these two revered schools, and highlight the innovations and improvements made to JHUSOM's learning environment. The intense, stressful, and lengthy professional training required to achieve competency in the practice of medicine and in the practice of witchcraft (albeit fictional) have meaningful parallels. The supportive learning environment at these two schools should afford the next generation of graduates to have an even more enriching experience than those who have come before them.

Spectroscopic pulsational frequency identification and mode determination of γ Doradus star HD 12901

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunsden, E.; Pollard, K. R.; Cottrell, P. L.; Wright, D. J.; De Cat, P.

2012-12-01

Using multisite spectroscopic data collected from three sites, the frequencies and pulsational modes of the γ Doradus star HD 12901 were identified. A total of six frequencies in the range 1-2 d-1 were observed, their identifications supported by multiple line-profile measurement techniques and previously published photometry. Five frequencies were of sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for mode identification, and all five displayed similar three-bump standard deviation profiles which were fitted well with (l,m) = (1,1) modes. These fits had reduced χ2 values of less than 18. We propose that this star is an excellent candidate to test models of non-radially pulsating γ Doradus stars as a result of the presence of multiple (1,1) modes. This paper includes data taken at the Mount John University Observatory of the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin (Texas, USA) and the European Southern Observatory at La Silla (Chile).

Designing Hydrologic Observatories as a Community Resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, R. P.; Duncan, J. M.

2004-12-01

CUAHSI convened a workshop in August 2004 to explore what makes a successful hydrologic observatory. Because of their high cost, only a small number of observatories will be operated, at least initially. (CUAHSI has recommended a pilot network of 5 observatories to develop operational experience and an eventual network of approximately 15 sites.) Because hydrologic scientists can work "in their backyard" (unlike oceanographers or astronomers), hydrologic observatories must offer significant advantages over current methods of field work to successfully attract researchers. Twenty-four teams of scientists submitted "prospectuses" of potential locations for hydrologic observatories for consideration by network attendees. These documents (available at http://www.cuahsi.org) were marketing documents to the workshop participants, who voted for a hypothetical network of 5 observatories from the 24 proposed sites. This network formed the basis for a day of discussions on necessary attributes of core data and how to form a network of observatories from a collection of sites that are designed and implemented individually. Key findings included: 1) Core data must be balanced among disciplines. Although the hydrologic cycle is an organizing principle for the design of HOs, physical data cannot dominate the core data; chemical and biological data, although more expensive to collect, must be given equal footing. 2) New data collection must strategically leverage existing data. Resources are always limited, so that a successful HO must carefully target gaps in existing data, as determined by an explicitly stated conceptual model, and fill them rather than designing an independent study. 3) Site logistics must support remote researchers. Significant resources will be necessary for on-site staff to handle housing, transportation, permitting and other needs. 4) Network-level hypotheses are required early in the implementation of HOs. A network will only emerge around hypotheses

Report On Fiducial Points At The Space Geodesy Based Cagliari Astronomical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banni, A.; Buffa, F.; Falchi, E.; Sanna, G.

At the present time two research groups are engaged to space-geodesy activities in Sardinia: a staff belonging to the Stazione Astronomica of Cagliari (SAC) and the To- pography Section of the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Strutturale (DIST) of the Cagliari University. The two groups have a share in international campaigns and services. The local structure, consists of permanent stations of satellite observation both on radio and laser techniques. Particularly in the Cagliari Observatory a Satellite Laser Ranging system runs with nearly daily, low, medium and high orbit satellite tracking capability (e. g. Topex, Ajisai, Lageos1/2, Glonass); up to this time the Cagliari laser station has contributed towards the following international campaigns/organizations. Besides in the Observatory's site a fixed GPS system, belonging the Italian Space Agency GPS- Network and to the IGS-Network; and a GPS+GLONASS system, acquired by DIST and belonging to the IGLOS are installed and managed. All the above stations are furnished with meteorological sensors with RINEX format data dissemination avail- ability. Moreover a new 64 meters dish radio telescope (Sardinian Radio Telescope), geodetic VLBI equipped, is under construction not long away from the Observatory. The poster fully shows the facilities and furnishes a complete report on the mark- ers eccentricities, allowing co-location of the different space techniques operating in Sardinia.

CLEANER-Hydrologic Observatory Joint Science Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welty, C.; Dressler, K.; Hooper, R.

2005-12-01

modeling and decision-support tools to predict the underlying processes or subsequently forecast the effects of different management strategies. Water is a critical driver for the functioning of all ecosystems and development of human society, and it is a key ingredient for the success of industry, agriculture and, national economy. CLEANER-Hydrologic Observatories will foster cutting-edge science and engineering research that addresses major national needs (public and governmental) related to water and include, for example: (i) water resource problems, such as impaired surface waters, contaminated ground water, water availability for human use and ecosystem needs, floods and floodplain management, urban storm water, agricultural runoff, and coastal hypoxia; (ii) understanding environmental impacts on public health; (iii) achieving a balance of economic and environmental sustainability; (iv) reversing environmental degradation; and (v) protecting against chemical and biological threats. CLEANER (Collaborative Large-scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research) is an ENG initiative; the Hydrologic Observatory Network is GEO initiative through CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.). The two initiatives were merged into a joint, bi-directorate program in December 2004.

TESS Follow-up Observing Programs at the University of Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kasper, David; Kar, Aman; Sorber, Rebecca; Hancock, Daniel A.; Leuquire, Jacob D.; Suhaimi, Afiq; Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Pierce, Michael; Pilachowski, Catherine A.

2018-06-01

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), launched in Spring 2018, will detect thousands of new exoplanet candidates. These candidates will need to be vetted by ground-based observatories to rule out false positives. The Observatories at the University of Wyoming are well-positioned to take active roles in TESS Follow-Up Observing Program (TFOP) Working Groups. The 0.6-m Red Buttes Observatory has already demonstrated its capability to do precision photometric monitoring of transiting exoplanet targets as a participant in the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope Follow-Up Network (KELT-FUN). A new echelle spectrograph, Fiber High-Resolution Echelle (FHiRE), being built for the 2.3-m Wyoming InfraRed Observatory (WIRO), will enable precision radial velocity measurements of exoplanet candidates. Over 180 nights/year at both observatories will be available to our team to undertake follow-up observations of TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs). We anticipate making significant contributions to new exoplanet discoveries in the era of TESS.

ISS images for Observatory protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez de Miguel, Alejandro; Zamorano, Jaime

2015-08-01

Light pollution is the main factor of degradation of the astronomical quality of the sky along the history. Astronomical observatories have been monitoring how the brightness of the sky varies using photometric measures of the night sky brightness mainly at zenith. Since the sky brightness depends in other factors such as sky glow, aerosols, solar activity and the presence of celestial objects, the continuous increase of light pollution in these enclaves is difficult to trace except when it is too late.Using models of light dispersion on the atmosphere one can determine which light pollution sources are increasing the sky brightness at the observatories. The input satellite data has been provided by DMSP/OLS and SNPP/VIIRS. Unfortunately their panchromatic bands (color blinded) are not useful to detect in which extension the increase is due to the dramatic change produced by the irruption of LED technology in outdoor lighting. The only instrument in the space that is able to distinguish between the various lighting technologies are the DSLR cameras used by the astronauts onboard the ISS.Current status for some astronomical observatories that have been imaged from the ISS is presented. We are planning to send an official request to NASA with a plan to get images for the most important astronomical observatories. We ask support for this proposal by the astronomical community and especially by the US-based researchers.

A Solar Station for Education and Research on Solar Activity at a National University in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishitsuka, J. K.

2006-11-01

pepe@geo.igp.gob.pe Beginning in 1937, the Carnegie Institution of Washington made active regional observations with a spectro-helioscope at the Huancayo Observatory. In 1957, during the celebration of the International Geophysical Year Mutsumi Ishitsuka arrived at the Geophysical Institute of Peru and restarted solar observations from the Huancayo Observatory. Almost 69 years have passed and many contributions for the geophysical and solar sciences have been made. Now the Instituto Geofisico del Peru (IGP), in cooperation with the Faculty of Sciences of the Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga de Ica (UNICA), and with the support of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, are planning to construct a solar station refurbishing a coelostat that worked for many years at the Huancayo Observatory. A 15 cm refractor telescope is already installed at the university, for the observation of sunspots. A solar Flare Monitor Telescope (FMT) from Hida Observatory of Kyoto University could be sent to Peru and installed at the solar station at UNICA. As the refurbished coelostat, FMT will become a good tool to improve education and research in sciences.

William Henry Welch (1850–1934): the road to Johns Hopkins

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

William Henry Welch's selection in 1884 as the first faculty member of the new medical school at Johns Hopkins created the invigorating atmosphere that generated the revolutionary changes in medical training and laboratory medicine that transformed medicine in America. Dr. Welch's family traditions, his New England upbringing, Yale education, and German university experience prepared a unique individual to lead American medicine into the 20th century. PMID:21738298

Kronos Observatory Operations Challenges in a Lean Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koratkar, Anuradha; Peterson, Bradley M.; Polidan, Ronald S.

2003-02-01

Kronos is a multiwavelength observatory designed to map the accretion disks and environments of supermassive black holes in various environments using the natural intrinsic variability of the accretion-driven sources. Kronos is envisaged as a Medium Explorer mission to NASA Office of Space Science under the Structure and Evolution of the Universe theme. We will achieve the Kronos science objectives by developing cost-effective techniques for obtaining and assimilating data from the research spacecraft and its subsequent work on the ground. The science operations assumptions for the mission are: (1 Need for flexible scheduling due to the variable nature of targets, (2) Large data volumes but minimal ground station contact, (3) Very small staff for operations. Our first assumption implies that we will have to consider an effective strategy to dynamically reprioritize the observing schedule to maximize science data acquisition. The flexibility we seek greatly increases the science return of the mission, because variability events can be properly captured. Our second assumption implies that we will have to develop some basic on-board analysis strategies to determine which data get downloaded. The small size of the operations staff implies that we need to "automate" as many routine processes of science operations as possible. In this paper we will discuss the various solutions that we are considering to optimize our operations and maximize science returns on the observatory.

John Collins Warren: Master educator and pioneer surgeon of ether fame.

PubMed

Toledo, Alexander Horacio

2006-01-01

John Collins Warren (1778-1856) represented the apex of surgery and medicine of the first half of nineteenth century Boston. Educated at Harvard College where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1797, he contemplated the idea of a business career prior to setting sail for a traditional medical education at Europe's finest universities. From 1799 to 1802, he attended prestigious medical and surgical lectures in London, Edinburgh, and Paris. Warren received an honorary MD from Scotland's St. Andrews University in 1802. He then returned to Boston and joined his father's practice. In 1815, he followed his accomplished father as the Hersey Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He held this position with great distinction until 1847 when he retired as professor emeritus. From 1816 to 1819 he served as Harvard Medical School dean and received an honorary medical degree at the end of his term.John Collins Warren had numerous surgical accomplishments during his illustrious career. Clinically, he was active and varied in his practice, operating on strangulated hernias, tumors, and cataracts, in addition to performing vascular surgery and amputations. He published many articles and books of widespread circulation. Professor Warren also performed the first reported case of ether anesthesia administered by William T. Morton on October 16, 1846. Outside the operating theatre, Doctor Warren and his colleagues were revered for founding the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1821, and years before, in 1812, Warren and his associates established the New England Journal of Medicine and Surgery. In light of his varied contributions, John Collins Warren is remembered as a dedicated and innovative surgeon, as well as a committed medical educator, able administrator and effective leader.

Image of the Quasar 3C 273 Taken by the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

This image is an observation of Quasar 3C 273 by the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2/Einstein Observatory. It reveals the presence of a new source (upper left) with a red shift that indicates that it is about 10 billion light years away. Quasars are mysterious, bright, star-like objects apparently located at the very edge of the visible universe. Although no bigger than our solar system, they radiate as much visible light as a thousand galaxies. Quasars also emit radio signals and were previously recognized as x-ray sources. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2 was designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Gamma-ray astronomy: From Fermi up to the HAWC high-energy {gamma}-ray observatory in Sierra Negra

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carraminana, Alberto; Collaboration: HAWC Collaboration

Gamma-rays represent the most energetic electromagnetic window for the study of the Universe. They are studied both from space at MeV and GeV energies, with instruments like the Fermi{gamma}-ray Space Telescope, and at TeV energies with ground based instruments profiting of particle cascades in the atmosphere and of the Cerenkov radiation of charged particles in the air or in water. The Milagro gamma-ray observatory represented the first instrument to successfully implement the water Cerenkov technique for {gamma}-ray astronomy, opening the ground for the more sensitive HAWC {gamma}-ray observatory, currently under development in the Sierra Negra site and already providing earlymore » science results.« less

The Suwannee River Hydrologic Observatory: A Subtropical Coastal Plain Watershed in Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, W. D.

2004-12-01

The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences (CUAHSI) proposed to establish a network of 5-15 hydrologic observatories (HO's) across North America is to support fundamental research for the hydrologic science community into the next century. These HO's are projected to be 10,000 to 50,000 km2 and will include a broad range of hydrologic, climatic, bio-geochemical and ecosystem processes, including the critical linkages and couplings. This network is envisioned as the natural laboratory for experimental hydrology in support of scientific investigations focused on predictive understanding at a scale that will include both atmospheric- and ecosystem-hydrologic interaction, as well as the hydrologic response to larger-scale climate variation and change. A group of researchers from Florida and Georgia plan to propose the Suwannee River watershed as a Hydrologic Observatory. The Suwannee River flows through a diverse watershed relatively unimpacted by urbanization but in transition to more intense land-use practices. It thus provides excellent opportunities to study the effects of ongoing changes in land use and water supply on varied hydrological processes. Much background information is available on the hydrology, hydrogeology, geology, chemistry, and biology of the watershed. Several major on-going monitoring programs are supported by state and federal agencies. Four characteristics, discussed in greater detail below, make the Suwannee River watershed ideal for a Hydrologic Observatory: Unregulated and rural - The Suwannee River is one of few major rivers in the United States with largely unregulated flow through rural areas and is relatively unimpaired with regard to water quality, leading to its designation as one of twelve National Showcase Watersheds. At Risk and in Transition - Land use is trending toward increased urbanization and intensive agriculture with an apparent coupled increase in nutrient loads and decline in water quality

The Greening of a University: The St. John's Sustainability Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellow, James P.; Anand, Brij

2009-01-01

With "greening" projects dotting the landscape of higher education across the nation, it is encouraging to witness the commitment of many colleges and universities to helping secure the future environmental viability of the nation. The challenges that come with this commitment, however, are not insignificant. A comprehensive…

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory: Progress Report and Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, Martin C.

2012-01-01

Over the past 13 years, the Chandra X-ray Observatory's ability to provide high resolution X-ray images and spectra have established it as one of the most versatile and powerful tools for astrophysical research in the 21st century. Chandra explores the hot, high-energy regions of the universe, observing X-ray sources with fluxes spanning more than 10 orders of magnitude, from the X-ray brightest, Sco X-1, to the faintest sources in the Chandra Deep Field South survey. Thanks to its continuing operational life, the Chandra mission now also provides a long observing baseline which, in and of itself, is opening new research opportunities. Observations in the past few years alone have deepened our understanding of the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies, the details of black hole accretion, the nature of dark energy and dark matter, the details of supernovae and their progenitors, the interiors of neutron stars, the evolution of massive stars, and the high-energy environment of protoplanetary nebulae and the interaction of an exo-planet with its star. Here we update the technical status, highlight some of the scientific results, and very briefly discuss future prospects. We fully expect that the Observatory will continue to provide outstanding scientific results for many years to come.

Through the Lens of History: The Unusual Circumstances Leading to the Acquisition of the Lowell Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schindler, K. S.

2013-04-01

In 1900 Lowell Observatory assistant Andrew Douglass advised his employer Percival Lowell to purchase a state-of-the-art spectrograph from instrument maker John Brashear of Pennsylvania. Lowell agreed with Douglass's suggestion, realizing that such an instrument was critical for the Observatory staff's research. However, the purchase also fulfilled a little-known obligation between Percival Lowell and Brashear that dated back to an accident occurring in 1895. If not for this unusual incident that led to the purchase of the spectrograph, the future of Lowell Observatory and, on a larger scale, unmasking of the nature of the expanding universe, would likely have played out much differently.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1980-01-01

This supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia was observed by Tycho Brahe in 1572. In this x-ray image from the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO-2/Einstein Observatory produced by nearly a day of exposure time, the center region appears filled with emissions that can be resolved into patches or knots of material. However, no central pulsar or other collapsed object can be seen. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-01-01

This is an x-ray image of the Crab Nebula taken with the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2/Einstein Observatory. The image is demonstrated by a pulsar, which appears as a bright point due to its pulsed x-ray emissions. The strongest region of diffused emissions comes from just northwest of the pulsar, and corresponds closely to the region of brightest visible-light emission. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-01-01

This image is an x-ray view of Eta Carinae Nebula showing bright stars taken with the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2/Einstein Observatory. The Eta Carinae Nebula is a large and complex cloud of gas, crisscrossed with dark lanes of dust, some 6,500 light years from Earth. Buried deep in this cloud are many bright young stars and a very peculiar variable star. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1980-01-01

This x-ray photograph of the Supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, taken with the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) 2/Einstein Observatory, shows that the regions with fast moving knots of material in the expanding shell are bright and clear. A faint x-ray halo, just outside the bright shell, is interpreted as a shock wave moving ahead of the expanding debris. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978.

The Children's Novel as a Gateway to Play: An Interview with John Morgenstern

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Journal of Play, 2010

2010-01-01

John Morgenstern has taught literature and literacy at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for more than thirty years. He traces his interest in children's literature and play to his boyhood experiences: he read four novels a week--the maximum he could take from the bookmobile that served his Toronto suburb--and incorporated…

NEPTUNE: an under-sea plate scale observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beauchamp, P. M.; Heath, G. R.; Maffei, A.; Chave, A.; Howe, B.; Wilcock, W.; Delaney, J.; Kirkham, H.

2002-01-01

The NEPTUNE project will establish a linked array of undersea observatories on the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate. This observatory will provide a new kind of research platform for real-time, long-term, plate-scale studies in the ocean and Earth sciences.

Ten years of the Spanish Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solano, E.

2015-05-01

The main objective of the Virtual Observatory (VO) is to guarantee an easy and efficient access and analysis of the information hosted in astronomical archives. The Spanish Virtual Observatory (SVO) is a project that was born in 2004 with the goal of promoting and coordinating the VO-related activities at national level. SVO is also the national contact point for the international VO initiatives, in particular the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) and the Euro-VO project. The project, led by Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), is structured around four major topics: a) VO compliance of astronomical archives, b) VO-science, c) VO- and data mining-tools, and d) Education and outreach. In this paper I will describe the most important results obtained by the Spanish Virtual Observatory in its first ten years of life as well as the future lines of work.

John Dewey, an Appreciation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clopton, Robert W.

2015-01-01

The subject of the annual Presidential address of Phi Kappa Phi, presented on May 8, 1962, was John Dewey. Dewey is identified in the public mind chiefly as an educational philosopher. In this address, the author describes the life and work of John Dewey as an indefatigable student of life whose interests ranged, like those of Aristotle, over the…

Summary of NASA Advanced Telescope and Observatory Capability Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Phil; Feinberg, Lee

2006-01-01

The NASA Advanced Telescope and Observatory (ATO) Capability Roadmap addresses technologies necessary for NASA to enable future space telescopes and observatories operating in all electromagnetic bands, from x-rays to millimeter waves, and including gravity-waves. It lists capability priorities derived from current and developing Space Missions Directorate (SMD) strategic roadmaps. Technology topics include optics; wavefront sensing and control and interferometry; distributed and advanced spacecraft systems; cryogenic and thermal control systems; large precision structure for observatories; and the infrastructure essential to future space telescopes and observatories.

Summary of NASA Advanced Telescope and Observatory Capability Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip; Feinberg, Lee

2007-01-01

The NASA Advanced Telescope and Observatory (ATO) Capability Roadmap addresses technologies necessary for NASA to enable future space telescopes and observatories operating in all electromagnetic bands, from x-rays to millimeter waves, and including gravity-waves. It lists capability priorities derived from current and developing Space Missions Directorate (SMD) strategic roadmaps. Technology topics include optics; wavefront sensing and control and interferometry; distributed and advanced spacecraft systems; cryogenic and thermal control systems; large precision structure for observatories; and the infrastructure essential to future space telescopes and observatories.

Developing an Optical Lunar Occultation Measurement Reduction System for Observations at Kaau Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malawi, Abdulrahman A.

2013-06-01

We present here a detailed explanation of the reduction method that we use to determine the angular diameters of the stars occulted by the dark limb of the moon. This is a main part of the lunar occultation observation program running at King Abdul Aziz University observatory since late 1993. The process is based on the least square model fitting method of analyzing occultation data, first introduced by Nather et al. (Astron. J. 75:963, 1970).

Canada's Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the rise of 20th Century Astrophysics and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesser, James E.; Bohlender, David; Crabtree, Dennis

2015-08-01

Construction of Canada’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) commenced in 1914 with first light on 6 May 1918. Its varied, rich contributions to the astronomical heritage of the 20th century continue into the 21st century. The first major research observatory built with public funding on the West Coast of North America, it was Canada’s first ‘big science’ project. DAO welcomed scientists from around the world to use its 1.8m telescope designed by John Stanley Plaskett working in close collaboration with the Warner and Swasey Company of Cleveland, OH. Their original design was copied seven times around the globe, the last occasion being in the 1960s. From Day 1 the DAO welcomed the public for viewing and interaction with the small scientific staff whose early efforts would today be characterized as ‘Key Projects’. Those efforts included measuring the radial velocities of O and B stars that, interpreted through Oort’s ideas of differential rotation, determined the most reliable estimate of the size and mass of the Milky Way available until radio astronomical techniques emerged in the 1950s. The first organic molecule in interstellar space, CH, was discovered by a DAO astronomer. The first, very puzzling estimate of ~3K for the temperature of interstellar space was deduced from interstellar CN observations a year after interstellar CH and CN were discovered. DAO’s heritage of innovative instrumentation continues to the present day where expertise in optically efficient, mechanically stable spectrographs and adaptive optics are much in evidence at Mauna Kea’s CFHT, Gemini and Subaru observatories. In 2009 the DAO was designated a National Historic Site. This presentation will draw links between DAO, developments of Canadian astronomy and the emergence of Mauna Kea as an exceptional global astronomical reserve.

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-16

This photo shows the High Resolution Camera (HRC) for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), being integrated with the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) in Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) 24-foot Vacuum Chamber at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most poweful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRC is one of the two instruments used at the focus of CXO, where it will detect x-rays reflected from an assembly of eight mirrors. The unique capabilities of the HRC stem from the close match of its imaging capability to the focusing of the mirrors. When used with CXO mirrors, the HRC makes images that reveal detail as small as one-half an arc second. This is equivalent to the ability to read a newspaper at a distance of 1 kilometer. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components relatedto x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-16

This photo shows the High Resolution Camera (HRC) for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), being integrated with the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) in Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) 24-foot Vacuum Chamber at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRC is one of the two instruments used at the focus of CXO, where it will detect x-rays reflected from an assembly of eight mirrors. The unique capabilities of the HRC stem from the close match of its imaging capability to the focusing of the mirrors. When used with CXO mirrors, the HRC makes images that reveal detail as small as one-half an arc second. This is equivalent to the ability to read a newspaper at a distance of 1 kilometer. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

Conceptions of Childhood in the Educational Philosophies of John Locke and John Dewey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bynum, Gregory Lewis

2015-01-01

This article compares progressive conceptions of childhood in the educational philosophies of John Locke and John Dewey. Although the lives of the two philosophers were separated by an ocean and two centuries of history, they had in common the following things: (1) a relatively high level of experience working with, and observing, children that is…

Enabling Virtual Access to Latin-American Southern Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippi, G.

2010-12-01

EVALSO (Enabling Virtual Access to Latin-American Southern Observatories) is an international consortium of nine astronomical organisations and research network operators, part-funded under the European Commission FP7, to create and exploit high-speed bandwidth connections to South American observatories. A brief description of the project is presented. The EVALSO Consortium inaugurated a fibre link between the Paranal Observatory and international networks on 4 November 2010 capable of 10 Gigabit per second.

Development of Armenian-Georgian Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, Areg; Kochiashvili, Nino; Astsatryan, Hrach; Harutyunian, Haik; Magakyan, Tigran; Chargeishvili, Ketevan; Natsvlishvili, Rezo; Kukhianidze, Vasil; Ramishvili, Giorgi; Sargsyan, Lusine; Sinamyan, Parandzem; Kochiashvili, Ia; Mikayelyan, Gor

2009-10-01

The Armenian-Georgian Virtual Observatory (ArGVO) project is the first initiative in the world to create a regional VO infrastructure based on national VO projects and regional Grid. The Byurakan and Abastumani Astrophysical Observatories are scientific partners since 1946, after establishment of the Byurakan observatory . The Armenian VO project (ArVO) is being developed since 2005 and is a part of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA). It is based on the Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS, the digitized version of famous Markarian survey) and other Armenian archival data. Similarly, the Georgian VO will be created to serve as a research environment to utilize the digitized Georgian plate archives. Therefore, one of the main goals for creation of the regional VO is the digitization of large amounts of plates preserved at the plate stacks of these two observatories. The total amount of plates is more than 100,000 units. Observational programs of high importance have been selected and some 3000 plates will be digitized during the next two years; the priority is being defined by the usefulness of the material for future science projects, like search for new objects, optical identifications of radio, IR, and X-ray sources, study of variability and proper motions, etc. Having the digitized material in VO standards, a VO database through the regional Grid infrastructure will be active. This partnership is being carried out in the framework of the ISTC project A-1606 "Development of Armenian-Georgian Grid Infrastructure and Applications in the Fields of High Energy Physics, Astrophysics and Quantum Physics".

The Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI): A Powerful New Integral Field Spectrograph for the Keck Observatory