Eso's Situation in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-02-01

ESO, the European Southern Observatory, in reply to questions raised by the international media, as well as an ongoing debate about the so-called "Paranal case" in Chilean newspapers, would like to make a number of related observations concerning its status and continued operation in that country [1]. THE ESO OBSERVATORY SITES IN CHILE The European Southern Observatory, an international organisation established and supported by eight European countries, has been operating more than 30 years in the Republic of Chile. Here ESO maintains one of the world's prime astronomical observatories on the La Silla mountain in the southern part of the Atacama desert. This location is in the Fourth Chilean Region, some 600 km north of Santiago de Chile. In order to protect the La Silla site against dust and light pollution from possible future mining industries, roads and settlements, ESO early acquired the territory around this site. It totals about 825 sq. km and has effectively contributed to the preservation of its continued, excellent "astronomical" quality. Each year, more than 500 astronomers from European countries, Chile and elsewhere profit from this when they come to La Silla to observe with one or more of the 15 telescopes now located there. In 1987, the ESO Council [2] decided to embark upon one of the most prestigious and technologically advanced projects ever conceived in astronomy, the Very Large Telescope (VLT). It will consist of four interconnected 8.2-metre telescopes and will become the largest optical telescope in the world when it is ready. It is safe to predict that many exciting discoveries will be made with this instrument, and it will undoubtedly play a very important role in our exploration of the distant universe and its many mysteries during the coming decades. THE VLT AND PARANAL In order to find the best site for the VLT, ESO performed a thorough investigation of many possible mountain tops, both near La Silla and in Northern Chile. They showed

Development of telescope control system for the 50cm telescope of UC Observatory Santa Martina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Tzu-Chiang; Soto, Ruben; Reveco, Johnny; Vanzi, Leonardo; Fernández, Jose M.; Escarate, Pedro; Suc, Vincent

2012-09-01

The main telescope of the UC Observatory Santa Martina is a 50cm optical telescope donated by ESO to Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. During the past years the telescope has been refurbished and used as the main facility for testing and validating new instruments under construction by the center of Astro-Engineering UC. As part of this work, the need to develop a more efficient and flexible control system arises. The new distributed control system has been developed on top of Internet Communication Engine (ICE), a framework developed by Zeroc Inc. This framework features a lightweight but powerful and flexible inter-process communication infrastructure and provides binding to classic and modern programming languages, such as, C/C++, java, c#, ruby-rail, objective c, etc. The result of this work shows ICE as a real alternative for CORBA and other de-facto distribute programming framework. Classical control software architecture has been chosen and comprises an observation control system (OCS), the orchestrator of the observation, which controls the telescope control system (TCS), and detector control system (DCS). The real-time control and monitoring system is deployed and running over ARM based single board computers. Other features such as logging and configuration services have been developed as well. Inter-operation with other main astronomical control frameworks are foreseen in order achieve a smooth integration of instruments when they will be integrated in the main observatories in the north of Chile

Observing facilities at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile for cometary observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnur, G. F. O.; Kohoutek, L.; Rahe, J.

1981-01-01

The (ESO) is located on the mountain La Silla (geographical coordinates: 4h42m55s10 west, -29 deg 15' 25".8 south, 2400 m elevation. The size of the telescopes ranges from a 40 cm Astrograph to the 3.6 m Richey-Chretien telescope. Future telescopes are discussed: a 2.2 m RC-Telescope which will be identical with the German 2.2 m telescope on Calor Alto in SE-Spain, and a 3.5 m telescope, the New Technology Telescope. In addition to these telescopes, a great number of auxiliary instrumentation are operational. Because ESO has to serve all requests of the visiting astronomers these instruments are designed for very different applications. The telescopes and auxiliary instruments that are especially suited for cometary observations are discussed. The dicussion is divided into three parts: photography, photometry-polarimetry and spectroscopy.

Finland to Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-02-01

astronomers, renowned for their expertise in many frontline areas, will have new, exciting opportunities for working on research programmes at the frontiers of modern astrophysics." "This is indeed the right time to join ESO", she added. "The four 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescopes with their many first-class instruments are working with unsurpassed efficiency at Paranal, probing the near and distant Universe and providing European astronomers with a goldmine of unique astronomical data. The implementation of the VLT Interferometer is progressing well and last year we entered into the construction phase of the intercontinental millimetre- and submillimetre-band Atacama Large Millimeter Array. And the continued design studies for gigantic optical/infrared telescopes like OWL are progressing fast. Wonderful horizons are indeed opening for the coming generations of European astronomers!" She was seconded by the President of the ESO Council, Professor Piet van der Kruit, "This is a most important step in the continuing evolution of ESO. By having Finland become a member of ESO, we welcome a country that has put in place a highly efficient and competitive innovation system with one of the fastest growths of research investment in the EU area. I have no doubt that the Finnish astronomers will not only make the best scientific use of ESO facilities but that they will also greatly contribute through their high quality R&D to technological developments which will benefit the whole ESO community. " Notes [1]: Current ESO member countries are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kindgdom. [2]: The ESO Convention was established in 1962 and specifies the goals of ESO and the means to achieve these, e.g., "The Governments of the States parties to this convention... desirous of jointly creating an observatory equipped with powerful instruments in the Southern hemisphere and accordingly promoting and organizing co-operation in

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.

United Kingdom to Join ESO on July 1, 2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-12-01

ESO and PPARC Councils Endorse Terms of Accession [1] The Councils of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) , at their respective meetings on December 3 and 5, 2001, have endorsed the terms for UK membership of ESO, as recently agreed by their Negotiating Teams. All members of the Councils - the governing bodies of the two organisations - welcomed the positive spirit in which the extensive negotiations had been conducted and expressed great satisfaction at the successful outcome of a complex process. The formal procedure of accession will now commence in the UK and is expected to be achieved in good time to allow accession from July 2002. The European Southern Observatory is the main European organisation for astronomy and the United Kingdom will become its tenth member state [2]. ESO operates two major observatories in the Chilean Atacama desert where the conditions for astronomical observations are second-to-none on earth and it has recently put into operation the world's foremost optical/infrared telescope, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal. With UK membership, British astronomers will join their European colleagues in preparing new projects now being planned on a global scale. They will also be able to pursue their research on some of the most powerful astronomical instruments available. The ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky , is "delighted that we have come this far after the lengthy negotiations needed to prepare properly the admission of another major European country to our organisation. When ESO was created nearly 40 years ago, the UK was planning for its own facilities in the southern hemisphere, in collaboration with Australia, and decided not to join. However, the impressive scientific and technological advances since then and ESOs emergence as a prime player on the European research scene have convinced our UK colleagues of the great advantages of presenting a

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.

NASA and ESA astronauts visit ESO. Hubble repair team meets European astronomers in Garching.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-02-01

On Wednesday, February 16, 1994, seven NASA and ESA astronauts and their spouses will spend a day at the Headquarters of the European Southern Observatory. They are the members of the STS-61 crew that successfully repaired the Hubble Space Telescope during a Space Shuttle mission in December 1993. This will be the only stop in Germany during their current tour of various European countries. ESO houses the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility (ST/ECF), a joint venture by the European Space Agency and ESO. This group of astronomers and computer specialists provide all services needed by European astronomers for observations with the Space Telescope. Currently, the European share is about 20 of the total time available at this telescope. During this visit, a Press Conference will be held on Wednesday, February 16, 11:45 - 12:30 at the ESO Headquarters Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2 D-85748 Garching bei Munchen. Please note that participation in this Press Conference is by invitation only. Media representatives may obtain invitations from Mrs. E. Volk, ESO Information Service at this address (Tel.: +49-89-32006276; Fax.: +49-89-3202362), until Friday, February 11, 1994. After the Press Conference, between 12:30 - 14:00, a light refreshment will be served at the ESO Headquarters to all participants. >From 14:00 - 15:30, the astronauts will meet with students and teachers from the many scientific institutes in Garching in the course of an open presentation at the large lecture hall of the Physics Department of the Technical University. It is a 10 minute walk from ESO to the hall. Later the same day, the astronauts will be back at ESO for a private discussion of various space astronomy issues with their astronomer colleagues, many of whom are users of the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as ground-based telescopes at the ESO La Silla Observatory and elsewhere. The astronauts continue to Switzerland in the evening.

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.

ESO's Hidden Treasures Brought to Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-01-01

Adam Kiil. 19. NGC 2467 - number 2 by Josh Barrington. 20. Haffner 18 and 19 by Javier Fuentes. Igor Chekalin, winner of the trip to Paranal, says: "It was a great experience and pleasure to work with such amazing data. As an amateur astrophotographer, this was the most difficult processing and post-processing job I have ever done. My participation in the Hidden Treasures competition gave me a range of challenges, from installing new software to studying techniques and even operating systems that I did not know before." The success of the ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 competition and the enthusiasm of the skilled participants made it easy to decide to run a follow-up to the competition. Stay tuned and check www.eso.org for news about ESO's Hidden Treasures 2011. More information ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and VISTA, the world's largest survey telescope. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Relations Between Chile and ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-06-01

As announced in an earlier Press Release (PR 08/94 of 6 May 1994), a high-ranking ESO delegation visited Santiago de Chile during the week of 24 - 28 May 1994 to discuss various important matters of mutual interest with the Chilean Government. It consisted of Dr. Peter Creola (President of ESO Council), Dr. Catherine Cesarsky (Vice-President of ESO Council), Dr. Henrik Grage (Former Vice-President of ESO Council) and Professor Riccardo Giacconi (ESO Director General), the latter accompanied by his advisers. THE SUPPLEMENTARY TREATY BETWEEN CHILE AND ESO Following a meeting with the ambassadors to Chile of the eight ESO member countries, the ESO delegation was received by the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carlos Figueroa, and members of his staff. The ESO delegation was pleased to receive assurances that the present Chilean Government, like its predecessors, will continue to honour all contractual agreements, in particular the privileges and immunities of this Organisation, which were laid down in the Treaty between ESO and Chile that was signed by the parties in 1963 and ratified the following year. The discussions covered some aspects of the proposed Supplementary Treaty which has been under preparation during the past year. This included in particular the desire of the Chilean side to further increase the percentage of guaranteed time for Chilean astronomers at the future ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) and also the rules governing the installation by ESO member countries of additional telescopes at the ESO observatories in Chile. ESO invited a Chilean delegation to visit the ESO Headquarters in Garching (Germany) later this year for the final adjustment of the text of the Supplementary Treaty, after which it should be possible to proceed rapidly with the signing and ratification by the Chilean Parliament and the ESO Council. THE SITUATION AROUND PARANAL The ESO delegation expressed its deep concern to the Chilean Government about the continuing legal

Three Good Reasons for Celebrating at the ESO/ST-ECF Science Archive Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-12-01

Great Demand for Data from New "Virtual Observatory" Summary Due to a happy coincidence, the ESO/ST-ECF Science Archive Facility is celebrating three different milestones at the same time: * its 10th anniversary since the establishment in 1991 * the 10,000th request for data , and * the signing-up of active user number 2000 . This Archive contains over 8 Terabytes (1 Terabyte = 1 million million bytes) of valuable observational data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) and other ESO telescopes . Its success paves the way for the establishment of "Virtual Observatories" from which first-class data can be obtained by astronomers all over the world. This greatly enhances the opportunities for more (young) scientists to participate in front-line research. PR Photo 34/00 : Front-page of a new brochure, describing the ESO/ST-ECF Science Archive Facility. Just 10 years ago, on the 1st of January 1991, the ESO/ST-ECF (European Southern Observatory/Space Telescope-European Coordinating Facility) Science Archive Facility opened. It has since served the astronomical community with gigabyte after gigabyte of high-quality astronomical data from some of the world's leading telescopes. The Archive, which is located in Garching, just outside Munich (Germany), contains data from the 2.4-m NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope , as well as from several ESO telescopes: the four 8.2-m Unit Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory , and the 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) , the 3.6-m telescope and the MPG/ESO 2.2-m telescope at La Silla. The Archive is a continuously developing project - in terms of amounts of data stored, the number of users and in particular because of the current dramatic development of innovative techniques for data handling and storage. In the year 2000 more than 2 Terabytes (2000 Gigabytes) of data were distributed to users worldwide. The archiving of VLT data has been described in ESO PR

Austria Declares Intent To Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

At a press conference today at the University of Vienna's Observatory, the Austrian Science Minister Johannes Hahn announced the decision by the Austrian Government to seek membership of ESO from 1 July this year. ESO PR Photo 11/08 ESO PR Photo 11/08 Announcing Austria's Intent to Join ESO Said Minister Hahn: "With membership of ESO, Austria's scientists will receive direct access to the world's leading infrastructure in astronomy. This strengthens Austria as a place for research and provides an opportunity for young researchers to continue their work from here. With this move, Austria takes an important step in the reinforcement of Europe's science and research infrastructure." The decision constitutes a major breakthrough for Austrian scientists who have argued for membership of ESO for many years. Seeking membership in ESO also marks a step towards the further development of the European Research and Innovation Area, an important element of Europe's so-called Lisbon Strategy. "ESO welcomes the Austrian bid to join our organisation. I salute the Austrian Government for taking this important step and look forward to working closely with our Austrian friends and colleagues in the years to come," commented the ESO Director General, Tim de Zeeuw. For Austrian astronomers, ESO membership means not only unrestricted access to ESO's world-leading observational facilities including the world's most advanced optical telescope, the Very Large Telescope, and full participation in the quasi-global ALMA project, but also the possibility to participate on a par with their European colleagues in the future projects of ESO, including the realisation of ESO's Extremely Large Telescope project (E-ELT), which is currently in the design phase. All these projects require some of the most advanced technologies in key areas such as optics, detectors, lightweight structures, etc. Austrian participation in ESO opens the door for Austrian industry and major research institutes of the

ESO PR Highlights in 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-01-01

circular cluster of stars (ESO 12/07), hunting galaxies (ESO 40/07), discovering teenage galaxies (ESO 52/07), and finding the first known triplet of supermassive black holes (ESO 02/07). On the instrumentation side, the VLT has been equipped with a new 'eye' to study the Universe in the near-infrared, Hawk-I (ESO 36/07), while the Laser Guide Star used at the VLT to create an artificial star appears to fulfil all its promises (ESO 27/07 and 33/07). Successful tests were also done of a crucial technology for Extremely Large Telescopes (ESO 19/07). The VLT Rapid Response Mode showed it unique capabilities in the study of gamma-ray bursts (ESO 17/07), as did the REM, a robotic telescope at La Silla, that allowed astronomers to measure for the first time the speed of matter ejected in these tremendous explosions (ESO 26/07). The world's largest bolometer camera for submillimetre astronomy, LABOCA, is now in service at the 12-m APEX telescope (ESO 35/07), while the construction of ALMA moves forwards. Two 12-m ALMA prototype antennas were first linked together as an integrated system to observe an astronomical object (ESO 10/07), the ALMA Operations Support Facility is almost completed (ESO 13/07), and the ALMA transporters were shipped to Chile (ESO 32/07 and 45/07). ESO is also present on the educational front with, for example, its annual international contest for students, Catch a Star (ESO 21/07 and 46/07). In April 2007, ESO organised with its partners the second EIROforum Science on Stage festival, a unique event, showcasing the very best of today's science education and to which participated the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik. The Commissioner also visited the Paranal observatory (ESO 48/07) and took part in the observation of a beautiful galaxy (ESO 49/07). This was not the only nice image coming out from ESO telescopes. A rather amazing Cosmic Bird - or a gigantic Tinker Bell - was photographed (ESO 55/07), as well as a Purple Rose

ESO PR Highlights in 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-01-01

Last year proved again a wonderful one for astronomy in general and for ESO in particular. Certainly the most important astronomical event for a large public was the unique Transit of Venus : on June 8, 2004, Venus - the Earth's sister planet - passed in front of the Sun. This rare event - the last one occurred in 1882 - attracted the attention of millions of people all over the world. ESO in cooperation with several other institutes and with support from the European Commission organised through the whole year the Venus Transit 2004 (VT-2004) public education programme that successfully exposed the broad public to a number of fundamental issues at the crucial interface between society and basic science. The web site experienced a record 55 million webhits during a period of 8 hours around the transit. The programme also re-enacted the historical determination of the distance to the Sun (the "Astronomical Unit") by collecting 4550 timings of the four contacts made by more than 1500 participating group of observers and combining them in a calculation of the AU. This resulted in an astonishing accurate value of the Astronomical Unit. More details are available at the VT-2004 website, whose wealth of information will certainly make it a useful tool until the next transit in 2012! For ESO also, 2004 proved a very special year. Finland officially joined as eleventh member state and in December, the Chilean President, Ricardo Lagos, visited the Paranal Observatory. Last year was also the Fifth anniversary of the Very Large Telescope, ESO's flagship facility, as on April 1, 1999 the first 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescope, Antu (UT1), was "handed over" to the astronomers. On this occasion, ESO released several products, including a selection of the best astronomical images taken with the VLT, the VLT Top 20. But there is no doubt that the numerous high quality images published last year are all contenders to top the charts of best astronomical pictures. The year 2004 also saw many

Positions of Asteroids Obtained with the GPO Telescope at ESO, Chile and with the Kvistaberg Schmidt Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagerkvist, C.-I.; Olofsson, K.; From, A.; Hammarback, G.; Magnusson, P.; Morell, O.

1985-01-01

In this paper we present 101 positions of asteroids obtained during Augnst 1982 with the GPO astrograph at ESO, Chile and with the Kvistaberg Schmidt telescope during September 1979 and February 1981.

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.

EVALSO: A New High-speed Data Link to Chilean Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-11-01

Stretching 100 kilometres through Chile's harsh Atacama Desert, a newly inaugurated data cable is creating new opportunities at ESO's Paranal Observatory and the Observatorio Cerro Armazones. Connecting these facilities to the main Latin American scientific data backbone completes the last gap in the high-speed link between the observatories and Europe. This new cable is part of the EVALSO (Enabling Virtual Access to Latin American Southern Observatories) project [1], a European Commission FP7 [2] co-funded programme co-ordinated by the University of Trieste that includes ESO, Observatorio Cerro Armazones (OCA, part of Ruhr-Universität Bochum), the Chilean academic network REUNA and other organisations. As well as the cable itself, the EVALSO project involves buying capacity on existing infrastructure to complete a high-bandwidth connection from the Paranal area to ESO's headquarters near Munich, Germany. Project co-ordinator Fernando Liello said: "This project has been an excellent collaboration between the consortium members. As well as giving a fast connection to the two observatories, it brings wider benefits to the academic communities both in Europe and Latin America." The sites of Paranal and Armazones are ideal for astronomical observation due to their high altitude, clear skies and remoteness from light pollution. But their location means they are far from any pre-existing communications infrastructure, which until now has left them dependent on a microwave link to send scientific data back to a base station near Antofagasta. Telescopes at ESO's Paranal observatory produce well over 100 gigabytes of data per night, equivalent to more than 20 DVDs, even after compressing the files. While the existing link is sufficient to carry the data from the current generation of instruments at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), it does not have the bandwidth to handle data from the VISTA telescope (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, see eso0949), or for

ESO Director General to Become President of AUI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-11-01

engaged in front-line research and development. The European Coordinating Facility for the Hubble Space Telescope, jointly managed by ESO and the European Space Agency (ESA), is also situated in Garching. Mr. Grage , President of the ESO Council, expressed the gratitude of the ESO Community for the leadership provided by Prof. Giacconi during these crucial years of development of the organization and its La Silla and Paranal Observatories. In particular, the splendid achievements on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) are a tribute to the ESO staff and to his management and guidance. VLT is currently the largest single project in ground-based astronomy. It has met or exceeded all performance requirements while being built on time and within budget. When reached for comment, Professor Giacconi pointed out: "I have enjoyed enormously the time I have spent here at ESO and I consider it one of the high points of my career. I feel confident that I am leaving ESO in very good condition. The fine performance of the entire staff has succeeded in bringing the organization to an outstanding position in ground-based astronomy in the world. The prospects for the future are equally brilliant. I will be happy and proud to assume the Presidency of Associated Universities, Inc. starting next summer. For more than fifty years, AUI has, in collaboration with universities and the national and international scientific community, overseen and managed national facilities which have made possible a wealth of important discoveries in physics, astronomy, and many other areas of science and technology. In the 21st Century, new challenges and opportunities to serve the community await AUI." Asked about the recent developments in astronomy, Professor Giacconi added that "Advances in this fundamental field of research have come to depend more and more on the execution of complex and large projects. Many of these necessitate international cooperation on the broadest scale. The VLT is an outstanding example

Reaching New Heights in Astronomy - ESO Long Term Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Zeeuw, T.

2016-12-01

A comprehensive description of ESO in the current global astronomical context, and its plans for the next decade and beyond, are presented. This survey covers all aspects of the Organisation, including the optical-infrared programme at the La Silla Paranal Observatory, the submillimetre facilities ALMA and APEX, the construction of the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope and the science operation of these facilities. An extension of the current optical/infrared/submillimetre facilities into multi-messenger astronomy has been made with the decision to host the southern Cherenkov Telescope Array at Paranal. The structure of the Organisation is presented and the further development of the staff is described within the scope of the long-range financial planning. The role of Chile is highlighted and expansion of the number of Member States beyond the current 15 is discussed. The strengths of the ESO model, together with challenges as well as possible new opportunities and initiatives, are examined and a strategy for the future of ESO is outlined.

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.

Dutch Minister of Science Visits ESO Facilities in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-05-01

Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, who travelled to the Republic of Chile, arrived at the ESO Paranal Observatory on Friday afternoon, May 13, 2005. The Minister was accompanied, among others, by the Dutch Ambassador to Chile, Mr. Hinkinus Nijenhuis, and Mr. Cornelis van Bochove, the Dutch Director of Science. The distinguished visitors were able to acquaint themselves with one of the foremost European research facilities, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT), during an overnight stay at this remote site, and later, with the next major world facility in sub-millimetre and millimetre astronomy, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). At Paranal, the guests were welcomed by the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky; the ESO Council President, Prof. Piet van der Kruit; the ESO Representative in Chile, Prof. Felix Mirabel; the Director of the La Silla Paranal Observatory, Dr. Jason Spyromilio; by one of the Dutch members of the ESO Council, Prof. Tim de Zeeuw; by the renowned astrophysicist from Leiden, Prof. Ewine van Dishoek, as well as by ESO staff members. The visitors were shown the various high-tech installations at the observatory, including many of the large, front-line VLT astronomical instruments that have been built in collaboration between ESO and European research institutes. Explanations were given by ESO astronomers and engineers and the Minister gained a good impression of the wide range of exciting research programmes that are carried out with the VLT. Having enjoyed the spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the Paranal deck, the Minister visited the VLT Control Room from where the four 8.2-m Unit Telescopes and the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) are operated. Here, the Minister was invited to follow an observing sequence at the console of the Kueyen (UT2) and Melipal (UT3) telescopes. "I was very impressed, not just by the technology and the science, but most of all by all the people involved

Czech Republic to Become Member of ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-12-01

Albert Einstein stayed in the famous city for periods of time. The Czech capital also played host to the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, first in 1967 and, more recently, in August 2006. Astronomy in the Czech Republic is shared between the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences and several leading universities, in Prague, Brno and Opava, among others. The Astronomical Institute operates the Ondrejov Observatory, with a 2-m optical telescope and a 10-m radio telescope. Czech astronomers are very active in many fields of this science, such as solar and stellar physics, and the study of interstellar matter, galaxies and planetary systems. Created in 1962, ESO, which quite fittingly means 'ace' in the Czech language, provides state-of-the-art research facilities to European astronomers and astrophysicists. ESO's activities cover a wide spectrum including the design and construction of world-class ground-based observational facilities for the member-state scientists, large telescope projects, design of innovative scientific instruments, developing new and advanced technologies, furthering European co-operation and carrying out European educational programmes. Whilst the Headquarters are located in Garching near Munich, Germany, ESO operates three observational sites in the Chilean Atacama desert. The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is located on Paranal, a 2 600m high mountain south of Antofagasta. At La Silla, 600 km north of Santiago de Chile at 2 400m altitude, ESO operates several medium-sized optical telescopes. The third site is the 5 000m high Llano de Chajnantor, near San Pedro de Atacama. Here a new submillimetre telescope (APEX) is in operation, and a giant array of 12-m submillimetre antennas (ALMA) is under development. Over 1 600 proposals are made each year for the use of the ESO telescopes.

ESO Advanced Data Products for the Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retzlaff, J.; Delmotte, N.; Rite, C.; Rosati, P.; Slijkhuis, R.; Vandame, B.

2006-07-01

Advanced Data Products, that is, completely reduced, fully characterized science-ready data sets, play a crucial role for the success of the Virtual Observatory as a whole. We report on on-going work at ESO towards the creation and publication of Advanced Data Products in compliance with present VO standards on resource metadata. The new deep NIR multi-color mosaic of the GOODS/CDF-S region is used to showcase different aspects of the entire process: data reduction employing our MVM-based reduction pipeline, calibration and data characterization procedures, standardization of metadata content, and, finally, a prospect of the scientific potential illustrated by new results on deep galaxy number counts.

If we build it, will they come? Curation and use of the ESO telescope bibliography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grothkopf, Uta; Meakins, Silvia; Bordelon, Dominic

2015-12-01

The ESO Telescope Bibliography (telbib) is a database of refereed papers published by the ESO users community. It links data in the ESO Science Archive with the published literature, and vice versa. Developed and maintained by the ESO library, telbib also provides insights into the organization's research output and impact as measured through bibliometric studies. Curating telbib is a multi-step process that involves extensive tagging of the database records. Based on selected use cases, this talk will explain how the rich metadata provide parameters for reports and statistics in order to investigate the performance of ESO's facilities and to understand trends and developments in the publishing behaviour of the user community.

The Busot Observatory: towards a robotic autonomous telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-12-01

We describe the Busot observatory, our project of a fully robotic autonomous telescope. This astronomical observatory, which obtained the Minor Planet Centre code MPC-J02 in 2009, includes a 14 inch MEADE LX200GPS telescope, a 2 m dome, a ST8-XME CCD camera from SBIG, with an AO-8 adaptive optics system, and a filter wheel equipped with UBVRI system. We are also implementing a spectrograph SGS ST-8 for the telescope. Currently, we are involved in long term studies of variable sources such as X-ray binaries systems, and variable stars. In this work we also present the discovery of W UMa systems and its orbital periods derived from the photometry light curve obtained at Busot Observatory.

ESO PR Highlights in 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-01-01

2005 was the year of Physics. It was thus also in part the year of astronomy and this is clearly illustrated by the numerous breakthroughs that were achieved, in particular using ESO's telescopes. One of the highlights was without any doubt the confirmation of the first image of an exoplanet , around the star 2M1207 (see ESO PR 12/05). ESO's telescopes also found a Neptune-mass exoplanet around a small star ( PR 30/05) - a discovery that proves crucial in the census of other planetary systems, and imaged a tiny companion in the close vicinity of the star GQ Lupi, a very young object still surrounded by a disc, with an age between 100,000 and 2 million years ( PR 09/05). Moreover, using a new high-contrast adaptive optics camera on the VLT, the NACO Simultaneous Differential Imager, or NACO SDI, astronomers were able for the first time to image a companion 120 times fainter than its star , very near the star AB Doradus A. This companion appears to be almost twice as heavy as theory predicts it to be ( PR 02/05). ESO's telescopes proved very useful in helping to solve a 30-year old puzzle . Astronomers have for the first time observed the visible light from a short gamma-ray burst (GRB). Using the 1.5m Danish telescope at La Silla (Chile), they showed that these short, intense bursts of gamma-ray emission most likely originate from the violent collision of two merging neutron stars ( PR 26/05). Additional evidence came from witnessing another event with the VLT ( PR 32/05). Also in this field, astronomers found the farthest known gamma-ray burst with ESO's VLT, observing an object with a redshift 6.3, i.e. that is seen when the Universe was less than 900 million years old ( PR 22/05). On July 4, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft plunged onto Comet 9P/Tempel 1 with the aim to create a crater and expose pristine material from beneath the surface. For two days before and six days after, all major ESO telescopes have been observing the comet, in a coordinated fashion and in

Innovative telescope architectures for future large space observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polidan, Ronald S.; Breckinridge, James B.; Lillie, Charles F.; MacEwen, Howard A.; Flannery, Martin R.; Dailey, Dean R.

2016-10-01

Over the past few years, we have developed a concept for an evolvable space telescope (EST) that is assembled on orbit in three stages, growing from a 4×12-m telescope in Stage 1, to a 12-m filled aperture in Stage 2, and then to a 20-m filled aperture in Stage 3. Stage 1 is launched as a fully functional telescope and begins gathering science data immediately after checkout on orbit. This observatory is then periodically augmented in space with additional mirror segments, structures, and newer instruments to evolve the telescope over the years to a 20-m space telescope. We discuss the EST architecture, the motivation for this approach, and the benefits it provides over current approaches to building and maintaining large space observatories.

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.

ESO Reflex: a graphical workflow engine for data reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hook, Richard; Ullgrén, Marko; Romaniello, Martino; Maisala, Sami; Oittinen, Tero; Solin, Otto; Savolainen, Ville; Järveläinen, Pekka; Tyynelä, Jani; Péron, Michèle; Ballester, Pascal; Gabasch, Armin; Izzo, Carlo

ESO Reflex is a prototype software tool that provides a novel approach to astronomical data reduction by integrating a modern graphical workflow system (Taverna) with existing legacy data reduction algorithms. Most of the raw data produced by instruments at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile are reduced using recipes. These are compiled C applications following an ESO standard and utilising routines provided by the Common Pipeline Library (CPL). Currently these are run in batch mode as part of the data flow system to generate the input to the ESO/VLT quality control process and are also exported for use offline. ESO Reflex can invoke CPL-based recipes in a flexible way through a general purpose graphical interface. ESO Reflex is based on the Taverna system that was originally developed within the UK life-sciences community. Workflows have been created so far for three VLT/VLTI instruments, and the GUI allows the user to make changes to these or create workflows of their own. Python scripts or IDL procedures can be easily brought into workflows and a variety of visualisation and display options, including custom product inspection and validation steps, are available. Taverna is intended for use with web services and experiments using ESO Reflex to access Virtual Observatory web services have been successfully performed. ESO Reflex is the main product developed by Sampo, a project led by ESO and conducted by a software development team from Finland as an in-kind contribution to joining ESO. The goal was to look into the needs of the ESO community in the area of data reduction environments and to create pilot software products that illustrate critical steps along the road to a new system. Sampo concluded early in 2008. This contribution will describe ESO Reflex and show several examples of its use both locally and using Virtual Observatory remote web services. ESO Reflex is expected to be released to the community in early 2009.

Australia to Build Fibre Positioner for the Very Large Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-06-01

The Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) at Epping (New South Wales, Australia) has been awarded the contract to build a fibre positioner for the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). This new, large astronomical facility is located at the Paranal Observatory in Chile and will feature four Unit Telescopes, each with a main mirror of 8.2-m diameter. This positioner, (affectionately) known as the OzPoz , will form part of the FLAMES facility (the F ibre L arge A rea M ulti- E lement S pectrograph), to be mounted on the second Unit Telescope (UT2) of the VLT in 2001. The construction of this facility includes other institutes in Europe, e.g. Observatoire de Genève (Switzerland) and Observatoire de Meudon (France). The ESO Instrument Division will coordinate the entire project that will result in an observational capability that is unique in the world. Optical fibres at astronomical telescopes Optical fibres have come to play an increasingly important role as transmitters of information, for instance in telephone and computer networks. It may be less known that they can be used in a similar way to transmit visible and infrared light in astronomical telescopes. Over the past decade, the AAO has been refining its skills in building optical-fibre instruments for its own telescopes, the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope and the 1.2-m UK Schmidt Telescope (a telescope dedicated to wide-field surveys). These instruments enable astronomers to study many celestial objects simultaneously, increasing the effectiveness and productivity by enormous factors. The OzPoz positioner sets up to 560 optical fibres (developed in collaboration with the Observatoire de Meudon in France) very precisely by a robotic arm to match the positions of galaxies and quasars in the telescope's focal plane. The positional accuracy is about 50 µm (0.05 mm), or 0.08 arcsec on the sky. The fibres siphon the light from these very faint and distant astronomical objects and guide it

Geodetic Observatory Wettzell - 20-m Radio Telescope and Twin Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neidhardt, Alexander; Kronschnabl, Gerhard; Schatz, Raimund

2013-01-01

In the year 2012, the 20-m radio telescope at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell, Germany again contributed very successfully to the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry observing program. Technical changes, developments, improvements, and upgrades were made to increase the reliability of the entire VLBI observing system. In parallel, the new Twin radio telescope Wettzell (TTW) got the first feedhorn, while the construction of the HF-receiving and the controlling system was continued.

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.

The High Energy Astronomy Observatory X-ray Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R.; Austin, G.; Koch, D.; Jagoda, N.; Kirchner, T.; Dias, R.

1978-01-01

The High Energy Astronomy Observatory-Mission B (HEAO-B) is a satellite observatory for the purpose of performing a detailed X-ray survey of the celestial sphere. Measurements will be made of stellar radiation in the range 0.2 through 20 keV. The primary viewing requirement is to provide final aspect solution and internal alignment information to correlate an observed X-ray image with the celestial sphere to within one-and-one-half arc seconds. The Observatory consists of the HEAO Spacecraft together with the X-ray Telescope. The Spacecraft provides the required attitude control and determination system, data telemetry system, space solar power system, and interface with the launch vehicle. The X-ray Telescope includes a high resolution mirror assembly, optical bench metering structure, X-ray detectors, detector positioning system, detector electronics and aspect sensing system.

German Foreign Minister Visits Paranal Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-03-01

During his current tour of countries in South America, the Honourable Foreign Minister of Germany, Mr. Joschka Fischer, stopped over at the ESO Paranal Observatory Wednesday night (March 6 - 7, 2002). Arriving in Antofagasta, capital of the II Chilean region, the Foreign Minister and his suite was met by local Chilean officials, headed by Mr. Jorge Molina, Intendente of the Region, as well as His Excellency, the German Ambassador to Chile, Mr. Georg CS Dick and others. In the afternoon of March 6, the Foreign Minister, accompanied by a distinguished delegation from the German Federal Parliament as well as by businessmen from Germany, travelled to Paranal, site of the world's largest optical/infrared astronomical facility, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The delegation was welcomed by the Observatory Director, Dr. Roberto Gilmozzi, the VLT Programme Manager, Professor Massimo Tarenghi, the ESO Representative in Chile, Mr. Daniel Hofstadt and ESO staff members, and also by Mr. Reinhard Junker, Deputy Director General (European Co-operation) at the German Ministry for Education and Research. The visitors were shown the various high-tech installations at this remote desert site, some of which have been constructed by German firms. Moreover, most of the large, front-line VLT astronomical instruments have been built in collaboration between ESO and European research institutes, several of these in Germany. One of the latest arrivals to Paranal, the CONICA camera (cf. ESO PR 25/01 ), was built under an ESO contract by the Max-Planck-Institutes for Astronomy (MPIA, in Heidelberg) and Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE, in Garching). The guests had the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the terrace of the new Residencia building ( Photos 05/02 ). At the beginning of the night, the Minister was invited to the Control Room for the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) from where this unique new facility ( ESO PR 23/01 ) is now being thoroughly tested

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.

Spectral calibration of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aab, A.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.; Al Samarai, I.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Allekotte, I.; Almela, A.; Alvarez Castillo, J.; Alvarez-Muñiz, J.; Anastasi, G. A.; Anchordoqui, L.; Andrada, B.; Andringa, S.; Aramo, C.; Arqueros, F.; Arsene, N.; Asorey, H.; Assis, P.; Aublin, J.; Avila, G.; Badescu, A. M.; Balaceanu, A.; Barbato, F.; Barreira Luz, R. J.; Beatty, J. J.; Becker, K. H.; Bellido, J. A.; Berat, C.; Bertaina, M. E.; Biermann, P. L.; Biteau, J.; Blaess, S. G.; Blanco, A.; Blazek, J.; Bleve, C.; Boháčová, M.; Boncioli, D.; Bonifazi, C.; Borodai, N.; Botti, A. M.; Brack, J.; Brancus, I.; Bretz, T.; Bridgeman, A.; Briechle, F. L.; Buchholz, P.; Bueno, A.; Buitink, S.; Buscemi, M.; Caballero-Mora, K. S.; Caccianiga, L.; Cancio, A.; Canfora, F.; Caramete, L.; Caruso, R.; Castellina, A.; Catalani, F.; Cataldi, G.; Cazon, L.; Chavez, A. G.; Chinellato, J. A.; Chudoba, J.; Clay, R. W.; Cobos, A.; Colalillo, R.; Coleman, A.; Collica, L.; Coluccia, M. R.; Conceição, R.; Consolati, G.; Contreras, F.; Cooper, M. J.; Coutu, S.; Covault, C. E.; Cronin, J.; D'Amico, S.; Daniel, B.; Dasso, S.; Daumiller, K.; Dawson, B. R.; de Almeida, R. M.; de Jong, S. J.; De Mauro, G.; de Mello Neto, J. R. T.; De Mitri, I.; de Oliveira, J.; de Souza, V.; Debatin, J.; Deligny, O.; Díaz Castro, M. L.; Diogo, F.; Dobrigkeit, C.; D'Olivo, J. C.; Dorosti, Q.; dos Anjos, R. C.; Dova, M. T.; Dundovic, A.; Ebr, J.; Engel, R.; Erdmann, M.; Erfani, M.; Escobar, C. O.; Espadanal, J.; Etchegoyen, A.; Falcke, H.; Farmer, J.; Farrar, G.; Fauth, A. C.; Fazzini, N.; Fenu, F.; Fick, B.; Figueira, J. M.; Filipčič, A.; Fratu, O.; Freire, M. M.; Fujii, T.; Fuster, A.; Gaior, R.; García, B.; Garcia-Pinto, D.; Gaté, F.; Gemmeke, H.; Gherghel-Lascu, A.; Giaccari, U.; Giammarchi, M.; Giller, M.; Głas, D.; Glaser, C.; Golup, G.; Gómez Berisso, M.; Gómez Vitale, P. F.; González, N.; Gookin, B.; Gorgi, A.; Gorham, P.; Grillo, A. F.; Grubb, T. D.; Guarino, F.; Guedes, G. P.; Halliday, R.; Hampel, M. R.; Hansen, P.; Harari, D.; Harrison, T. A.; Harton, J. L.; Haungs, A.; Hebbeker, T.; Heck, D.; Heimann, P.; Herve, A. E.; Hill, G. C.; Hojvat, C.; Holt, E.; Homola, P.; Hörandel, J. R.; Horvath, P.; Hrabovský, M.; Huege, T.; Hulsman, J.; Insolia, A.; Isar, P. G.; Jandt, I.; Johnsen, J. A.; Josebachuili, M.; Jurysek, J.; Kääpä, A.; Kambeitz, O.; Kampert, K. H.; Keilhauer, B.; Kemmerich, N.; Kemp, E.; Kemp, J.; Kieckhafer, R. M.; Klages, H. O.; Kleifges, M.; Kleinfeller, J.; Krause, R.; Krohm, N.; Kuempel, D.; Kukec Mezek, G.; Kunka, N.; Kuotb Awad, A.; Lago, B. L.; LaHurd, D.; Lang, R. G.; Lauscher, M.; Legumina, R.; Leigui de Oliveira, M. A.; Letessier-Selvon, A.; Lhenry-Yvon, I.; Link, K.; Lo Presti, D.; Lopes, L.; López, R.; López Casado, A.; Lorek, R.; Luce, Q.; Lucero, A.; Malacari, M.; Mallamaci, M.; Mandat, D.; Mantsch, P.; Mariazzi, A. G.; Mariş, I. C.; Marsella, G.; Martello, D.; Martinez, H.; Martínez Bravo, O.; Masías Meza, J. J.; Mathes, H. J.; Mathys, S.; Matthews, J.; Matthews, J. A. J.; Matthiae, G.; Mayotte, E.; Mazur, P. O.; Medina, C.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Melo, D.; Menshikov, A.; Merenda, K.-D.; Michal, S.; Micheletti, M. I.; Middendorf, L.; Miramonti, L.; Mitrica, B.; Mockler, D.; Mollerach, S.; Montanet, F.; Morello, C.; Mostafá, M.; Müller, A. L.; Müller, G.; Muller, M. A.; Müller, S.; Mussa, R.; Naranjo, I.; Nellen, L.; Nguyen, P. H.; Niculescu-Oglinzanu, M.; Niechciol, M.; Niemietz, L.; Niggemann, T.; Nitz, D.; Nosek, D.; Novotny, V.; Nožka, L.; Núñez, L. A.; Ochilo, L.; Oikonomou, F.; Olinto, A.; Palatka, M.; Pallotta, J.; Papenbreer, P.; Parente, G.; Parra, A.; Paul, T.; Pech, M.; Pedreira, F.; Pȩkala, J.; Pelayo, R.; Peña-Rodriguez, J.; Pereira, L. A. S.; Perlin, M.; Perrone, L.; Peters, C.; Petrera, S.; Phuntsok, J.; Piegaia, R.; Pierog, T.; Pimenta, M.; Pirronello, V.; Platino, M.; Plum, M.; Porowski, C.; Prado, R. R.; Privitera, P.; Prouza, M.; Quel, E. J.; Querchfeld, S.; Quinn, S.; Ramos-Pollan, R.; Rautenberg, J.; Ravignani, D.; Ridky, J.; Riehn, F.; Risse, M.; Ristori, P.; Rizi, V.; Rodrigues de Carvalho, W.; Rodriguez Fernandez, G.; Rodriguez Rojo, J.; Rogozin, D.; Roncoroni, M. J.; Roth, M.; Roulet, E.; Rovero, A. C.; Ruehl, P.; Saffi, S. J.; Saftoiu, A.; Salamida, F.; Salazar, H.; Saleh, A.; Salesa Greus, F.; Salina, G.; Sánchez, F.; Sanchez-Lucas, P.; Santos, E. M.; Santos, E.; Sarazin, F.; Sarmento, R.; Sarmiento-Cano, C.; Sato, R.; Schauer, M.; Scherini, V.; Schieler, H.; Schimp, M.; Schmidt, D.; Scholten, O.; Schovánek, P.; Schröder, F. G.; Schröder, S.; Schulz, A.; Schumacher, J.; Sciutto, S. J.; Segreto, A.; Shadkam, A.; Shellard, R. C.; Sigl, G.; Silli, G.; Sima, O.; Śmiałkowski, A.; Šmída, R.; Snow, G. R.; Sommers, P.; Sonntag, S.; Squartini, R.; Stanca, D.; Stanič, S.; Stasielak, J.; Stassi, P.; Stolpovskiy, M.; Strafella, F.; Streich, A.; Suarez, F.; Suarez Durán, M.; Sudholz, T.; Suomijärvi, T.; Supanitsky, A. D.; Šupík, J.; Swain, J.; Szadkowski, Z.; Taboada, A.; Taborda, O. A.; Theodoro, V. M.; Timmermans, C.; Todero Peixoto, C. J.; Tomankova, L.; Tomé, B.; Torralba Elipe, G.; Travnicek, P.; Trini, M.; Ulrich, R.; Unger, M.; Urban, M.; Valdés Galicia, J. F.; Valiño, I.; Valore, L.; van Aar, G.; van Bodegom, P.; van den Berg, A. M.; van Vliet, A.; Varela, E.; Vargas Cárdenas, B.; Varner, G.; Vázquez, R. A.; Veberič, D.; Ventura, C.; Vergara Quispe, I. D.; Verzi, V.; Vicha, J.; Villaseñor, L.; Vorobiov, S.; Wahlberg, H.; Wainberg, O.; Walz, D.; Watson, A. A.; Weber, M.; Weindl, A.; Wiencke, L.; Wilczyński, H.; Wirtz, M.; Wittkowski, D.; Wundheiler, B.; Yang, L.; Yushkov, A.; Zas, E.; Zavrtanik, D.; Zavrtanik, M.; Zepeda, A.; Zimmermann, B.; Ziolkowski, M.; Zong, Z.; Zuccarello, F.; Pierre Auger Collaboration

2017-10-01

We present a novel method to measure precisely the relative spectral response of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We used a portable light source based on a xenon flasher and a monochromator to measure the relative spectral efficiencies of eight telescopes in steps of 5 nm from 280 nm to 440 nm. Each point in a scan had approximately 2 nm FWHM out of the monochromator. Different sets of telescopes in the observatory have different optical components, and the eight telescopes measured represent two each of the four combinations of components represented in the observatory. We made an end-to-end measurement of the response from different combinations of optical components, and the monochromator setup allowed for more precise and complete measurements than our previous multi-wavelength calibrations. We find an overall uncertainty in the calibration of the spectral response of most of the telescopes of 1.5% for all wavelengths; the six oldest telescopes have larger overall uncertainties of about 2.2%. We also report changes in physics measurables due to the change in calibration, which are generally small.

Operational metrics for the ESO Very Large Telescope: lessons learned and future steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primas, F.; Marteau, S.; Tacconi-Garman, L. E.; Mainieri, V.; Mysore, S.; Rejkuba, M.; Hilker, M.; Patat, F.; Sterzik, M.; Kaufer, A.; Mieske, S.

2016-07-01

When ESO's Very Large Telescope opened its first dome in April 1999 it was the first ground-based facility to offer to the scientific community access to an 8-10m class telescope with both classical and queue observing. The latter was considered to be the most promising way to ensure the observing flexibility necessary to execute the most demanding scientific programmes under the required, usually very well defined, conditions. Since then new instruments have become operational and 1st generation ones replaced, filling the 12 VLT foci and feeding the VLT Interferometer and its four Auxiliary Telescopes. Operating efficiently such a broad range of instruments installed and available every night of the year on four 8-metre telescopes offers many challenges. Although it may appear that little has changed since 1999, the underlying VLT operational model has evolved in order to accommodate different requirements from the user community and features of new instruments. Did it fulfil its original goal and, if so, how well? How did it evolve? What are the lessons learned after more than 15 years of operations? A careful analysis and monitoring of statistics and trends in Phase 1 and Phase 2 has been deployed under the DOME (Dashboard for Operational Metrics at ESO) project. The main goal of DOME is to provide robust metrics that can be followed with time in a user-friendly manner. Here, we summarize the main findings on the handling of service mode observations and present the most recent developments.

The ESO Educational Office Reaches Out towards Europe's Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-12-01

ESA/ESO Astronomy Exercises Provide a Taste of Real Astronomy [1] Summary The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has been involved in many Europe-wide educational projects during the past years, in particular within European Science Weeks sponsored by the European Commission (EC). In order to further enhance the significant educational potential inherent in the numerous scientific endeavours now carried out by Europe's astronomers with ESO front-line telescope facilities, it has been decided to set up an Educational Office within the ESO EPR Department. It will from now on work closely with astronomy-oriented teachers, in particular at the high-school level , providing support, inspiration and new materials. Much of this interaction will happen via the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) In this context, and in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) , the first instalments of the "ESA/ESO Astronomy Exercise Series" have just been published, on the web ( http://www.astroex.org ) and in print (6 booklets totalling 100 pages; provided free-of-charge to teachers on request). They allow 16-19 year old students to gain exciting hands-on experience in astronomy, making realistic calculations with data obtained from observations by some of the world's best telescopes, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) . PR Photo 36/01 : The "ESA/ESO Astronomy Exercise Series" . Educational projects at ESO The European Southern Observatory (ESO) , through its Education and Public Relations Department (EPR) , has long been involved in educational activities, in particular by means of Europe-wide projects during successive European Science Weeks , with support from the European Commission (EC) . A most visible outcome has been the creation of the trailblazing European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) - this was first discussed at an international meeting at the ESO Headquarters in November 1994 with the

Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope: Telescope and Systems Specifications and Commissioning Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levine, Stephen; Hall, J. C.

2012-01-01

Lowell Observatory's 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope is in the process of being commissioned now. The telescope is located 40 miles southeast of Flagstaff,AZ at an elevation of 7,800 feet. On sky testing of the major subsystems began in early fall 2011, with commissioning work leading up to first light in late spring of 2012. We present a review of the design specifications of the telescope and its major subsystems. This is followed by a discussion of the commissioning time-line, and current status and performance of the telescope, and optics (including the active optics support system for the primary mirror).

Finland to Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-03-01

Finland will become the eleventh member state of the European Southern Observatory. In a ceremony at the ESO Headquarters in Garching on 9 February 2004, an Agreement to this effect was signed by the Finnish Minister of Education and Science, Ms. Tuula Haatainen and the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, in the presence of other high officials from Finland and the ESO member states.

VISTA: Pioneering New Survey Telescope Starts Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-12-01

A new telescope - VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) - has just started work at ESO's Paranal Observatory and has made its first release of pictures. VISTA is a survey telescope working at infrared wavelengths and is the world's largest telescope dedicated to mapping the sky. Its large mirror, wide field of view and very sensitive detectors will reveal a completely new view of the southern sky. Spectacular new images of the Flame Nebula, the centre of our Milky Way galaxy and the Fornax Galaxy Cluster show that it is working extremely well. VISTA is the latest telescope to be added to ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It is housed on the peak adjacent to the one hosting the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) and shares the same exceptional observing conditions. VISTA's main mirror is 4.1 metres across and is the most highly curved mirror of this size and quality ever made - its deviations from a perfect surface are less than a few thousandths of the thickness of a human hair - and its construction and polishing presented formidable challenges. VISTA was conceived and developed by a consortium of 18 universities in the United Kingdom [1] led by Queen Mary, University of London and became an in-kind contribution to ESO as part of the UK's accession agreement. The telescope design and construction were project-managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council's UK Astronomy Technology Centre (STFC, UK ATC). Provisional acceptance of VISTA was formally granted by ESO at a ceremony at ESO's Headquarters in Garching, Germany, attended by representatives of Queen Mary, University of London and STFC, on 10 December 2009 and the telescope will now be operated by ESO. "VISTA is a unique addition to ESO's observatory on Cerro Paranal. It will play a pioneering role in surveying the southern sky at infrared wavelengths and will find many interesting targets for further study by the Very Large Telescope, ALMA and

Spectral calibration of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory

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

Aab, A.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.

We present a novel method to measure precisely the relative spectral response of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Here, we used a portable light source based on a xenon flasher and a monochromator to measure the relative spectral efficiencies of eight telescopes in steps of 5 nm from 280 nm to 440 nm. Each point in a scan had approximately 2 nm FWHM out of the monochromator. Different sets of telescopes in the observatory have different optical components, and the eight telescopes measured represent two each of the four combinations of components represented in the observatory. Wemore » made an end-to-end measurement of the response from different combinations of optical components, and the monochromator setup allowed for more precise and complete measurements than our previous multi-wavelength calibrations. We find an overall uncertainty in the calibration of the spectral response of most of the telescopes of 1.5% for all wavelengths; the six oldest telescopes have larger overall uncertainties of about 2.2%. We also report changes in physics measureables due to the change in calibration, which are generally small.« less

Spectral calibration of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory

DOE PAGES

Aab, A.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.; ...

2017-09-08

We present a novel method to measure precisely the relative spectral response of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Here, we used a portable light source based on a xenon flasher and a monochromator to measure the relative spectral efficiencies of eight telescopes in steps of 5 nm from 280 nm to 440 nm. Each point in a scan had approximately 2 nm FWHM out of the monochromator. Different sets of telescopes in the observatory have different optical components, and the eight telescopes measured represent two each of the four combinations of components represented in the observatory. Wemore » made an end-to-end measurement of the response from different combinations of optical components, and the monochromator setup allowed for more precise and complete measurements than our previous multi-wavelength calibrations. We find an overall uncertainty in the calibration of the spectral response of most of the telescopes of 1.5% for all wavelengths; the six oldest telescopes have larger overall uncertainties of about 2.2%. We also report changes in physics measureables due to the change in calibration, which are generally small.« less

The Challenges in Metadata Management: 20+ Years of ESO Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vera, I.; Da Rocha, C.; Dobrzycki, A.; Micol, A.; Vuong, M.

2015-09-01

The European Southern Observatory Science Archive Facility has been in operations for more than 20 years. It contains data produced by ESO telescopes as well as the metadata needed for characterizing and distributing those data. This metadata is used to build the different archive services provided by the Archive. Over these years, services have been added, modified or even decommissioned creating a cocktail of new, evolved and legacy data systems. The challenge for the Archive is to harmonize the differences of those data systems to provide the community with a homogeneous experience when using ESO data. In this paper, we present ESO experience in three particular challenging areas. First discussion is dedicated to the problem of metadata quality over the time, second discusses how to integrate obsolete data models on the current services and finally we will present the challenges of ever growing databases. We describe our experience dealing with those issues and the solutions adopted to mitigate them.

ESO Council Decides to Continue VLT Project at Paranal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-08-01

The Council [1] of the European Southern Observatory has met in extraordinary session at the ESO Headquarters in Garching near Munich on August 8 and 9, 1994. The main agenda items were concerned with the recent developments around ESO's relations with the host state, the Republic of Chile, as well as the status of the organisation's main project, the 16-metre equivalent Very Large Telescope (VLT) which will become the world's largest optical telescope. Council had decided to hold this special meeting [2] because of various uncertainties that have arisen in connection with the implementation of the VLT Project at Cerro Paranal, approx. 130 kilometres south of Antofagasta, capital of the II Region in Chile. Following continued consultations at different levels within the ESO member states and after careful consideration of all aspects of the current situation - including various supportive actions by the Chilean Government as well as the incessive attacks against this international organisation from certain sides reported in the media in that country - Council took the important decision to continue the construction of the VLT Observatory at Paranal, while at the same time requesting the ESO Management to pursue the ongoing studies of alternative solutions. THE COUNCIL DECISIONS In particular, the ESO Council took note of recent positive developments which have occurred since the May 1994 round of discussions with the Chilean authorities in Santiago. The confirmation of ESO's immunities as an International Organization in Chile, contained in a number of important statements and documents, is considered a significant step by the Chilean Government to insure to ESO the unhindered erection and later operation of the VLT on Paranal. Under these circumstances and in order to maintain progress on the VLT project, the ESO Council authorized the ESO Management to continue the on-site work at Paranal. Council also took note of the desire expressed by the Chilean Government

Lightweight telescopes for lunar observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Bingham, R.; Walker, D.

1994-06-01

Future optical observatories in space will require telescopes of very high resolution. To satisfy this demand, technology must be developed for large mirrors capable of diffraction-limited imaging. Conventional monolithic glass substrates (light-weight or not) have serious limitations for future development. In particular, glass is susceptible to fracture during ground-handling, transport and launch. An alternative solution is aluminium. It has lower cost, increased strength, easier and safer methods of fixing, amongst other advantages. It is readily lightweighted and can be produced with good polishing quality with nickel coating. We foresee applications for satellite telescope for astronomy, remote sensing, surveys of asteroids and debris in space. Furthermore, this technology is ideally suitable for lunar mounted interferometric experiments - as mirrors can be easily replicate, saving cost - and for telescopes deployed on planetary surfaces. Some results from the European Eureka Large Active Mirrors in Aluminium (LAMA) are here presented, which show the feasibility of such systems.

"First Light" Approaches for Fourth VLT Unit Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-08-01

These days, the ESO staff at Paranal is having a strong feeling of "déja-vu". Only seven months after the third 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescope, MELIPAL , achieved "First Light", this crucial moment is now rapidly approaching for YEPUN , the fourth and last of the giants at the ESO observatory. Following successful coating with a thin layer of aluminium in early June 2000, the 8.2-m primary Zerodur mirror (M1) was placed in its supporting cell and safely attached to the mechanical structure of YEPUN on July 31. On August 26, the 1.1-m M2 Beryllium Mirror for YEPUN was coated. Again, this delicate operation went very well and the measured reflectivity was excellent, about 91%. The M2 mirror and its support were then assembled and successfully installed at the telescope on Sunday, August 27. Before the optical mirrors were installed, and with dummies in their place, careful tests were made of most telescope functions. In particular, this included accurate balancing of the 450-tonnes telescope frame on its hydrostatic oil bearings, as well as precise adjustment of all motions. It now remains for the ESO engineers to do the final performance optimization of the entire telescope. The work on the fourth telescope has been particularly noticeable because a large proportion of the assembly, integration, tuning and testing was organised and executed by ESOs young group of capable engineers and technicians. As the engineering staff at Paranal has grown and during the earlier work on the first three telescopes, they have been acquiring the necessary expertise to autonomously integrate and maintain the 8.2-m telescopes. During the coming "First Light" observations, light from the selected celestial objects will be registered by the VLT Test Camera at the Cassegrain Focus. This comparatively simple instrument was also used for the consecutive "First Light" events for ANTU ( May 1998 ), KUEYEN ( March 1999 ) and MELIPAL ( January 2000 ). It is mounted on the telescope's optical axis

Digital control of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccormack, Ann C.; Snyder, Philip K.

1989-01-01

The feasibility of using a digital controller to stabilize a telescope mounted in an airplane is investigated. The telescope is a 30 in. infrared telescope mounted aboard a NASA C-141 aircraft known as the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Current efforts to refurbish the 14-year-old compensation system have led to considering a digital controller. A typical digital controller is modeled and added into the telescope system model. This model is simulated on a computer to generate the Bode plots and time responses which determine system stability and performance parameters. Important aspects of digital control system hardware are discussed. A summary of the findings shows that a digital control system would result in satisfactory telescope performance.

Bernhard Schmidt and the Schmidt Telescope for Mapping the Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfschmidt, G.

Bernhard Voldemar Schmidt (1879--1935) was born in Estonia. He ran an optical workshop in Mittweida, Saxonia, between 1901 and 1927. Astronomers appreciated the quality of his telescopes. Starting in 1925, working freelance in Hamburg Observatory, he developed a short focal length optical system with a large field of view. He succeeded in inventing the ``Schmidt Telescope'' in 1930, which allows the imaging a large field of the sky without any distortions. Shortly after Schmidt's death, the director of the observatory published details on the invention and production of the Schmidt Telescope. After World War II, Schmidt telescopes have been widely used. The first large Schmidt telescope was built in 1948, the ``Big Schmidt'' (126 cm), Mount Palomar, USA. Schmidt telescopes are also important tools for cosmology. The result of the Palomar Observatory Sky Surveys (1949--1958, 1985--1999) is a data base of about 20 million galaxies and over 100 million stars, supplemented in 1971 by the ESO Schmidt for the southern sky. Also high resolution spectrometers can be fitted to the Schmidt telescope. The 80 cm Schmidt telescope of Hamburg Observatory, planned since 1936, finished 1955, is on Calar Alto, Spain, since 1975. Combined with two objective prisms, it was used for a Quasar survey project.

ESO and Chile: 10 Years of Productive Scientific Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-06-01

ESO and the Government of Chile launched today the book "10 Years Exploring the Universe", written by the beneficiaries of the ESO-Chile Joint Committee. This annual fund provides grants for individual Chilean scientists, research infrastructures, scientific congresses, workshops for science teachers and astronomy outreach programmes for the public. In a ceremony held in Santiago on 19 June 2006, the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked the 10th Anniversary of the Supplementary Agreement, which granted to Chilean astronomers up to 10 percent of the total observing time on ESO telescopes. This agreement also established an annual fund for the development of astronomy, managed by the so-called "ESO-Chile Joint Committee". ESO PR Photo 21/06 ESO PR Photo 21/06 Ten Years ESO-Chile Agreement Ceremony The celebration event was hosted by ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, and the Director of Special Policy for the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Luis Winter. "ESO's commitment is, and always will be, to promote astronomy and scientific knowledge in the country hosting our observatories", said ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky. "We hope Chile and Europe will continue with great achievements in this fascinating joint adventure, the exploration of the universe." On behalf of the Government of Chile, Ambassador Luis Winter outlined the historical importance of the Supplementary Agreement, ratified by the Chilean Congress in 1996. "Such is the magnitude of ESO-Chile Joint Committee that, only in 2005, this annual fund represented 8 percent of all financing sources for Chilean astronomy, including those from Government and universities", Ambassador Winter said. The ESO Representative and Head of Science in Chile, Dr. Felix Mirabel, and the appointed Chilean astronomer for the ESO-Chile Joint Committee, Dr. Leonardo Bronfman, also took part in the

Near-InfraRed Planet Searcher to Join HARPS on the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchy, F.; Doyon, R.; Artigau, É.; Melo, C.; Hernandez, O.; Wildi, F.; Delfosse, X.; Lovis, C.; Figueira, P.; Canto Martins, B. L..; González Hernández, J. I..; Thibault, S.; Reshetov, V.; Pepe, F.; Santos, N. C.; de Medeiros, J. R..; Rebolo, R.; Abreu, M.; Adibekyan, V. Z.; Bandy, T.; Benz, W.; Blind, N.; Bohlender, D.; Boisse, I.; Bovay, S.; Broeg, C.; Brousseau, D.; Cabral, A.; Chazelas, B.; Cloutier, R.; Coelho, J.; Conod, U.; Cumming, A.; Delabre, B.; Genolet, L.; Hagelberg, J.; Jayawardhana, R.; Käufl, H.-U.; Lafrenière, D.; de Castro Leão, I..; Malo, L.; de Medeiros Martins, A..; Matthews, J. M.; Metchev, S.; Oshagh, M.; Ouellet, M.; Parro, V. C.; Rasilla Piñeiro, J. L..; Santos, P.; Sarajlic, M.; Segovia, A.; Sordet, M.; Udry, S.; Valencia, D.; Vallée, P.; Venn, K.; Wade, G. A.; Saddlemyer, L.

2017-09-01

The Near-InfraRed Planet Searcher (NIRPS) is a new ultra-stable infrared (YJH) spectrograph that will be installed on ESO's 3.6-metre Telescope in La Silla, Chile. Aiming to achieve a precision of 1 m s-1, NIRPS is designed to find rocky planets orbiting M dwarfs, and will operate together with the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), also on the 3.6-metre Telescope. In this article we describe the NIRPS science cases and present its main technical characteristics.

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.

Blockbuster starring ESO Paranal opens tomorrow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-10-01

The 22nd James Bond adventure is due for release tomorrow, 31 October 2008, in the UK and a week later in the rest of the world. A key location in the movie is the Residencia, the hotel for astronomers and staff at ESO's Paranal Observatory. Blockbuster starring ESO Paranal opens tomorrow ESO PR Photo 38/08 The James Bond "Quantum of Solace" filmmakers Quantum of Solace is the latest film in one of most successful movie franchises -- that of renowned 007 Agent James Bond of the British Secret Service MI6. The agent "on Her Majesty's secret service" is once again played by Daniel Craig. Key scenes of the movie were filmed at Paranal, the home of ESO's Very Large Telescope, and the most advanced optical telescope in the world. Usually occupied by no more than 100 astronomers, engineers and technicians, Paranal welcomed the 300-strong film crew for several days of shooting at the end of March 2008. The crew travelled from their hotel base in Antofagasta for up to two hours each morning to reach the filming locations. "We are delighted to have a movie like this filmed at Paranal and it was extremely good to see how careful the crew were with the surroundings and how mindful they were of the fact that they were in an operating, working observatory", says Tim de Zeeuw, ESO Director General. "Paranal is a unique observatory in a unique setting and it is no real surprise that it plays a major part in a James Bond movie", he adds. The filmmakers were mostly interested in filming exterior scenes at the Paranal Residencia, the accommodation for staff operating the Very Large Telescope. In the movie, the Residencia is supposedly the "Perla de Las Dunas", a unique hotel in the desert. Cerro Paranal is a 2600 m high mountain in the Chilean Atacama Desert, perhaps the driest on Earth. The high altitude site and extreme dryness make excellent conditions for astronomical observations. To make it possible for people to live and work here, a hotel, or Residencia, was built at the

Extending ORAC-DR for Offline Processing of ESO, INGRID, and Classic Cam data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, M. J.

2004-07-01

ORAC-DR--a flexible reduction pipeline---was originally developed by the Joint Astronomy Centre for real-time inspection of reduced data at its telescopes. Starlink is extending ORAC-DR to process at home institutions data from other observatories, notably ESO, whose instruments make no provision for ORAC-DR. I outline the problems encountered and solutions implemented or proposed to apply ORAC-DR to the infra-red instruments ISAAC, NACO, INGRID, and Classic~Cam.

ESO Demonstration Project with the NRAO 12-m Antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heald, R.; Karban, R.

2000-03-01

During the months of September through November 1999, an ALMA joint demonstration project between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) was carried out in Socorro/New Mexico. During this period, Robert Karban (ESO) and Ron Heald (NRAO) worked together on the ESO Demonstration Project. The project integrated ESO software and existing NRAO software (a prototype for the future ALMA control software) to control the motion of the Kitt Peak 12-m antenna. ESO software from the VLT provided the operator interface and coordinate transformation software, while Pat Wallace's TPOINT provided the pointing- model software.

Global TIE Observatories: Real Time Observational Astronomy Through a Robotic Telescope Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, G.; Mayo, L. A.

2001-12-01

Astronomy in grades K-12 is traditionally taught (if at all) using textbooks and a few simple hands-on activities. Teachers are generally not trained in observational astronomy techniques and are unfamiliar with the most basic astronomical concepts. In addition, most students, by High School graduation, will never have even looked through the eyepiece of a telescope. The problem becomes even more challenging in inner cities, remote rural areas and low socioeconomic communities where educational emphasis on topics in astronomy as well as access to observing facilities is limited or non existent. Access to most optical telescope facilities is limited to monthly observing nights that cater to a small percentage of the general public living near the observatory. Even here, the observing experience is a one-time event detached from the process of scientific enquiry and sustained educational application. Additionally, a number of large, "research grade" observatory facilities are largely unused, partially due to the slow creep of light pollution around the facilities as well as the development of newer, more capable telescopes. Though cutting edge science is often no longer possible at these sights, real research opportunities in astronomy remain numerous for these facilities as educational tools. The possibility now exists to establish a network of research grade telescopes, no longer useful to the professional astronomical community, that can be made accessible through classrooms, after school, and community based programs all across the country through existing IT technologies and applications. These telescopes could provide unparalleled research and educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of students and turns underutilized observatory facilities into valuable, state-of-the-art teaching centers. The NASA sponsored Telescopes In Education project has been wildly successful in engaging the K-12 education community in real-time, hands-on, interactive astronomy

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.

40+ Years of Instrumentation for the La Silla Paranal Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Odorico, S.

2018-03-01

As ESO Period 100 comes to a close, I look back at the development of ESO's instrumentation programme over more than 40 years. Instrumentation and detector activities were initially started by a small group of designers, engineers, technicians and astronomers while ESO was still at CERN in Geneva in the late 1970s. They have since led to the development of a successful suite of optical and infrared instruments for the La Silla Paranal Observatory, as testified by the continuous growth in the number of proposals for observing time and in the publications based on data from ESO telescopes. The instrumentation programme evolved significantly with the VLT and most instruments were developed by national institutes in close cooperation with ESO. This policy was a cornerstone of the VLT programme from the beginning and a key to its success.

VLT Unit Telescopes Named at Paranal Inauguration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-03-01

This has been a busy, but also a very successful and rewarding week for the European Southern Observatory and its staff. While "First Light" was achieved at the second 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescope (UT2) ahead of schedule, UT1 produced its sharpest image so far. This happened at a moment of exceptional observing conditions in the night between March 4 and 5, 1999. During a 6-min exposure of the majestic spiral galaxy, NGC 2997 , stellar images of only 0.25 arcsec FWHM (full-width half-maximum) were recorded. This and two other frames of nearly the same quality have provided the base for the beautiful colour-composite shown above. At this excellent angular resolution, individual star forming regions are well visible along the spiral arms. Of particular interest is the peculiar, twisted shape of the long spiral arm to the right. The Paranal Inauguration The official inauguration of the Paranal Observatory took place in the afternoon of March 5, 1999, in the presence of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Chile, Don Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, and ministers of his cabinet, as well the Ambassadors to Chile of the ESO member states and many other distinguished guests. The President of the ESO Council, Mr. Henrik Grage, and the ESO Director General, Professor Riccardo Giacconi, were the foremost representatives of the ESO organisation; most members of the ESO Council and ESO staff also participated. A substantial number of media representatives from Europe and Chile were present and reported - often live - from Paranal during the afternoon and evening. The guests were shown the impressive installations at the new observatory, including the first and second 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescopes; the latter having achieved "First Light" just four days before. A festive ceremony took place in the dome of UT2, under the large telescope structure that had been tilted towards the horizon to make place for the numerous participants. After an introductory address by the ESO Director

First Giant Mirror for the ESO VLT Ready at REOSC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-11-01

The REOSC Contract In 1989, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the European Organisation for Astronomy, awarded to REOSC, a subsidiary of the SFIM Group and located in Saint Pierre du Perray (France), a comprehensive contract for the polishing of four 8.2-metre diameter mirrors for the unit telescopes of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) project. These mirrors are the largest ever manufactured and polished. This contract comprises not only the polishing and high-precision optical testing of each giant mirror, but also the safe condition of transportation of the blanks which were manufactured by Schott Glaswerke in Mainz (Germany). In order to fulfill the contract, REOSC conceived, built and equipped a novel, high-tech workshop which would allow to polish and test the mirrors, each of which has a surface area of more than 50 square metres. First 8.2-Metre Mirror is Ready and within Specifications The REOSC polishing facility for giant mirrors was built in Saint Pierre du Perray, just south of Paris. It is equipped with two machines: one for grinding and the other for polishing the mirrors, and both with 150-actuator systems that support the thin and flexible mirrors. All equipment is computer controlled. State-of-the-art interferometers probe the accuracy of the mirror surface as the polishing proceeds; they are installed at the top level of the facility in a 30-metre high tower, at the centre of the mirror's radius of curvature. The success of the work at REOSC is now evident by the fact that careful measurements of the first mirror earlier this month have shown that the final optical surface is correct to within 0.00005 millimetres. For illustration, this corresponds to an accuracy of only 1 millimetre deviation over a surface with a diameter of 165 kilometres (equivalent to the entire Paris area)! ESO Receives the First VLT Mirror After having been carefully placed in a special transport box designed by REOSC, the first mirror blank, weighing 23.5 tons and

Value of Vintage Observatories and Historic Telescopes in Communicating Astronomy with the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, T. E.

2010-10-01

The Antique Telescope Society convened a thematic workshop, The Vintage Observatory: Thriving in the 21st Century, on 2-4 May 2008. The workshop's purpose was to bring together those charged with the care of observatories and telescopes built before World War II, to examine common issues and share practical solutions, specifically in preparation for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. Although much of the workshop concerned issues of preservation and restoration, several sessions focused on the uses of historical artefacts as a means for public education and outreach on astronomy and the history of astronomy, including discussion of the unique opportunities vintage observatories and telescopes offer in intriguing the public about astronomy.

Overview of the James Webb Space Telescope observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clampin, Mark

2011-09-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large aperture, space telescope designed to provide imaging and spectroscopy over the near and mid-infrared from 1.0 μm to 28 μm. JWST is a passively cooled infrared telescope, employing a five layer sunshield to achieve an operating temperature of ~40 K. JWST will be launched to an orbit at L2 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher in 2013. The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is the lead center for the JWST program and manages the project for NASA. The prime contractor for JWST is Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGST). JWST is an international partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). ESA will contribute the Ariane 5 launch, and a multi-object infrared spectrograph. CSA will contribute the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), which includes the Tunable Filter Imager (TFI). A European consortium, in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), builds the mid-infrared imager (MIRI). In this paper we present an overview of the JWST science program, and discuss recent progress in the development of the observatory. In this paper we will discuss the scientific motivations for JWST, and discuss recent progress in the construction of the observatory, focusing on the telescope and its optics, which have recently completed polishing.

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.

Public surveys at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaboldi, Magda; Delmotte, Nausicaa; Hilker, Michael; Hussain, Gaitee; Mascetti, Laura; Micol, Alberto; Petr-Gotzens, Monika; Rejkuba, Marina; Retzlaff, Jörg; Mieske, Steffen; Szeifert, Thomas; Ivison, Rob; Leibundgut, Bruno; Romaniello, Martino

2016-07-01

ESO has a strong mandate to survey the Southern Sky. In this article, we describe the ESO telescopes and instruments that are currently used for ESO Public Surveys, and the future plans of the community with the new wide-field-spectroscopic instruments. We summarize the ESO policies governing the management of these projects on behalf of the community. The on-going ESO Public Surveys and their science goals, their status of completion, and the new projects selected during the second ESO VISTA call in 2015/2016 are discussed. We then present the impact of these projects in terms of current numbers of refereed publications and the scientific data products published through the ESO Science Archive Facility by the survey teams, including the independent access and scientific use of the published survey data products by the astronomical community.

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.

New Method for Data Treatment Developed at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1996-08-01

requirements, however, are never fulfilled in practice. One way around this obstacle is to observe a sufficient number of reference sources, the properties of which are supposed to bracket the properties of the targets. Likewise, repeated observations must be made whenever the observing conditions change. This way one hopes to obtain estimates of the instrumental and atmospheric signatures at the time of the observation of the target by means of interpolation. Until now, this empirical calibration process was the only one available. Unfortunately, it demands a lot of the valuable telescope time just for repeated observations of the reference sources, significantly diminishing the time available for observations of the scientifically important objects. Moreover, every time the instrument is even slightly changed or some condition is altered, a new calibration procedure must be carried through. Maximizing observational efficiency In just over one year from now, ESO will begin to operate the largest optical telescope ever built, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the new Paranal Observatory in Chile. Because of its enormous light-collecting area and superior optical quality, the VLT is destined to make a break-through in ground-based observational astronomy. The demand by astronomers for observing time at this unique facility is overwhelming. Even with the unsurpassed number of clear nights at Paranal, each available minute will be extremely precious and everything must be done to ensure that no time will be lost to unnecessary actions. This is a major challenge to the scientists. For instance, how long a time should an exposure last to ensure an optimum of new knowledge about the object observed? In addition, how much time should be spent to define in sufficient detail the `signatures' of the atmosphere, the telescope and the instruments which must be removed from the `raw' data before the resulting `clean' data can be interpreted in a trustworthy way? In short, how can the

VLTI First Fringes with Two Auxiliary Telescopes at Paranal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-03-01

World's Largest Interferometer with Moving Optical Telescopes on Track Summary The Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal Observatory has just seen another extension of its already impressive capabilities by combining interferometrically the light from two relocatable 1.8-m Auxiliary Telescopes. Following the installation of the first Auxiliary Telescope (AT) in January 2004 (see ESO PR 01/04), the second AT arrived at the VLT platform by the end of 2004. Shortly thereafter, during the night of February 2 to 3, 2005, the two high-tech telescopes teamed up and quickly succeeded in performing interferometric observations. This achievement heralds an era of new scientific discoveries. Both Auxiliary Telescopes will be offered from October 1, 2005 to the community of astronomers for routine observations, together with the MIDI instrument. By the end of 2006, Paranal will be home to four operational ATs that may be placed at 30 different positions and thus be combined in a very large number of ways ("baselines"). This will enable the VLTI to operate with enormous flexibility and, in particular, to obtain extremely detailed (sharp) images of celestial objects - ultimately with a resolution that corresponds to detecting an astronaut on the Moon. PR Photo 07a/05: Paranal Observing Platform with AT1 and AT2 PR Photo 07b/05: AT1 and AT2 with Open Domes PR Photo 07c/05: Evening at Paranal with AT1 and AT2 PR Photo 07d/05: AT1 and AT2 under the Southern Sky PR Photo 07e/05: First Fringes with AT1 and AT2 PR Video Clip 01/05: Two ATs at Paranal (Extract from ESO Newsreel 15) A Most Advanced Device ESO PR Video 01/05 ESO PR Video 01/05 Two Auxiliary Telescopes at Paranal [QuickTime: 160 x 120 pix - 37Mb - 4:30 min] [QuickTime: 320 x 240 pix - 64Mb - 4:30 min] ESO PR Photo 07a/05 ESO PR Photo 07a/05 [Preview - JPEG: 493 x400 pix - 44k] [Normal - JPEG: 985 x 800 pix - 727k] [HiRes - JPEG: 5000 x 4060 pix - 13.8M] Captions: ESO PR Video Clip 01/05 is an extract from

Finland Becomes Eleventh ESO Member State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-07-01

Finland has become the eleventh member state of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) [1]. The formal accession procedure was carried through as planned and has now been completed. Following the signing of the corresponding Agreement earlier this year (ESO PR 02/04), acceptance by the Finnish Parliament and ratification by the Finnish President of the Agreement as well as the ESO Convention and the associated protocols in June [2] and the deposit of the instruments of accession today, Finland has now officially joined ESO. ESO warmly welcomes the new member country and its scientific community that is renowned for their expertise in many frontline areas. The related opportunities will contribute to strenghtening of pioneering research with the powerful facilities at ESO's observatories, to the benefit of Astronomy and Astrophysics as well as European science in general. ESO also looks forward to collaboration with the Finnish high-tech industry. For Finland, the membership in ESO is motivated by scientific and technological objectives as well as by the objective of improving the public understanding of science. The Finnish Government is committed to increasing the public research funding in order to improve the quality, impact and internationalisation of research. Membership in ESO offers unique facilities for astronomical research which would not otherwise be available for Finnish astronomers. Finland is also very interested in taking part in technological development projects in fields like ICT, optics and instrumentation. For young scientists and engineers, ESO is a challenging, international working and learning environment. Finland has already taken part in the educational programmes of ESO, and as a member this activity will be broadened and intensified. In Finland there are also several science journalists and a large community of amateur astronomers who will be very happy to take part in ESO's outreach activities.

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.

Current and Future Capabilities of the 74-inch Telescope of Kottamia Astronomical Observatory in Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzam, Y. A.; Ali, G. B.; Ismail, H. A.; Haroon, A.; Selim, I.

In this paper, we are going to introduce the Kottamia Astronomical Observatory, KAO, to the astronomical community. The current status of the telescope together with the available instrumentations is described. An upgrade stage including a new optical system and a computer controlling of both the telescope and dome are achieved. The specifications of a set of CCD cameras for direct imaging and spectroscopy are given. A grating spectrograph is recently gifted to KAO from Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, OAO, of the National Astronomical Observatories in Japan. This spectrograph is successfully tested and installed at the F/18 Cassegrain focus of the KAO 74" telescope.

Networking observers and observatories with remote telescope markup language

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessman, Frederic V.; Tuparev, Georg; Allan, Alasdair

2006-06-01

Remote Telescope Markup Language (RTML) is an XML-based protocol for the transport of the high-level description of a set of observations to be carried out on a remote, robotic or service telescope. We describe how RTML is being used in a wide variety of contexts: the transport of service and robotic observing requests in the Hands-On Universe TM, ACP, eSTAR, and MONET networks; how RTML is easily combined with other XML protocols for more localized control of telescopes; RTML as a secondary observation report format for the IVOA's VOEvent protocol; the input format for a general-purpose observation simulator; and the observatory-independent means for carrying out request transactions for the international Heterogeneous Telescope Network (HTN).

Tim de Zeeuw to Become the Next Director General of ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-01-01

The ESO Council has just appointed Tim de Zeeuw, 50, as the next Director General of ESO, effective as of 1 September 2007, when the current Director General, Catherine Cesarsky will complete her mandate. ESO PR Photo 02/07 ESO PR Photo 03/07 Professor Tim de Zeeuw "ESO is Europe's flagship organisation for ground-based astronomy," said, Richard Wade, President of the ESO Council. "The ESO Council is very pleased that Professor de Zeeuw has accepted the task as its next Director General. He has played a key role over the last few years in developing a strategic vision for ESO, and I have every confidence that he will now lead the organisation in the realisation of that exciting vision." Tim de Zeeuw has an excellent record, both as a highly respected scientist and as a leader of an internationally recognised science institute in the Netherlands. He is Scientific Director of the Leiden Observatory, a research institute in the College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Leiden University. Tim de Zeeuw also has considerable experience as regards science policy issues. Catherine Cesarsky, ESO's current Director General commented: "Over the recent years, ESO has developed considerably with more activities and new member states, and with its ambitious project portfolio, ESO is clearly facing an exciting future. I shall be delighted to pass the baton to Tim de Zeeuw, who as a recent Council member is very familiar with our Organisation." "It is a great honour and an exciting challenge to lead this world-class organisation in the years to come in support of one of the most dynamic areas of science today," said de Zeeuw. "I look forward to overseeing the continued upgrading of the Very Large Telescope with the second-generation instrumentation and the completion of the ALMA project, and in particular to help developing the future European Extremely Large Telescope." Tim de Zeeuw's main research interests embrace the formation, structure and dynamics of galaxies

Young Astronomers' Observe with ESO Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-11-01

Today, forty 16-18 year old students and their teachers are concluding a one-week, educational `working visit' to the ESO Headquarters in Garching (See ESO Press Release 14/95 of 8 November 1995). They are the winners of the Europe-wide contest `Europe Towards the Stars', organised by ESO with the support of the European Union, under the auspices of the Third European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture. From November 14-20, they have worked with professional ESO astronomers in order to get insight into the methods and principles of modern astronomy and astrophysics, as carried out at one of the world's foremost international centres. This included very successful remote observations with the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) and the 1.4-m Coude Auxiliary Telescope (CAT) via a satellite link between the ESO Headquarters and the La Silla observatory in Chile, 12,000 kilometres away. After a general introduction to modern astronomy on the first day of the visit, the participants divided into six teams, according to their interests. Some chose to observe distant galaxies, others prefered to have a closer look on binary stars, and one team decided to investigate a star which is thought to be surrounded by a proto-planetary system. Each team was supported by an experienced ESO astronomer. Then followed the observations at the remote consoles during three nights, the first at the NTT and the following at the CAT. Each team had access to the telescope during half a night. Although the work schedule - exactly as in `real' science - was quite hard, especially during the following data reduction and interpretative phase, all teams managed extremely well and in high spirits. The young astronomers' observations were favoured by excellent atmospheric conditions. At the NTT, the seeing was better than 0.5 arcsecond during several hours, an exceptional value that allows very good images to be obtained. All observations represent solid and interesting science, and

TELICS—A Telescope Instrument Control System for Small/Medium Sized Astronomical Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Mudit K.; Ramaprakash, A. N.; Burse, Mahesh P.; Chordia, Pravin A.; Chillal, Kalpesh S.; Mestry, Vilas B.; Das, Hillol K.; Kohok, Abhay A.

2009-10-01

For any modern astronomical observatory, it is essential to have an efficient interface between the telescope and its back-end instruments. However, for small and medium-sized observatories, this requirement is often limited by tight financial constraints. Therefore a simple yet versatile and low-cost control system is required for such observatories to minimize cost and effort. Here we report the development of a modern, multipurpose instrument control system TELICS (Telescope Instrument Control System) to integrate the controls of various instruments and devices mounted on the telescope. TELICS consists of an embedded hardware unit known as a common control unit (CCU) in combination with Linux-based data acquisition and user interface. The hardware of the CCU is built around the ATmega 128 microcontroller (Atmel Corp.) and is designed with a backplane, master-slave architecture. A Qt-based graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed and the back-end application software is based on C/C++. TELICS provides feedback mechanisms that give the operator good visibility and a quick-look display of the status and modes of instruments as well as data. TELICS has been used for regular science observations since 2008 March on the 2 m, f/10 IUCAA Telescope located at Girawali in Pune, India.

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.

ALMA telescope reaches new heights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-09-01

the electromagnetic spectrum. Light at these wavelengths comes from some of the coldest, but also from some of the most distant objects in the cosmos. These include cold clouds of gas and dust where new stars are being born and remote galaxies towards the edge of the observable universe. The Universe is relatively unexplored at submillimetre wavelengths, as the telescopes need extremely dry atmospheric conditions, such as those at Chajnantor, and advanced detector technology. More information The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ESO is the European partner in ALMA. ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence, is a revolutionary telescope, comprising an array of 66 giant 12-metre and 7-metre diameter antennas observing at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. ALMA will start scientific observations in 2011. ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a

Space telescope observatory management system preliminary test and verification plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fritz, J. S.; Kaldenbach, C. F.; Williams, W. B.

1982-01-01

The preliminary plan for the Space Telescope Observatory Management System Test and Verification (TAV) is provided. Methodology, test scenarios, test plans and procedure formats, schedules, and the TAV organization are included. Supporting information is provided.

The design of 1-wire net meteorological observatory for 2.4 m telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Gao-Feng; Wei, Ka-Ning; Fan, Yu-Feng; Xu, Jun; Qin, Wei

2005-03-01

The weather is an important factor to affect astronomical observations. The 2.4 m telescope can not work in Robotic Mode without the weather data input. Therefore it is necessary to build a meteorological observatory near the 2.4 m telescope. In this article, the design of the 1-wire net meteorological observatory, which includes hardware and software systems, is introduced. The hardware system is made up of some kinds of sensors and ADC. A suited power station system is also designed. The software system is based on Windows XP operating system and MySQL data management system, and a prototype system of browse/server model is developed by JAVA and JSP. After being tested, the meteorological observatory can register the immediate data of weather, such as raining, snowing, and wind speed. At last, the data will be stored for feature use. The product and the design can work well for the 2.4 m telescope.

Obituary: ESO Astronomer, Alphonse Florsch (Zeekoegat 1962)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanepoel, Eric

2015-10-01

In June 1962 Alphonse Florsch, his wife Marguerite and their two sons Bruno (7) and Nicolas (5), came from France to work at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) at Zeekoegat (Florsch 2005-2006). This was during the time of site testing to find the best location for ESO.

ESO 306-17

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

View a video clip zoom in on galaxy ESO 306-17 here: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4409589832/ This image from the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope highlights the large and bright elliptical galaxy called ESO 306-17 in the southern sky. In this image, it appears that ESO 306-17 is surrounded by other galaxies but the bright galaxies at bottom left are thought to be in the foreground, not at the same distance in the sky. In reality, ESO 306-17 lies fairly abandoned in an enormous sea of dark matter and hot gas. Researchers are also using this image to search for nearby ultra-compact dwarf galaxies. Ultra-compact dwarfs are mini versions of dwarf galaxies that have been left with only their core due to interaction with larger, more powerful galaxies. Most ultra-compact dwarfs discovered to date are located near giant elliptical galaxies in large clusters of galaxies, so it will be interesting to see if researchers find similar objects in fossil groups. Credit: NASA, ESA and Michael West (ESO)

New ultracool subdwarfs identified in large-scale surveys using Virtual Observatory tools (Corrigendum). I. UKIDSS LAS DR5 vs. SDSS DR7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodieu, N.; Espinoza Contreras, M.; Zapatero Osorio, M. R.; Solano, E.; Aberasturi, M.; Martín, E. L.

2017-01-01

Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme ID 084.C-0928A.Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

REOSC Delivers the Best Astronomical Mirror in the World to ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-12-01

On December 14, 1999, REOSC , the Optical Department of the SAGEM Group , finished the polishing of the fourth 8.2-m main mirror for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory. The mirror was today delivered to ESO at a ceremony at the REOSC factory in Saint Pierre du Perray, just south of Paris. The precision of the form of the mirror that was achieved during the polishing process is 8.5 nanometer (1 nanometer = 1 millionth of a millimetre) over the optical surface. This exceptional value corresponds to an optical resolution (theoretical image sharpness) of 0.03 arcseconds in the visible spectrum. This corresponds to distinguishing two objects separated by only 15 cm at a distance of 1000 km and will allow to detect astronomical objects that are 10,000 million times fainter than what can be perceived with the unaided eye. This impressive measure of quality, achieved by the REOSC teams during much painstaking work, implies that this VLT mirror is the most accurate in the world. In fact, all four 8.2-m VLT main mirrors polished by REOSC are well within the very strict specifications set by ESO, but this is the best of them all. The celebration today is the successful highlight of a contract initiated more than ten years ago, during which REOSC has perfected new polishing and control techniques - innovations improved and developed in a unique workshop dedicated to these giant mirrors. These methods and means are directly applicable to the new generations of segmented mirrors that are now being developed for astronomy and space observations. They are, in this sense, at the foremost front of optical technology. REOSC, the Optical Department of the SAGEM Group , is specialised in the study and realisation of high-precision optics for astronomy, space, defence, science and industry. For earlier information about the work on the VLT mirrors, cf. ESO Press Release 15/95 (13 November 1995). The SAGEM Group is a French high-technology group. It

Professor Tim de Zeeuw Takes Up Duty as New ESO Director General

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-09-01

On 1 September, Tim de Zeeuw became the new ESO Director General, succeeding Catherine Cesarsky. In his first day in office, he kindly agreed to answer a few questions. ESO PR Photo 38/07 ESO PR Video 38/07 Watch the Video! How would you describe the current period for astronomy? Tim de Zeeuw: We are in an extremely exciting time for astronomy and I think this is understood worldwide and not just by astronomers. The technology is now available to look not only at the farthest objects in the Universe, where the light left a long time ago, allowing us to see how the Universe evolved and developed, but we can even detect signatures of planets around other stars, and that answers an age-old question which is a fundamental question in all of science, and really excites the general public. How do you see the role of ESO in this context? Tim de Zeeuw: ESO has a very important role in the context of European and worldwide astronomy because it is one of the leading organisations for ground-based astronomy. You may even say it is the pre-eminent organisation. Therefore, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to lead the further developments in astronomy. Where do you see ESO developing in the coming years? Tim de Zeeuw: I see three main goals for ESO in the coming years. The first one is to get the best possible science out of the Very Large Telescope, the interferometer and the survey telescopes, all of them on Paranal. The second is to build ALMA, the new observatory at 5 000 metres in the high Andes. Together with our North American and East Asian partners, we need to deliver this on budget and on time, and prepare the European astronomers for leading the science. The third main goal is to design a world-leading Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which may have a main mirror with a diameter larger than 40 metres and will enable wonderful science. And of course, we don't only want to design it, we also want to construct it. And what about La Silla? Tim de Zeeuw: La

Integration of the instrument control electronics for the ESPRESSO spectrograph at ESO-VLT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldini, V.; Calderone, G.; Cirami, R.; Coretti, I.; Cristiani, S.; Di Marcantonio, P.; Mégevand, D.; Riva, M.; Santin, P.

2016-07-01

ESPRESSO, the Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic Observations of the ESO - Very Large Telescope site, is now in its integration phase. The large number of functions of this complex instrument are fully controlled by a Beckhoff PLC based control electronics architecture. Four small and one large cabinets host the main electronic parts to control all the sensors, motorized stages and other analogue and digital functions of ESPRESSO. The Instrument Control Electronics (ICE) is built following the latest ESO standards and requirements. Two main PLC CPUs are used and are programmed through the TwinCAT Beckhoff dedicated software. The assembly, integration and verification phase of ESPRESSO, due to its distributed nature and different geographical locations of the consortium partners, is quite challenging. After the preliminary assembling and test of the electronic components at the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste and the test of some electronics and software parts at ESO (Garching), the complete system for the control of the four Front End Unit (FEU) arms of ESPRESSO has been fully assembled and tested in Merate (Italy) at the beginning of 2016. After these first tests, the system will be located at the Geneva Observatory (Switzerland) until the Preliminary Acceptance Europe (PAE) and finally shipped to Chile for the commissioning. This paper describes the integration strategy of the ICE workpackage of ESPRESSO, the hardware and software tests that have been performed, with an overall view of the experience gained during these project's phases.

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.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array: Exploring the Very-high-energy Sky from ESO's Paranal Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, W.

2017-06-01

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a next-generation observatory for ground-based very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, using the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique to detect and reconstruct gamma-ray induced air showers. The CTA project is planning to deploy 19 telescopes on its northern La Palma site, and 99 telescopes on its southern site at Paranal, covering the 20 GeV to 300 TeV energy domain and offering vastly improved performance compared to currently operating Cherenkov telescopes. The combination of three different telescope sizes (23-, 12- and 4-metre) allows cost-effective coverage of the wide energy range. CTA will be operated as a user facility, dividing observation time between a guest observer programme and large Key Science Projects (KSPs), and the data will be made public after a one-year proprietary period. The history of the project, the implementation of the arrays, and some of the major science goals and KSPs, are briefly summarised.

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.

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 Gaia-ESO Survey: Empirical determination of the precision of stellar radial velocities and projected rotation velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, R. J.; Jeffries, R. D.; Lewis, J.; Koposov, S. E.; Sacco, G. G.; Randich, S.; Gilmore, G.; Asplund, M.; Binney, J.; Bonifacio, P.; Drew, J. E.; Feltzing, S.; Ferguson, A. M. N.; Micela, G.; Neguerela, I.; Prusti, T.; Rix, H.-W.; Vallenari, A.; Alfaro, E. J.; Allende Prieto, C.; Babusiaux, C.; Bensby, T.; Blomme, R.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Francois, P.; Hambly, N.; Irwin, M.; Korn, A. J.; Lanzafame, A. C.; Pancino, E.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Smiljanic, R.; Van Eck, S.; Walton, N.; Bayo, A.; Bergemann, M.; Carraro, G.; Costado, M. T.; Damiani, F.; Edvardsson, B.; Franciosini, E.; Frasca, A.; Heiter, U.; Hill, V.; Hourihane, A.; Jofré, P.; Lardo, C.; de Laverny, P.; Lind, K.; Magrini, L.; Marconi, G.; Martayan, C.; Masseron, T.; Monaco, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sbordone, L.; Sousa, S. G.; Worley, C. C.; Zaggia, S.

2015-08-01

Context. The Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) is a large public spectroscopic survey at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. Aims: A key aim is to provide precise radial velocities (RVs) and projected equatorial velocities (vsini) for representative samples of Galactic stars, which will complement information obtained by the Gaia astrometry satellite. Methods: We present an analysis to empirically quantify the size and distribution of uncertainties in RV and vsini using spectra from repeated exposures of the same stars. Results: We show that the uncertainties vary as simple scaling functions of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and vsini, that the uncertainties become larger with increasing photospheric temperature, but that the dependence on stellar gravity, metallicity and age is weak. The underlying uncertainty distributions have extended tails that are better represented by Student's t-distributions than by normal distributions. Conclusions: Parametrised results are provided, which enable estimates of the RV precision for almost all GES measurements, and estimates of the vsini precision for stars in young clusters, as a function of S/N, vsini and stellar temperature. The precision of individual high S/N GES RV measurements is 0.22-0.26 km s-1, dependent on instrumental configuration. Based on observations collected with the FLAMES spectrograph at VLT/UT2 telescope (Paranal Observatory, ESO, Chile), for the Gaia- ESO Large Public Survey (188.B-3002).Full Table 2 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/580/A75

Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG): Recent developments and a prospective observing site for robotic telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yesilyaprak, C.; Yerli, S. K.; Keskin, O.

2016-12-01

This document (Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG) is the new observatory of Turkey with the optical and near-infrared largest telescope (4 m class) and its robust observing site infrastructure. This national project consists of three phases with DAG (Telescope, Enclosure, Buildings and Infrastructures), FPI (Focal Plane Instruments and Adaptive Optics) and MCP (Mirror Coating Plant) and is supported by the Ministry of Development of Turkey. The tenders of telescope and enclosure have been made and almost all the infrastructure (roads, geological and atmospherical surveys, electricity, fiber optics, cable car, water, generator, etc.) of DAG site (Erzurum/Turkey, 3,170 m altitude) have been completed. This poster is about the recent developments of DAG and about the future possible collaborations for various robotic telescopes which can be set up in DAG site.

One-meter Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory: New capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodonov, S. N.; Kotov, S. S.; Movsesyan, T. A.; Gevorkyan, M.

2017-10-01

In 2013-2015 the Laboratory of spectroscopy and photometry of extragalactic objects (LS-PEO) of the Special Astrophysical Observatory together with Armenian specialists upgraded the 1-m Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. We completely redesigned the control system of the telescope: we replaced the actuating mechanisms, developed telescope control software, and made the guiding system. We reworked and prepared a 4k × 4k Apogee (USA) liquid-cooled CCD with RON 11.1 e -, a pixel size of 0.″868, and field of view of about 1□°, and in October 2015 mounted it in the focus of the telescope. The detector is equipped with a turret bearing 20 intermediate-band filters ( FWHM = 250 Å) uniformly covering the 4000-9000 Å wavelength range, five broadband filters ( u, g, r, i, z SDSS), and three narrow-band filters (5000 Å, 6560 Å and 6760 Å, FWHM = 100 Å). During the first year of test operation of the 1-m telescope we performed pilot observations within the framework of three programs: search for young stellar objects, AGNevolution, and stellar composition of galaxy disks.We confirmed the possibility of efficiently selecting of young objects using observations performed in narrow-band H α and [SII] filters and the intermediate-band 7500 Å filter. Three-hours long exposures with SDSS g-, r-, and i-band filters allow us to reach the surface brightness level of 28m/□″ when investigating the stellar content of galaxy disks for a sample of nine galaxies. We used observations performed with the 1-m telescope in five broadband (SDSS u, g, r, i, and z) and 15 intermediate-band filters (4000-7500 Å) to construct a sample of quasar candidates with 0.5 < z < 5 (330 objects) in about one-sq. degree SA68 field complete down to R AB = 23m. Spectroscopic observations of 29 objects (19.m5 < R < 22m) carried out at the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of

ESO Receives Computerworld Honors Program 21st Century Achievement Award in Science Category

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-06-01

on behalf of ESO: Drs Preben Grosbøl, Michele Péron, Peter Quinn (Head of the ESO Data Management Division) and David Silva. Traditionally, ground based astronomical observatories have been used as facilities where scientists apply for observing time, eventually travel to the remote sites where telescopes are located, carry out their observations by themselves and finally take their data back to their home institutes to do the final scientific analysis. As observatories become more complex and located in ever more remote locations (to reduce light pollution), this operational concept (coupled with the weather lottery effect [1]) becomes less and less effective. In particular, the lack of data re-use has been increasingly seen as scientifically unproductive. Such thoughts guided the design and implementation of the ESO Data Flow System (DFS). The DFS allows both traditional on-site observing as well as service observing, where data is collected by observatory staff on behalf of the ESO user community based on user submitted descriptions and requirements [2]. In either case, the data is captured by DFS and saved in the ESO science archive [3]. After a one-year proprietary period during which the original investigators have private access to their data, researchers can access the data for their own use. ESO was the first ground-based observatory to implement these operational concepts and tools within a complete system. It was also the first ground-based observatory to build and maintain such an extensive science archive that does not only contain observational data, but also auxiliary information describing the operation process. In both areas, ESO remains the world-leader in end-to-end observatory operations on the ground. "The result of our strategy has been a significant increase in the scientific productivity of the ESO user community", said Peter Quinn, Head of ESO's Data Management and Operations Division, responsible for DFS. "As measured by the number of

DAG: a new observatory and a prospective observing site for other potential telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeşilyaprak, Cahit; Yerli, Sinan K.; Keskin, Onur; Güçsav, B. Bülent

2016-07-01

DAG (Eastern Anatolia Observatory is read as "Doğu Anadolu Gözlemevi" in Turkish) is the newest and largest observatory of Turkey, constructed at an altitude of 3150 m in Konaklı/Erzurum provenience, with an optical and nearinfrared telescope (4 m in diameter) and its robust observing site infrastructure. This national project consists of three main phases: DAG (Telescope, Enclosure, Buildings and Infrastructures), FPI (Focal Plane Instruments and Adaptive Optics) and MCP (Mirror Coating Plant). All these three phases are supported by the Ministry of Development of Turkey and funding is awarded to Atatürk University. Telescope, enclosure and building tenders were completed in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The final design of telescope, enclosure and building and almost all main infrastructure components of DAG site have been completed; mainly: road work, geological and atmospheric surveys, electric and fiber cabling, water line, generator system, cable car to summit. This poster explains recent developments of DAG project and talks about the future possible collaborations for various telescopes which can be constructed at the site.

The Infrared-Optical Telescope (IRT) of the Exist Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kutyrev, Alexander; Bloom, Joshua; Gehrels, Neil; Golisano, Craig; Gong, Quan; Grindlay, Jonathan; Moseley, Samuel; Woodgate, Bruce

2010-01-01

The IRT is a 1.1m visible and infrared passively cooled telescope, which can locate, identify and obtain spectra of GRB afterglows at redshifts up to z 20. It will also acquire optical-IR, imaging and spectroscopy of AGN and transients discovered by the EXIST (The Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope). The IRT imaging and spectroscopic capabilities cover a broad spectral range from 0.32.2m in four bands. The identical fields of view in the four instrument bands are each split in three subfields: imaging, objective prism slitless for the field and objective prism single object slit low resolution spectroscopy, and high resolution long slit on single object. This allows the instrument, to do simultaneous broadband photometry or spectroscopy of the same object over the full spectral range, thus greatly improving the efficiency of the observatory and its detection limits. A prompt follow up (within three minutes) of the transient discovered by the EXIST makes IRT a unique tool for detection and study of these events, which is particularly valuable at wavelengths unavailable to the ground based observatories.

New Capabilities of One-Meter Schmidt Telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory after modernization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movsessian, T. A.; Dodonov, S. N.; Gabrielyan, V. V.; Kotov, S. S.; Gevorgyan, M. H.

2017-12-01

Within the framework of cooperation between Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and Special Astrophysical Observatory during 2013-2015 y the 1-m Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical was upgraded. We completely redesigned the control system of the telescope: we replaced the actuating mechanisms, developed telescope control software, and made the guiding system. In the Special Astrophysical Observatory, the 4k×4k Apogee (USA) liquid-cooled CCD was reworked and prepared. Detector was mounted in the focus of the telescope and provides 1-degree field of view with pixel-size of 0.868, and RON 11e-. The detector is equipped with a turret with 5 holes for filters. The 20 intermediate-band filters (FWHM= 250A) uniformly covering the 4000&-9000Å wavelength range, five broadband filters (u, g, r, i, z SDSS), and three narrow-band filters. During the first year of test operation of the 1-m telescope we performed pilot observations within the framework of three programs: search for young stellar objects, AGN evolution, and stellar composition of galaxy disks. We confirmed the possibility of efficiently selecting of young objects using observations performed in narrow-band Hα and [S II] filters and the intermediate-band 7500Å filter. Three-hours long exposures with SDSS g, r, and i band filters allow us to reach the surface brightness level of 28m from square arcsecond when investigating the stellar content of galaxy disks for a sample of nine galaxies. We used observations performed with the 1-m telescope in five broadband (SDSS u, g, r, i, and z) and 15 intermediate-band filters (4000-7500Å) to construct a sample of quasar candidates with 0.5telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed the quasar nature of 28 objects.

Core network infrastructure supporting the VLT at ESO Paranal in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reay, Harold

2000-06-01

In October 1997 a number of projects were started at ESO's Paranal Observatory at Cerro Paranal in Chile to upgrade the communications infrastructure in place at the time. The planned upgrades were to internal systems such as computer data networks and telephone installations and also data links connecting Paranal to other ESO sites. This paper details the installation work carried out on the Paranal Core Network (PCN) during the period of October 1997 to December 1999. These installations were to provide both short term solutions to the requirement for reliable high bandwidth network connectivity between Paranal and ESO HQ in Garching, Germany in time for UTI (Antu) first light and perhaps more importantly, to provide the core systems necessary for a site moving towards operational status. This paper explains the reasons for using particular cable types, network topology, and fiber backbone design and implementation. We explain why it was decided to install the PCN in two distinct stages and how equipment used in temporary installations was re-used in the Very Large Telescope networks. Finally we describe the tools used to monitor network and satellite link performance and will discuss whether network backbone bandwidth meets the expected utilization and how this bandwidth can easily be increased in the future should there be a requirement.

ESO and Fokker Space Sign Contract about VLTI Delay Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-03-01

The European Southern Observatory is building the world's largest optical telescope, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) , at the ESO Paranal Observatory in Chile. The VLT consists of four 8.2-m unit telescopes and several smaller, moveable Auxiliary Telescopes. When coupled as the giant VLT Interferometer (VLTI) , they will together provide the sharpest images ever obtained by any optical telescope. It will in principle be able to see an astronaut on the surface of the Moon, 400,000 km away. The VLTI Delay Lines Fokker Space (Leiden, The Netherlands) has been awarded a contract for the delivery of the Delay Line of the VLTI. This is a mechanical-optical system that will compensate the optical path differences of the light beams from the individual telescopes. Such a system is necessary to ensure that the light from all telescopes arrive in the same phase at the focal point of the interferometer. Otherwise, the very sharp interferometric images cannot be obtained. ESO PR Photo 08/98 [JPEG, 102k] Schematic representation of the VLTI Delay Line, showing the retro-reflector on its moving base. For more details, please consult the technical explanation below. This highly accurate system will be developed in close co-operation with the Dutch institute TNO-TPD (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research - Institute of Applied Physics) . The most innovative feature of the Delay Line is the new control strategy, a two-stage control system, based on linear motor technology, combined with high accuracy piezo-electric control elements. This enables the system to position the so-called cat's eye reflector system with an accuracy of only a few nanometers (millionth of a millimetre (nm)) over a stroke length of 60 metres. Within radio astronomy, interferometric techniques have been applied by Dutch astronomers since many years. They will now be able to contribute with their extensive knowledge of such systems to the next generation of astronomical interferometric

Advanced Telescopes and Observatories Capability Roadmap Presentation to the NRC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of the NASA Advanced Planning and Integration Office (APIO) roadmap for developing technological capabilities for telescopes and observatories in the following areas: Optics; Wavefront Sensing and Control and Interferometry; Distributed and Advanced Spacecraft; Large Precision Structures; Cryogenic and Thermal Control Systems; Infrastructure.

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 Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory: top level use cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulgarelli, A.; Kosack, K.; Hinton, J.; Tosti, G.; Schwanke, U.; Schwarz, J.; Colomé, P.; Conforti, V.; Khelifi, B.; Goullon, J.; Ong, R.; Markoff, S.; Contreras, J. L.; Lucarelli, F.; Antonelli, L. A.; Bigongiari, C.; Boisson, C.; Bosnjak, Z.; Brau-Nogué, S.; Carosi, A.; Chen, A.; Cotter, G.; Covino, S.; Daniel, M.; De Cesare, G.; de Ona Wilhelmi, E.; Della Volpe, M.; Di Pierro, F.; Fioretti, V.; Füßling, M.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Goldoni, P.; Götz, D.; Grandi, P.; Heller, M.; Hermann, G.; Inoue, S.; Knödlseder, J.; Lenain, J.-P.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Luque-Escamilla, P.; Maier, G.; Marisaldi, M.; Mundell, C.; Neyroud, N.; Noda, K.; O'Brien, P.; Petrucci, P. O.; Martí Ribas, J.; Ribó, M.; Rodriguez, J.; Romano, P.; Schmid, J.; Serre, N.; Sol, H.; Schussler, F.; Stamerra, A.; Stolarczyk, T.; Vandenbrouck, J.; Vercellone, S.; Vergani, S.; Zech, A.; Zoli, A.

2016-08-01

Today the scientific community is facing an increasing complexity of the scientific projects, from both a technological and a management point of view. The reason for this is in the advance of science itself, where new experiments with unprecedented levels of accuracy, precision and coverage (time and spatial) are realised. Astronomy is one of the fields of the physical sciences where a strong interaction between the scientists, the instrument and software developers is necessary to achieve the goals of any Big Science Project. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the largest ground-based very high-energy gamma-ray observatory of the next decades. To achieve the full potential of the CTA Observatory, the system must be put into place to enable users to operate the telescopes productively. The software will cover all stages of the CTA system, from the preparation of the observing proposals to the final data reduction, and must also fit into the overall system. Scientists, engineers, operators and others will use the system to operate the Observatory, hence they should be involved in the design process from the beginning. We have organised a workgroup and a workflow for the definition of the CTA Top Level Use Cases in the context of the Requirement Management activities of the CTA Observatory. Scientists, instrument and software developers are collaborating and sharing information to provide a common and general understanding of the Observatory from a functional point of view. Scientists that will use the CTA Observatory will provide mainly Science Driven Use Cases, whereas software engineers will subsequently provide more detailed Use Cases, comments and feedbacks. The main purposes are to define observing modes and strategies, and to provide a framework for the flow down of the Use Cases and requirements to check missing requirements and the already developed Use-Case models at CTA sub-system level. Use Cases will also provide the basis for the definition of

Extremely Large Telescope Project Selected in ESFRI Roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-10-01

Telescope at the Paranal Observatory. The draft Baseline Reference Design will be presented to the wider scientific community on 29 - 30 November 2006 at a dedicated ELT Workshop Meeting in Marseille (France) and will be further reiterated. The design is then to be presented to the ESO Council at the end of 2006. The goal is to start the detailed E-ELT design work by the first half of 2007. Launched in April 2002, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures was set-up following a recommendation of the European Union Council, with the role to support a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures in Europe, and to act as an incubator for international negotiations about concrete initiatives. In particular, ESFRI has prepared a European Roadmap identifying new Research Infrastructure of pan-European interest corresponding to the long term needs of the European research communities, covering all scientific areas, regardless of possible location and likely to be realised in the next 10 to 20 years. The Roadmap was presented on 19 October. It is the result of an intensive two-year consultation and peer review process involving over 1000 high level European and international experts. The Roadmap identifies 35 large scale infrastructure projects, at various stages of development, in seven key research areas including Environmental Sciences; Energy; Materials Sciences; Astrophysics, Astronomy, Particle and Nuclear Physics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Social Sciences and the Humanities; Computation and data Treatment.

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.

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.

ESO PR Highlights in 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-01-01

Last year proved to be another exceptional year for the European organisation for ground-based astronomy. ESO should begin the New Year with two new member states: Spain (PR 05/06) and the Czech Republic (PR 52/06). ESO PR Highlights 2006 2006 was a year of renovation and revolution in the world of planets. A new Earth-like exoplanet has been discovered (PR 03/06) using a network of telescopes from all over the world (including the Danish 1.54-m one at ESO La Silla). It is not the only child of this fruitful year: thanks to the combined use of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and La Silla instruments, a surprising system of twin giant exoplanets was found (PR 29/06), and a trio of Neptune-like planets hosted by a nearby star were identified (PR 18/06). These results open new perspectives on the search for habitable zones and on the understanding of the mechanism of planet formation. The VISIR instrument on the VLT has been providing unique information to answer this last question, by supplying a high resolution view of a planet-forming disc (PR 36/06). There are not only new members in the planets' register: during the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union held in Prague (Czech Republic), it was decided that Pluto is not a planet anymore but a 'dwarf planet'. Whatever its status, Pluto still has a satellite, Charon, whose radius and density have been measured more accurately by observing a rare occultation from different sites, including Cerro Paranal (PR 02/06). The scientific community dedicated 2006 to the great physicist James Clerk Maxwell (it was the 175th anniversary of the birth): without his electromagnetic theory of light, none of the astonishing discoveries of modern physics could have been achieved. Nowadays we can look at distant galaxies in great detail: the GIRAFFE spectrograph on the VLT revealed that galaxies 6 billion years ago had the same amount of dark matter relative to stars than nowadays (PR 10/06), while SINFONI gave an

System analysis tools for an ELT at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Michael; Koch, Franz

2006-06-01

Engineering of complex, large scale systems like the ELT designs currently investigated and developed in Europe and Northern America require powerful and sophisticated tools within specific technical disciplines such as mechanics, optics and control engineering. However, even analyzing a certain component of the telescope like the telescope structure necessitates a system approach to evaluate the structural effects onto the optical performance. This paper shows several software tools developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) which focus onto the system approach in the analyses: Using modal results of a finite element analysis the SMI-toolbox allows an easy generation of structural models with different sizes and levels of accuracy for the control design and closed-loop simulations. The optical modeling code BeamWarrior was developed by ESO and Astrium GmbH, Germany) especially for integrated modeling and interfering with a structural model. Within BeamWarrior displacements and deformations can be applied in an arbitrary coordinate system, and hence also in the global coordinates of the FE model avoiding error prone transformations. In addition to this, a sparse state space model object was developed for Matlab to gain in computational efficiency and reduced memory requirements due to the sparsity pattern of both the structural models and the control architecture. As one result these tools allow building an integrated model in order to reliably simulate interactions, cross-coupling effects, system responses, and to evaluate global performance. In order to evaluate disturbance effects on the optical performance in openloop more efficiently, an optical evaluation toolbox was built in the FE software ANSYS which performs Zernike decomposition and best-fit computation of the deformations directly in the FE analysis.

Telescope Scientist on the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanSpeybroeck, Leon

1999-01-01

The most important activity during this reporting period was the calibration of the AXAF High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) and the analysis of the copious data which were obtained during that project. The calibration was highly successful, and will result in the AXAF being by far the best calibrated X-ray observatory ever flown, and more accurate results by all of its users. This period also included participation in the spacecraft alignment and assembly activities and final flight readiness reviews. The planning of the first year of Telescope Scientist AXAF observations also was accomplished. The Telescope Scientist team also served as a technical resource for various problems which were encountered during this period. Many of these contributions have been documented in memoranda sent to the project.

The BOOTES-5 telescope at San Pedro Martir National Astronomical Observatory, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiriart, D.; Valdez, J.; Martínez, B.; García, B.; Cordova, A.; Colorado, E.; Guisa, G.; Ochoa, J. L.; Nuñez, J. M.; Ceseña, U.; Cunniffe, R.; Murphy, D.; Lee, W.; Park, Il H.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.

2016-12-01

BOOTES-5 is the fifth robotic observatory of the international network of robotic telescopes BOOTES (Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring Optical System). It is located at the National Astronomical Observatory at Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico. It was dedicated on November 26, 2015 and it is in the process of testing. Its main scientific objective is the observation and monitoring of the optic counterparts of gamma-ray bursts as quickly as possible once they have been detected from space or other ground-based observatories. BOOTES-5 fue nombrado Telescopio Javier Gorosabel en memoria del astrónomo español Javier Gorosabel Urkia.

Closing the Loop for ALMA - Three antennas working in unison open new bright year for revolutionary observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-01-01

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has passed a key milestone crucial for the high quality images that will be the trademark of this revolutionary new tool for astronomy. Astronomers and engineers have, for the first time, successfully linked three of the observatory's antennas at the 5000-metre elevation observing site in northern Chile. Having three antennas observing in unison paves the way for precise images of the cool Universe at unprecedented resolution, by providing the missing link to correct errors that arise when only two antennas are used. On 20 November 2009 the third antenna for the ALMA observatory was successfully installed at the Array Operations Site, the observatory's "high site" on the Chajnantor plateau, at an altitude of 5000 metres in the Chilean Andes. Later, after a series of technical tests, astronomers and engineers observed the first signals from an astronomical source making use of all three 12-metre diameter antennas linked together, and are now working around the clock to establish the stability and readiness of the system. "The first signal using just two ALMA antennas, observed in October, can be compared to a baby's first babblings," says Leonardo Testi, the European Project Scientist for ALMA at ESO. "Observing with a third antenna represents the moment when the baby says its very first, meaningful word - not yet a full sentence, but overwhelmingly exciting! The linking of three antennas is indeed the first actual step towards our goal of achieving precise and sharp images at submillimetre wavelengths." The successful linking of the antenna trio was a key test of the full electronic and software system now being installed at ALMA, and its success anticipates the future capabilities of the observatory. When complete, ALMA will have at least 66 high-tech antennas operating together as an "interferometer", working as a single, huge telescope probing the sky in the millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths of light

The big comet crash of 1994. Intensive observational campaign at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-01-01

-based radio telescopes, as well as from several spacecraft, including Ulysses, now en route towards its first pass below the Sun. There may also be changes in the plasma torus that girdles Jupiter near the orbit of the volcanic moon Io, and some cometary dust particles may collect in Jupiter's faint ring. All in all, this spectacular event offers a unique opportunity to study Jupiter and its atmosphere. It may also provide a first ``look'' into its hitherto unobservable inner regions. Nobody knows for sure, how dramatic the effects of the impacts will actually be, but unless we are prepared to observe them, we may lose a great chance that is unlikely to come back in many years, if ever. WHICH PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT ESO ? In November of last year, a group of 25 cometary and planetary specialists from Europe and the U.S.A. met at ESO to discuss possible observations from the ESO La Silla observatory in connection with the cometary impacts at Jupiter. In a resulting report, they emphazised that ESO is in a particularly advantageous situation in this respect, because the excellent site of this observatory is located in the south and Jupiter will be 12 degrees south of the celestial equator at the time of the event and therefore well observable from here; the time available from observatories in the northern hemisphere will be much more restricted. Moreover, many different observing techniques are available at La Silla; this provides optimal conditions for effective coordination of the various programmes, in particular what concerns imaging and spectral observations in the infrared and submillimetre wavebands. A joint request for a coordinated observing programme was submitted by the group to the ESO Observing Programmes Committee. During its meeting at the end of November 1993, this committee reacted very positively and a substantial number of observing nights at the major telescopes at La Silla was granted at the time of the impacts in July 1994. The total amount of

Design and implementation of a general main axis controller for the ESO telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandrock, Stefan; Di Lieto, Nicola; Pettazzi, Lorenzo; Erm, Toomas

2012-09-01

Most of the real-time control systems at the existing ESO telescopes were developed with "traditional" methods, using general purpose VMEbus electronics, and running applications that were coded by hand, mostly using the C programming language under VxWorks. As we are moving towards more modern design methods, we have explored a model-based design approach for real-time applications in the telescope area, and used the control algorithm of a standard telescope main axis as a first example. We wanted to have a clear work-flow that follows the "correct-by-construction" paradigm, where the implementation is testable in simulation on the development host, and where the testing time spent by debugging on target is minimized. It should respect the domains of control, electronics, and software engineers in the choice of tools. It should be a targetindependent approach so that the result could be deployed on various platforms. We have selected the Mathworks tools Simulink, Stateflow, and Embedded Coder for design and implementation, and LabVIEW with NI hardware for hardware-in-the-loop testing, all of which are widely used in industry. We describe how these tools have been used in order to model, simulate, and test the application. We also evaluate the benefits of this approach compared to the traditional method with respect to testing effort and maintainability. For a specific axis controller application we have successfully integrated the result into the legacy platform of the existing VLT software, as well as demonstrated how to use the same design for a new development with a completely different environment.

A Long Expected Party — The First Stone Ceremony for the Extremely Large Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Zeeuw, T.; Comerón, F.; Tamai, R.

2017-06-01

The ceremony to seal the time capsule, signalling the beginning of construction of the dome and main telescope structure for the Extremely Large Telescope, took place at the Paranal Observatory on 26 May 2017, in the presence of the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet and many international guests. Owing to high winds, the ceremony could not take place as planned on the levelled site on Cerro Armazones, but instead was held at the Paranal Residencia. A brief report of the event and its organisation is presented, and the welcome speech by the ESO Director General is included.

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.

Cesic: manufacturing study for next generation telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroedel, M.; Lichtscheindl, J.; Mair, Hp.

2005-08-01

Under ESO - European Southern Observatory - contract ECM has performed a feasibility study for the manufacturing of Cesic primary and secondary mirror segments for the OWL-Telescope. The main issues of this study were to demonstrate the feasibility of the serial production (~ 2550 segments) of Cesic mirror segments under a certain schedule and cost optimisation aspect for the segments. Part of this study was also a pre-design of a manufacturing facility for this big amount of mirror segments. This study is limited only up to the manufacturing of a polishable surface, the feasibility of the polishing capability is not part of this study.

Full Speed Ahead for Eso's Very Large Telescope First Enclosure on its way to PARANAL!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-09-01

During the past months, vast progress has been made in the construction of ESO's 16-metre equivalent Very Large Telescope (VLT). This major scientific and technological project aims at installing the world's largest optical telescope in the form of four interconnected telescopes with 8.2-metre mirrors on the Paranal mountain in the Chilean Atacama desert. It continues to be on schedule as it heads towards its completion, just after the year 2000. An important milestone will be reached in early October 1994 when the first large shipment containing heavy steel parts of the enclosure for VLT Unit Telescope no. 1 leaves the Italian port of Genova [1]. Meanwhile the construction work on the Paranal site is also progressing very well. It is now expected that, as planned, the first enclosure will be ready in May 1995 to receive the first 8.2-metre telescope. This Press Release is accompanied by four colour pictures that illustrate some of the most recent developments. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS IN EUROPE Considerable progress has been made by ESO's industrial partners in Europe, and the VLT Project has now entered into a new and dynamic phase of construction. The first 8.2-metre mirror is currently in the middle of a two-year polishing process at the REOSC company near Paris, and the first interferometric tests have shown that this very delicate operation is progressing well. The enormous mirror surface, with a total area of more than 50 m^2, is slowly but steadily approaching the desired shape which must be achieved within a few hundred-thousandths of one millimetre over the entire surface. Mirror blank no. 2 is now ready at the Schott factory in Mainz (Germany) and will be delivered by barge transport to REOSC in October 1994. Blank no. 3 has successfully completed the critical ceramization phase and blank no. 4 will soon receive the same treatment. The circular steel track, 18 metres in diameter, that will support Telescope no. 1 has now been successfully machined at the

What's Educational about Online Telescopes? Evaluating 10 Years of MicroObservatory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gould, Roy; Dussault, Mary; Sadler, Philip

2007-01-01

The MicroObservatory network of five online telescopes has been used by middle and high school students, their teachers, and the public in all 50 states to carry out a wide variety of inquiry-driven projects. From an analysis of 475 student projects and other data, we report substantial gains in students' conceptual understanding of what…

Development of the quality control system of the readout electronics for the large size telescope of the Cherenkov Telescope Array observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konno, Y.; Kubo, H.; Masuda, S.; Paoletti, R.; Poulios, S.; Rugliancich, A.; Saito, T.

2016-07-01

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation VHE γ-ray observatory which will improve the currently available sensitivity by a factor of 10 in the range 100 GeV to 10 TeV. The array consists of different types of telescopes, called large size telescope (LST), medium size telescope (MST) and small size telescope (SST). A LST prototype is currently being built and will be installed at the Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos, island of La Palma, Canary islands, Spain. The readout system for the LST prototype has been designed and around 300 readout boards will be produced in the coming months. In this note we describe an automated quality control system able to measure basic performance parameters and quickly identify faulty boards.

Education Partnerships in Teacher Training: McDonald Observatory and the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Keely; Preston, Sandra Lee; Hemenway, Mary; Malasarn, Davin; Wetzel, Marc

2015-08-01

McDonald Observatory in remote, west Texas has a long history of providing K-12 teacher professional development (PD) through workshops at the observatory. Recently, we have started a new teacher PD program in partnership with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) to provide teacher training and establish a network of teachers and students engaged in the Giant Magellan Telescope. The GMT Teacher workshop has been offered to 30 teachers during the summers of 2014 and 2015; continued engagement has been offered to the teachers through online resources, networking, participation in other teacher PD opportunities and conferences. Evaluation has been conducted using several metrics immediately post workshops, and long term followup evaluation methods. At the close of the 2014 workshop teachers reported learning about the telescopes and nighttime observing, and the promise of the GMT. Consensus statements at the close of the workshop also spoke about passion for and appreciation of astronomy. The major source of recommendation during the year one workshop was to provide more detailed information or activities on the GMT during the workshops. While this does prove challenging to incorporate a full slate of activities on the GMT before the telescope is even built, we are currently working to produce more take-home materials which are GMT specific, continue to make general connections to telescope technology and science that are applicable to the GMT with the teachers. McDonald Observatory and GMTO will continue to partner to offer teacher PD related to the GMT, and increase the network of teachers and students engaged in the GMT, up and through the beginning of its operations in 2020. We will present the current highlights, evaulation outcome results, and future outlook for this program and collaboration.

Participant Perspectives on the ESO Astronomy Camp Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivotto, C.; Cenadelli, D.; Gamal, M.; Grossmann, D.; Teller, L. A. I.; Marta, A. S.; Matoni, C. L.; Taillard, A.

2015-09-01

This article describes the experience of attending the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Astronomy Camp from the perspective of its participants - students aged between 16 and 18 years old from around the world. The students shared a week together during the winter of 2014 in the Alpine village of Saint-Barthelemy, Italy. The camp was organised by ESO in collaboration with Sterrenlab and the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley and offered a rich programme of astronomy and leisure activities. This article focuses on the concept of astronomy camps, and their role as a unique tool to complement formal classroom education, rather than on the astronomy activities and the scientific programme. Thus, it is not an academic review of the implemented methodologies, but rather a reflection on the overall experience. The article was brought together from collaborative accounts by some of the participants who were asked to reflect on the experience. The participants who contributed to this article represent the diversity of the ESO Astronomy Camp's alumni community.

Telescope Scientist on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Carl M. (Technical Monitor); VanSpeybroeck, Leon; Tananbaum, Harvey D.

2004-01-01

In this period, the Chandra X-ray Observatory continued to perform exceptionally well, with many scientific observations and spectacular results. The HRMA performance continues to be essentially identical to that predicted from ground calibration data. The Telescope Scientist Team has improved the mirror model to provide a more accurate description to the Chandra observers, enabling them to reduce the systematic errors and uncertainties in their data reduction. There also has been good progress in the scientific program. Using the Telescope Scientist GTO time, we carried out an extensive Chandra program to observe distant clusters of galaxies. The goals of this program were to use clusters to derive cosmological constraints and to investigate the physics and evolution of clusters. A total of 71 clusters were observed with ACIS-I; the last observations were completed in December 2003.

Las Cumbres Observatory 1-Meter Global Science Telescope Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickles, Andrew; Dubberley, M.; Haldeman, B.; Haynes, R.; Posner, V.; Rosing, W.; staff, LCOGT

2009-05-01

We present the optical, mechanical and electronic design of the LCOGT 1-m telescope. These telescopes are planned to go in pairs to each of 6 sites worldwide, complementing 0.4m telescopes and 2-m telescopes at two existing sites. This science network is designed to provide continuously available photometric monitoring and spectroscopy of variable sources. The 1-m optical design is an f/8 quasi-RC system, with a doublet corrector and field flattener to provide good image quality out to 0.8 degrees. The field of view of the Fairchild 4K science CCD is 27 arcmin, with 0.39 arcsec pixels. The mechanical design includes a stiff C-ring equatorial mount and friction drive rollers, mounted on a triangular base that can be adjusted for latitude. Another friction drive is coupled at the Declination axis to the M1 mirror cell, that forms the main Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) structural element. The OTA design includes a stiff carbon fiber truss assembly, with offset vanes to an M2 drive that provides remote focus, tilt and collimation. The tube assembly weighs about 600 Kg, including Hextek mirrors, 4K science CCD, filter wheel, autoguiders and medium resolution spectrograph pick-off fiber. The telescopes will be housed in domes at existing observatory sites. They are designed to operate remotely and reliably under centralized control for automatic, optimized scheduling of observations with available hardware.

VirGO: A Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chéreau, F.

2008-08-01

VirGO is the next generation Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility developed by the Virtual Observatory (VO) Systems Department. It is a plug-in for the popular open source software Stellarium adding capabilities for browsing professional astronomical data. VirGO gives astronomers the possibility to easily discover and select data from millions of observations in a new visual and intuitive way. Its main feature is to perform real-time access and graphical display of a large number of observations by showing instrumental footprints and image previews, and to allow their selection and filtering for subsequent download from the ESO SAF web interface. It also allows the loading of external FITS files or VOTables, the superimposition of Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) background images, and the visualization of the sky in a `real life' mode as seen from the main ESO sites. All data interfaces are based on Virtual Observatory standards which allow access to images and spectra from external data centers, and interaction with the ESO SAF web interface or any other VO applications supporting the PLASTIC messaging system. The main website for VirGO is at http://archive.eso.org/cms/virgo.

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.

Exploring the Digital Universe with Europe's Astrophysical Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-12-01

Vast Databanks at the Astronomers' Fingertips Summary A new European initiative called the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO) is being launched to provide astronomers with a breathtaking potential for new discoveries. It will enable them to seamlessly combine the data from both ground- and space-based telescopes which are making observations of the Universe across the whole range of wavelengths - from high-energy gamma rays through the ultraviolet and visible to the infrared and radio. The aim of the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO) project, which started on 15 November 2001, is to allow astronomers instant access to the vast databanks now being built up by the world's observatories and which are forming what is, in effect, a "digital sky" . Using the AVO, astronomers will, for example, be able to retrieve the elusive traces of the passage of an asteroid as it passes near the Earth and so enable them to predict its future path and perhaps warn of a possible impact. When a giant star comes to the end of its life in a cataclysmic explosion called a supernova, they will be able to access the digital sky and pinpoint the star shortly before it exploded so adding invaluable data to the study of the evolution of stars. Background information on the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory is available in the Appendix. PR Photo 34a/01 : The Astrophysical Virtual Observatory - an artist's impression. The rapidly accumulating database ESO PR Photo 34a/01 ESO PR Photo 34a/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 345 pix - 90k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 689 pix - 656k] [Hi-Res - JPEG: 3000 x 2582 pix - 4.3M] ESO PR Photo 34a/01 shows an artist's impression of the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory . Modern observatories observe the sky continuously and data accumulates remorselessly in the digital archives. The growth rate is impressive and many hundreds of terabytes of data - corresponding to many thousands of billions of pixels - are already available to scientists. The real sky is being

ESO Astronomers Detect a Galaxy at the Edge of the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-09-01

Starlight from the Depths of Time Four European astronomers [1] have taken advantage of the superb imaging quality of the ESO 3.5-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla observatory, to detect a galaxy at an extremely large distance. They conclude that its redshift [2] is z = 4.4; thus, this galaxy is by far the most remote ever detected. In fact, it has taken its light about 90 percent of the age of the Universe to reach us, and we now observe this early object as it appeared, only 1 - 2 billion years [3] after the Universe was created in the Big Bang. Still, the galaxy contains a considerable amount of elements that must have been produced in stars. This proves that stars were formed in normal galaxies, already before this very early epoch. Galaxies in the Very Early Universe Astronomical observations during the past decade indicate that the age of the Universe is probably somewhere between 13 and 17 billion years. It is expected that further studies at the limit of available telescopes during the next years will make it possible to determine this fundamental parameter more accurately. But whatever the actual age, one of the central questions which must answered in order to understand the evolution of the Universe is the time of formation of the first stars and galaxies; its determination is accordingly a prime goal of current cosmological observations. This early process was crucial for the distribution of matter now observed, but how long after the Big Bang did it actually happen? We do not know yet. In order to cast more light on this important question, we must look back to this very early epoch by detecting and measuring objects at the largest possible distances, i.e. at the highest redshifts. However, this is extremely difficult because of the faintness of such objects and so far, progress in this fundamental research field has been slow. An Enriched Hydrogen Cloud at z = 4.4 In 1994, the ESO team obtained a high-resolution, detailed spectrum

Spain to Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-02-01

/infrared astronomical observing site in Europe and site of the Spanish 10m GranTeCan telescope now nearing completion. With the high quality of Spanish astronomical research as well as the technological competence of Spanish industry, it is only fitting that Spain should join ESO, world-leader in ground-based astronomy. Through ESO Spain will enjoy full access both to all of ESO's current facilities and to unrestricted participation in the great projects that ESO is planning for the future. Spain is already an active partner of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), whose construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO. ESO's Council approved the admission of Spain at its 107th meeting held in Garching on 7 and 8 December 2005. High resolution images and their captions are available on this page.

ESO unveils an amazing, interactive, 360-degree panoramic view of the entire night sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-09-01

operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky". Serge Brunier is a French journalist, photographer and writer who specialises in popularising astronomy. He is a regular contributor to Science & Vie magazine, and to the France Info radio station. He has written numerous popular astronomy books, translated into over ten languages, and is a prize-winning photographer, who has captured images of solar eclipses from the most amazing places in the world. A life-long quest for the best skies in the world led him to Chile. This whole sky panorama was presented from 25 August till 13 September 2009 in the exhibition "Un ciel pour la planète" (A sky for the planet) in the Atrium of the Monte-Carlo Casino, Monaco. With a giant print of 12 times 6 metres, the exhibition was under the Patronage of The Prince Albert II of Monaco, and showed with images and videos the making of this unique ESO project.

VirGO: A Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatziminaoglou, Evanthia; Chéreau, Fabien

2009-03-01

VirGO is the next generation Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility (SAF) developed in the Virtual Observatory Project Office. VirGO enables astronomers to discover and select data easily from millions of observations in a visual and intuitive way. It allows real-time access and the graphical display of a large number of observations by showing instrumental footprints and image previews, as well as their selection and filtering for subsequent download from the ESO SAF web interface. It also permits the loading of external FITS files or VOTables, as well as the superposition of Digitized Sky Survey images to be used as background. All data interfaces are based on Virtual Observatory (VO) standards that allow access to images and spectra from external data centres, and interaction with the ESO SAF web interface or any other VO applications.

VirGO: A Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chéreau, Fabien

2012-04-01

VirGO is the next generation Visual Browser for the ESO Science Archive Facility developed by the Virtual Observatory (VO) Systems Department. It is a plug-in for the popular open source software Stellarium adding capabilities for browsing professional astronomical data. VirGO gives astronomers the possibility to easily discover and select data from millions of observations in a new visual and intuitive way. Its main feature is to perform real-time access and graphical display of a large number of observations by showing instrumental footprints and image previews, and to allow their selection and filtering for subsequent download from the ESO SAF web interface. It also allows the loading of external FITS files or VOTables, the superimposition of Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) background images, and the visualization of the sky in a `real life' mode as seen from the main ESO sites. All data interfaces are based on Virtual Observatory standards which allow access to images and spectra from external data centers, and interaction with the ESO SAF web interface or any other VO applications supporting the PLASTIC messaging system.

Two VLT 8.2-m Unit Telescopes in Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-04-01

Visitors at ANTU - Astronomical Images from KUEYEN The VLT Control Room at the Paranal Observatory is becoming a busy place indeed. From here, two specialist teams of ESO astronomers and engineers now operate two VLT 8.2-m Unit Telescopes in parallel, ANTU and KUEYEN (formerly UT1 and UT2, for more information about the naming and the pronunciation, see ESO Press Release 06/99 ). Regular science observations have just started with the first of these giant telescopes, while impressive astronomical images are being obtained with the second. The work is hard, but the mood in the control room is good. Insiders claim that there have even been occasions on which the groups have had a friendly "competition" about which telescope makes the "best" images! The ANTU-team has worked with the FORS multi-mode instrument , their colleagues at KUEYEN use the VLT Test Camera for the ongoing tests of this new telescope. While the first is a highly developed astronomical instrument with a large-field CCD imager (6.8 x 6.8 arcmin 2 in the normal mode; 3.4 x 3.4 arcmin 2 in the high-resolution mode), the other is a less complex CCD camera with a smaller field (1.5 x 1.5 arcmin 2 ), suited to verify the optical performance of the telescope. As these images demonstrate, the performance of the second VLT Unit Telescope is steadily improving and it may not be too long before its optical quality will approach that of the first. First KUEYEN photos of stars and galaxies We present here some of the first astronomical images, taken with the second telescope, KUEYEN, in late March and early April 1999. They reflect the current status of the optical, electronic and mechanical systems, still in the process of being tuned. As expected, the experience gained from ANTU last year has turned out to be invaluable and has allowed good progress during this extremely delicate process. ESO PR Photo 19a/99 ESO PR Photo 19a/99 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 433 pix - 160k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 866 pix - 457k] [High

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...

KMTNET: A Network of 1.6 m Wide-Field Optical Telescopes Installed at Three Southern Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung-Lee; Lee, Chung-Uk; Park, Byeong-Gon; Kim, Dong-Jin; Cha, Sang-Mok; Lee, Yongseok; Han, Cheongho; Chun, Moo-Young; Yuk, Insoo

2016-02-01

The Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) is a wide-field photometric system installed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). Here, we present the overall technical specifications of the KMTNet observation system, test observation results, data transfer and image processing procedure, and finally, the KMTNet science programs. The system consists of three 1.6 m wide-field optical telescopes equipped with mosaic CCD cameras of 18k by 18k pixels. Each telescope provides a 2.0 by 2.0 square degree field of view. We have finished installing all three telescopes and cameras sequentially at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile, the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in South Africa, and the Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in Australia. This network of telescopes, which is spread over three different continents at a similar latitude of about -30 degrees, enables 24-hour continuous monitoring of targets observable in the Southern Hemisphere. The test observations showed good image quality that meets the seeing requirement of less than 1.0 arcsec in I-band. All of the observation data are transferred to the KMTNet data center at KASI via the international network communication and are processed with the KMTNet data pipeline. The primary scientific goal of the KMTNet is to discover numerous extrasolar planets toward the Galactic bulge by using the gravitational microlensing technique, especially earth-mass planets in the habitable zone. During the non-bulge season, the system is used for wide-field photometric survey science on supernovae, asteroids, and external galaxies.

Preliminary results from the Stereo-SCIDAR at the VLT Observatory: extraction of reference atmospheric turbulence profiles for E-ELT adaptive optics instrument performance simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarazin, Marc S.; Osborn, James; Chacon-Oelckers, Arlette; Dérie, Frédéric J.; Le Louarn, Miska; Milli, Julien; Navarrete, Julio; Wilson, Richard R. W.

2017-09-01

The Stereo-SCIDAR (Scintillation Detection and Ranging) atmospheric turbulence profiler, built for ESO by Durham University, observes the scintillation patterns of binary elements with one of the four VLT-Interferometer 1.8m auxiliary telescopes at the ESO Paranal Observatory. The primary products are the vertical profiles of the index of refraction structure coefficient and of the wind velocity which allow to compute the wavefront coherence time and the isoplanatic angle with a vertical resolution of 250m. The several thousands of profiles collected during more than 30 nights of operation are grouped following criteria based on the altitude distribution or on principal component analysis. A set of reference profiles representative of the site is proposed as input for the various simulation models developed by the E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) instruments Consortia.

Real-time control of the robotic lunar observatory telescope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, J.M.; Becker, K.J.; Kieffer, H.H.; Dodd, D.N.

1999-01-01

The US Geological Survey operates an automated observatory dedicated to the radiometry of the Moon with the objective of developing a multispectral, spatially resolved photometric model of the Moon to be used in the calibration of Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Interference filters are used with two imaging instruments to observe the Moon in 32 passbands from 350-2500 nm. Three computers control the telescope mount and instruments with a fourth computer acting as a master system to control all observation activities. Real-time control software has been written to operate the instrumentation and to automate the observing process. The observing software algorithms use information including the positions of objects in the sky, the phase of the Moon, and the times of evening and morning twilight to decide how to observe program objects. The observatory has been operating in a routine mode since late 1995 and is expected to continue through at least 2002 without significant modifications.

Forty Years at ESO - Bernard Delabre and Optical Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Zeeuw, T.; Lévêque, S.; Pasquini, L.; Péron, M.; Spyromilio, J.

2017-09-01

The optical designer Bernard Delabre has retired from ESO after 40 years at the forefront of telescope and instrument optics. A short overview of his achievements and his legacy of astronomical telescopes and instrumenta-tion is presented. Bernard Delabre was awarded the 2017 Tycho Brahe Prize by the European Astronomical Society.

Atmospheric Extinction Coefficients in the Ic Band for Several Major International Observatories: Results from the BiSON Telescopes, 1984-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, S. J.; Chaplin, W. J.; Davies, G. R.; Elsworth, Y. P.; Howe, R.; Lund, M. N.; Moxon, E. Z.; Thomas, A.; Pallé, P. L.; Rhodes, E. J., Jr.

2017-09-01

Over 30 years of solar data have been acquired by the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON), an international network of telescopes used to study oscillations of the Sun. Five of the six BiSON telescopes are located at major observatories. The observational sites are, in order of increasing longitude: Mount Wilson (Hale) Observatory (MWO), California, USA; Las Campanas Observatory, Chile; Observatorio del Teide, Izaña, Tenerife, Canary Islands; the South African Astronomical Observatory, Sutherland, South Africa; Carnarvon, Western Australia; and the Paul Wild Observatory, Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia. The BiSON data may be used to measure atmospheric extinction coefficients in the {{{I}}}{{c}} band (approximately 700-900 nm), and presented here are the derived atmospheric extinction coefficients from each site over the years 1984-2016.

A general observatory control software framework design for existing small and mid-size telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Liang; Lu, Xiao-Meng; Jiang, Xiao-Jun

2015-07-01

A general framework for observatory control software would help to improve the efficiency of observation and operation of telescopes, and would also be advantageous for remote and joint observations. We describe a general framework for observatory control software, which considers principles of flexibility and inheritance to meet the expectations from observers and technical personnel. This framework includes observation scheduling, device control and data storage. The design is based on a finite state machine that controls the whole process.

Precision stellar radial velocity measurements with FIDEOS at the ESO 1-m telescope of La Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanzi, L.; Zapata, A.; Flores, M.; Brahm, R.; Tala Pinto, M.; Rukdee, S.; Jones, M.; Ropert, S.; Shen, T.; Ramirez, S.; Suc, V.; Jordán, A.; Espinoza, N.

2018-07-01

We present results from the commissioning and early science programs of FIbre Dual Echelle Optical Spectrograph (FIDEOS), the new high-resolution echelle spectrograph developed at the Centre of Astro Engineering of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and recently installed at the ESO 1-m telescope of La Silla. The instrument provides spectral resolution R ˜ 43 000 in the visible spectral range 420-800 nm, reaching a limiting magnitude of 11 in V band. Precision in the measurement of radial velocity is guaranteed by light feeding with an octagonal optical fibre, suitable mechanical isolation, thermal stabilization, and simultaneous wavelength calibration. Currently the instrument reaches radial velocity stability of ˜8 m s-1 over several consecutive nights of observation.

Astrometrical observations of Pluto-Charon system with the automated telescopes of Pulkovo observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slesarenko, V. Yu.; Bashakova, E. A.; Devyatkin, A. V.

2016-03-01

The space probe "New Horizons" was launched on 19th of January 2006 in order to study Pluto and its moons. Spacecraft performed close fly-by to Pluto on 14th of July 2015 and obtained the most detailed images of Pluto and its moon until this moment. At the same time, observation obtained by the ground-based telescopes may also be helpful for the research of such distant system. Thereby, the Laboratory of observational astrometry of Pulkovo Observatory of RAS made a decision to reprocess observations obtained during last decade. More than 350 positional observations of Pluto-Charon system were carried out with the mirror astrograph ZA-320M at Pulkovo and Maksutov telescope MTM-500M near Kislovodsk. These observations were processed by means of software system APEX-II developed in Pulkovo observatory and numerical simulations were performed to calculate the differences between positions of photocenter and barycenter of Pluto-Charon system.

Extra Solar Planetary Imaging Coronagraph and Science Requirements for the James Webb Telescope Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clampin, Mark

2004-01-01

1) Extra solar planetary imaging coronagraph. Direct detection and characterization of Jovian planets, and other gas giants, in orbit around nearby stars is a necessary precursor to Terrestrial Planet Finder 0 in order to estimate the probability of Terrestrial planets in our stellar neighborhood. Ground based indirect methods are biased towards large close in Jovian planets in solar systems unlikely io harbor Earthlike planets. Thus to estimate the relative abundances of terrestrial planets and to determine optimal observing strategies for TPF a pathfinder mission would be desired. The Extra-Solar Planetary Imaging Coronagraph (EPIC) is such a pathfinder mission. Upto 83 stellar systems are accessible with a 1.5 meter unobscured telescope and coronagraph combination located at the Earth-Sun L2 point. Incorporating radiometric and angular resolution considerations show that Jovians could be directly detected (5 sigma) in the 0.5 - 1.0 micron band outside of an inner working distance of 5/D with integration times of -10 - 100 hours per observation. The primary considerations for a planet imager are optical wavefront quality due to manufacturing, alignment, structural and thermal considerations. pointing stability and control, and manufacturability of coronagraphic masks and stops to increase the planetary-to- stellar contrast and mitigate against straylight. Previously proposed coronagraphic concepts are driven to extreme tolerances. however. we have developed and studied a mission, telescope and coronagraphic detection concept, which is achievable in the time frame of a Discovery class NASA mission. 2) Science requirements for the James Webb Space Telescope observatory. The James Webb Space Observatory (JWST) is an infrared observatory, which will be launched in 201 1 to an orbit at L2. JWST is a segmented, 18 mirror segment telescope with a diameter of 6.5 meters, and a clear aperture of 25 mA2. The telescope is designed to conduct imaging and spectroscopic

ESO and NSF Sign Agreement on ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-02-01

Green Light for World's Most Powerful Radio Observatory On February 25, 2003, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) are signing a historic agreement to construct and operate the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope, operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength. The Director General of ESO, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, and the Director of the NSF, Dr. Rita Colwell, act for their respective organizations. Known as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), the future facility will encompass sixty-four interconnected 12-meter antennae at a unique, high-altitude site at Chajnantor in the Atacama region of northern Chile. ALMA is a joint project between Europe and North America. In Europe, ESO is leading on behalf of its ten member countries and Spain. In North America, the NSF also acts for the National Research Council of Canada and executes the project through the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) operated by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI). The conclusion of the ESO-NSF Agreement now gives the final green light for the ALMA project. The total cost of approximately 650 million Euro (or US Dollars) is shared equally between the two partners. Dr. Cesarsky is excited: "This agreement signifies the start of a great project of contemporary astronomy and astrophysics. Representing Europe, and in collaboration with many laboratories and institutes on this continent, we together look forward towards wonderful research projects. With ALMA we may learn how the earliest galaxies in the Universe really looked like, to mention but one of the many eagerly awaited opportunities with this marvellous facility". "With this agreement, we usher in a new age of research in astronomy" says Dr. Colwell. "By working together in this truly global partnership, the international astronomy community will be able to ensure the research capabilities needed to meet the long-term demands of our scientific enterprise, and

Automation of the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buie, M. W.

2001-11-01

In the past year I have converted the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m telescope from a classically scheduled and operated telescope to an automated facility. The new setup uses an existing CCD camera and the existing telescope control system. The key steps in the conversion were writing a new CCD control and data acquisition module plus writing communication and queue control software. The previous CCD control program was written for DOS and much of the code was reused for this project. The entire control system runs under Linux and consists of four daemons: MOVE, PCCD, CMDR, and PCTL. The MOVE daemon is a process that communciates with the telescope control system via an RS232 port, keeping track of its state and forwarding commands from other processes to the telescope. The PCCD daemon controls the CCD camera and collects data. The CMDR daemon maintains a FIFO queue of commands to be executed during the night. The PCTL daemon receives notification from any other deamon of execution failures and sends an error code to the on-duty observer via a numeric pager. This system runs through the night much as you would traditionally operate a telescope. However, this system permits queuing up all the commands for a night and they execute one after another in sequence. Additional commands are needed to replace the normal human interaction during observing (ie., target acquisition, field registration, focusing). Also, numerous temporal synchronization commands are required so that observations happen at the right time. The system was used for this year's photometric monitoring of Pluto and Triton and is in general use for 2/3 of time on the telescope. Pluto observations were collected on 30 nights out of a potential pool of 90 nights. Detailed system design and capabilites plus sample observations will be presented. Also, a live demonstration will be provided if the weather is good. This work was supported by NASA Grant NAG5-4210 and the NSF REU Program grant to NAU.

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.

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.

Telescope Array Radar (TARA) Observatory for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

DOE PAGES

Abbasi, R.; Takai, H.; Allen, C.; ...

2014-08-19

Construction was completed during summer 2013 on the Telescope Array RAdar (TARA) bi-static radar observatory for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR). TARA is co-located with the Telescope Array, the largest “conventional” cosmic ray detector in the Northern Hemisphere, in radio-quiet Western Utah. TARA employs an 8 MW Effective Radiated Power (ERP) VHF transmitter and smart receiver system based on a 250 MS/s data acquisition system in an effort to detect the scatter of sounding radiation by UHECR-induced atmospheric ionization. TARA seeks to demonstrate bi-static radar as a useful new remote sensing technique for UHECRs. In this report, we describe themore » design and performance of the TARA transmitter and receiver systems.« less

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.

The secondary mirror concept for the European Extremely Large Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Michael; Cayrel, Marc; Bonnet, Henri; Ciattaglia, Emanuela; Esselborn, Michael; Koch, Franz; Kurlandczyk, Herve; Pettazzi, Lorenzo; Rakich, Andrew; Sedghi, Babak

2014-07-01

The E-ELT is an active and adaptive 39-m telescope, with an anastigmat optical solution (5 mirrors including two flats), currently being developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The convex 4-metre-class secondary mirror (M2) is a thin Zerodur meniscus passively supported by an 18 point axial whiffletree. A warping harness system allows to correct low order deformations of the M2 Mirror. Laterally the mirror is supported on 12 points along the periphery by pneumatic jacks. Due to its high optical sensitivity and the telescope gravity deflections, the M2 unit needs to allow repositioning the mirror during observation. Considering its exposed position 30m above the primary, the M2 unit has to provide good wind rejection. The M2 concept is described and major performance characteristics are presented.

Production of Previews and Advanced Data Products for the ESO Science Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rité, C.; Slijkhuis, R.; Rosati, P.; Delmotte, N.; Rino, B.; Chéreau, F.; Malapert, J.-C.

2008-08-01

We present a project being carried out by the Virtual Observatory Systems Department/Advanced Data Products group in order to populate the ESO Science Archive Facility with image previews and advanced data products. The main goal is to provide users of the ESO Science Archive Facility with the possibility of viewing pre-processed images associated with instruments like WFI, ISAAC and SOFI before actually retrieving the data for full processing. The image processing is done by using the ESO/MVM image reduction software developed at ESO, to produce astrometrically calibrated FITS images, ranging from simple previews of single archive images, to fully stacked mosaics. These data products can be accessed via the ESO Science Archive Query Form and also be viewed with the browser VirGO {http://archive.eso.org/cms/virgo}.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-12-01

Observatory (VO) so that astronomers can explore the digital Universe in the new archives across the entire spectrum. Similarly to how a real observatory consists of telescopes, each with a collection of unique astronomical instruments, the VO consists of a collection of data centres each with unique collections of astronomical data, software systems, and processing capabilities. The Astrophysical Virtual Observatory Project (AVO) will conduct a research and demonstration programme on the scientific requirements and technologies necessary to build a VO for European astronomy. The AVO has been jointly funded by the European Commission (under FP5 - Fifth Framework Programme) with six European organisations participating in a three year Phase-A work programme, valued at 5 million Euro. The partner organisations are the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Munich, Germany, the European Space Agency (ESA), AstroGrid (funded by PPARC as part of the UK's E-Science programme), the CNRS-supported Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France, the CNRS-supported TERAPIX astronomical data centre at the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris, France, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory of the Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom. The Phase A program will focus its effort in the following areas: * A detailed description of the science requirements for the AVO will be constructed, following the experience gained in a smaller-scale science demonstration program called ASTROVIRTEL (Accessing Astronomical Archives as Virtual Telescopes). * The difficult issue of data and archive interoperability will be addressed by new standards definitions for astronomical data and trial programmes of "joins" between specific target archives within the project team. * The necessary GRID and database technologies will be assessed and tested for use within a full AVO implementation. The AVO project is currently working in conjunction with other

U.S. and European ALMA Partners Sign Agreement Green Light for World's Most Powerful Radio Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-02-01

Dr. Rita Colwell, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, director general of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), today signed a historic agreement jointly to construct and operate ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths. "With this agreement, we usher in a new age of research in astronomy," said Dr. Colwell. "By working together in this truly global partnership, the international astronomy community will be able to ensure the research capabilities needed to meet the long-term demands of our scientific enterprise, and we will be able to study and understand our Universe in ways that have previously been beyond our vision." ALMA Array Artist's Conception of ALMA Array in Compact Configuration (Click on Image for Larger Version) Other Images Available: Artist's conception of the antennas for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array Moonrise over ALMA test equipment near Cerro Chajnantor, Chile VertexRSI antenna at the VLA test site Dr. Cesarsky also commented, "This agreement signifies the start of a great project of contemporary astronomy and astrophysics. Representing Europe, and in collaboration with many laboratories and institutes on this continent, we together look forward toward wonderful research projects. With ALMA, we may learn how the earliest galaxies in the Universe really looked like, to mention but one of the many eagerly awaited opportunities with this marvelous facility." When complete in 2011, ALMA will be an array of 64, 12-meter radio antennas that will work together as one telescope to study millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength light from space. These wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cross the critical boundary between infrared and microwave radiation, hold the key to understanding such processes as planet and star formation, the formation of early galaxies and galaxy

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.

SARA South Observatory: A Fully Automated Boller & Chivens 0.6-m Telescope at C.T.I.O.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Peter; KanniahPadmanaban, S. Y.; Kaitchuck, R.; Borstad, A.; Luzier, N.

2010-05-01

The SARA South Observatory is the re-birth of the Lowell 24-inch telescope located on the south-east ridge of Cerro Tololo, Chile. Installed in 1968 this Boller & Chivens telescope fell into disuse for almost 20 years. The telescope and observatory have undergone a major restoration. A new dome with a wide slit has been fully automated with an ACE SmartDome controller featuring autonomous closure. The telescope was completely gutted, repainted, and virtually every electronic component and wire replaced. Modern infrastructure, such as USB, Ethernet and video ports have been incorporated into the telescope tube saddle boxes. Absolute encoders have been placed on the Hour Angle and declination axes with a resolution of less than 0.7 arc seconds. The secondary mirror is also equipped with an absolute encoder and temperature sensor to allow for fully automated focus. New mirror coatings, automated mirror covers, a new 150mm refractor, and new instrumentation have been deployed. An integrated X-stage guider and dual filter wheel containing 18 filters is used for direct imaging. The guider camera can be easily removed and a standard 2-inch eyepiece used for occasional viewing by VIP's at C.T.I.O. A 12 megapixel all-sky camera produces color images every 30 seconds showing details in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. Two low light level cameras are deployed; one on the finder and one at the top of the telescope showing a 30° field. Other auxiliary equipment, including daytime color video cameras, weather station and remotely controllable power outlets permit complete control and servicing of the system. The SARA Consortium (www.saraobservatory.org), a collection of ten eastern universities, also operates a 0.9-m telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory using an almost identical set of instruments with the same ACE control system. This project was funded by the SARA Consortium.

Astronomers Break Ground on Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) - World's Largest Millimeter Wavelength Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-11-01

Scientists and dignitaries from Europe, North America and Chile are breaking ground today (Thursday, November 6, 2003) on what will be the world's largest, most sensitive radio telescope operating at millimeter wavelengths . ALMA - the "Atacama Large Millimeter Array" - will be a single instrument composed of 64 high-precision antennas located in the II Region of Chile, in the District of San Pedro de Atacama, at the Chajnantor altiplano, 5,000 metres above sea level. ALMA 's primary function will be to observe and image with unprecedented clarity the enigmatic cold regions of the Universe, which are optically dark, yet shine brightly in the millimetre portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is an international astronomy facility. ALMA is an equal partnership between Europe and North America, in cooperation with the Republic of Chile, and is funded in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and in Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Spain. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and on behalf of Europe by ESO. " ALMA will be a giant leap forward for our studies of this relatively little explored spectral window towards the Universe" , said Dr. Catherine Cesarsky , Director General of ESO. "With ESO leading the European part of this ambitious and forward-looking project, the impact of ALMA will be felt in wide circles on our continent. Together with our partners in North America and Chile, we are all looking forward to the truly outstanding opportunities that will be offered by ALMA , also to young scientists and engineers" . " The U.S. National Science Foundation joins today with our North American partner, Canada, and with the European Southern Observatory, Spain, and Chile to prepare

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Light curves of WASP-52 (Mancini+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, L.; Southworth, J.; Raia, G.; Tregloan-Reed, J.; Molliere, P.; Bozza, V.; Bretton, M.; Bruni, I.; Ciceri, S.; D'Ago, G.; Dominik, M.; Hinse, T. C.; Hundertmark, M.; Jorgensen, U. G.; Korhonen, H.; Rabus, M.; Rahvar, S.; Starkey, D.; Calchi Novati, S.; Figuera Jaimes, R.; Henning, T.; Juncher, D.; Haugbolle, T.; Kains, N.; Popovas, A.; Schmidt, R. W.; Skottfelt, J.; Snodgrass, C.; Surdej, J.; Wertz, O.

2018-03-01

Light curves of transit events of the extrasolar planet WASP-52b. One of the datasets was obtained using the Cassini 1.52m Telescope (Gunn r) at the Astronomical Observatory of Bologna in Loiano (Italy). Three of the datasets were obtained using the Zeiss 1.23m telescope (Cousins R and Cousins I) at the German-Spanish Astronomical Centre at Calar Alto (Spain). Four of the datasets were obtained using the MPG 2.2m telescope (Sloan g, Sloan r, Sloan i, Sloan z) at the ESO Observatory in La Silla (Chile). Four of the datasets were obtained using the 1.54m Danish Telescope at the ESO Observatory in La Silla (Chile). (2 data files).

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.

Using ESO Reflex with Web Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Järveläinen, P.; Savolainen, V.; Oittinen, T.; Maisala, S.; Ullgrén, M. Hook, R.

2008-08-01

ESO Reflex is a prototype graphical workflow system, based on Taverna, and primarily intended to be a flexible way of running ESO data reduction recipes along with other legacy applications and user-written tools. ESO Reflex can also readily use the Taverna Web Services features that are based on the Apache Axis SOAP implementation. Taverna is a general purpose Web Service client, and requires no programming to use such services. However, Taverna also has some restrictions: for example, no numerical types such integers. In addition the preferred binding style is document/literal wrapped, but most astronomical services publish the Axis default WSDL using RPC/encoded style. Despite these minor limitations we have created simple but very promising test VO workflow using the Sesame name resolver service at CDS Strasbourg, the Hubble SIAP server at the Multi-Mission Archive at Space Telescope (MAST) and the WESIX image cataloging and catalogue cross-referencing service at the University of Pittsburgh. ESO Reflex can also pass files and URIs via the PLASTIC protocol to visualisation tools and has its own viewer for VOTables. We picked these three Web Services to try to set up a realistic and useful ESO Reflex workflow. They also demonstrate ESO Reflex abilities to use many kind of Web Services because each of them requires a different interface. We describe each of these services in turn and comment on how it was used

ESO & NOT photometric monitoring of the Cloverleaf quasar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostensen, R.; Remy, M.; Lindblad, P. O.; Refsdal, S.; Stabell, R.; Surdej, J.; Barthel, P. D.; Emanuelsen, P. I.; Festin, L.; Gosset, E.; Hainaut, O.; Hakala, P.; Hjelm, M.; Hjorth, J.; Hutsemekers, D.; Jablonski, M.; Kaas, A. A.; Kristen, H.; Larsson, S.; Magain, P.; Pettersson, B.; Pospieszalska-Surdej, A.; Smette, A.; Teuber, J.; Thomsen, B.; van Drom, E.

1997-12-01

The Cloverleaf quasar, H1413+117, has been photometrically monitored at ESO (La Silla, Chile) and with the NOT (La Palma, Spain) during the period 1987--1994. All good quality CCD frames have been successfully analysed using two independent methods (i.e. an automatic image decomposition technique and an interactive CLEAN algorithm). The photometric results from the two methods are found to be very similar, and they show that the four lensed QSO images vary significantly in brightness (by up to 0.45 mag), nearly in parallel. The lightcurve of the $D$ component presents some slight departures from the general trend which are very likely caused by micro-lensing effects. Upper limits, at the 99% confidence level, of 150 days on the absolute value for the time delays between the photometric lightcurves of this quadruply imaged variable QSO, are derived. This is unfortunately too large to constrain the lens model but there is little doubt that a better sampling of the lightcurves should allow to accurately derive these time delays. Pending a direct detection of the lensing galaxy (position and redshift), this system thus constitutes another good candidate for a direct and independent determination of the Hubble parameter. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile) and with the Nordic Optical Telescope (La Palma, Spain). Table 1. Logbook for the ESO and NOT observations together with photometric results for the Cloverleaf quasar. This long table can be accessed on the WWW at the URL address: http://vela.astro.ulg.ac.be/grav_lens/glp_homepage.html}

ESO adaptive optics facility progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsenault, Robin; Madec, Pierre-Yves; Paufique, Jerome; La Penna, Paolo; Stroebele, Stefan; Vernet, Elise; Pirard, Jean-Francois; Hackenberg, Wolfgang; Kuntschner, Harald; Jochum, Lieselotte; Kolb, Johann; Muller, Nicolas; Le Louarn, Miska; Amico, Paola; Hubin, Norbert; Lizon, Jean-Louis; Ridings, Rob; Abad, Jose A.; Fischer, Gert; Heinz, Volker; Kiekebusch, Mario; Argomedo, Javier; Conzelmann, Ralf; Tordo, Sebastien; Donaldson, Robert; Soenke, Christian; Duhoux, Philippe; Fedrigo, Enrico; Delabre, Bernard; Jost, Andreas; Duchateau, Michel; Downing, Mark; Moreno, Javier R.; Dorn, Reinhold; Manescau, Antonio; Bonaccini Calia, Domenico; Quattri, Marco; Dupuy, Christophe; Guidolin, Ivan M.; Comin, Mauro; Guzman, Ronald; Buzzoni, Bernard; Quentin, Jutta; Lewis, Steffan; Jolley, Paul; Kraus, Maximilian; Pfrommer, Thomas; Biasi, Roberto; Gallieni, Daniele; Bechet, Clementine; Stuik, Remko

2012-07-01

The ESO Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) consists in an evolution of one of the ESO VLT unit telescopes to a laser driven adaptive telescope with a deformable mirror in its optical train. The project has completed the procurement phase and several large structures have been delivered to Garching (Germany) and are being integrated (the AO modules GRAAL and GALACSI and the ASSIST test bench). The 4LGSF Laser (TOPTICA) has undergone final design review and a pre-production unit has been built and successfully tested. The Deformable Secondary Mirror is fully integrated and system tests have started with the first science grade thin shell mirror delivered by SAGEM. The integrated modules will be tested in stand-alone mode in 2012 and upon delivery of the DSM in late 2012, the system test phase will start. A commissioning strategy has been developed and will be updated before delivery to Paranal. A substantial effort has been spent in 2011-2012 to prepare the unit telescope to receive the AOF by preparing the mechanical interfaces and upgrading the cooling and electrical network. This preparation will also simplify the final installation of the facility on the telescope. A lot of attention is given to the system calibration, how to record and correct any misalignment and control the whole facility. A plan is being developed to efficiently operate the AOF after commissioning. This includes monitoring a relevant set of atmospheric parameters for scheduling and a Laser Traffic control system to assist the operator during the night and help/support the observing block preparation.

The ESO Survey of Non-Publishing Programmes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patat, F.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Bordelon, D.; Grothkopf, U.; Meakins, S.; Mieske, S.; Rejkuba, M.

2017-12-01

One of the classic ways to measure the success of a scientific facility is the publication return, which is defined as the refereed papers produced per unit of allocated resources (for example, telescope time or proposals). The recent studies by Sterzik et al. (2015, 2016) have shown that 30–50 % of the programmes allocated time at ESO do not produce a refereed publication. While this may be inherent to the scientific process, this finding prompted further investigation. For this purpose, ESO conducted a Survey of Non-Publishing Programmes (SNPP) within the activities of the Time Allocation Working Group, similar to the monitoring campaign that was recently implemented at ALMA (Stoehr et al., 2016). The SNPP targeted 1278 programmes scheduled between ESO Periods 78 and 90 (October 2006 to March 2013) that had not published a refereed paper as of April 2016. The poll was launched on 6 May 2016, remained open for four weeks, and returned 965 valid responses. This article summarises and discusses the results of this survey, the first of its kind at ESO.

Early laser operations at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmer, Gustavo; Lefebvre, Michael; Christou, Julian; Raab, Walfried; Rabien, Sebastian; Ziegleder, Julian; Borelli, José L.; Gässler, Wolfgang

2014-08-01

ARGOS is the GLAO (Ground-Layer Adaptive Optics) Rayleigh-based LGS (Laser Guide Star) facility for the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO). It is dedicated for observations with LUCI1 and LUCI2, LBTO's pair of NIR imagers and multi-object spectrographs. The system projects three laser beams from the back of each of the two secondary mirror units, which create two constellations circumscribed on circles of 2 arcmin radius with 120 degree spacing. Each of the six Nd:YAG lasers provides a beam of green (532nm) pulses at a rate of 10kHz with a power of 14W to 18W. We achieved first on-sky propagation on the night of November 5, 2013, and commissioning of the full system will take place during 2014. We present the initial results of laser operations at the observatory, including safety procedures and the required coordination with external agencies (FAA, Space Command, and Military Airspace Manager). We also describe our operational procedures and report on our experiences with aircraft spotters. Future plans for safer and more efficient aircraft monitoring and detection are discussed.

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.

Observing multiple populations in globular clusters with the ESO archive: NGC 6388 reloaded

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carretta, Eugenio; Bragaglia, Angela

2018-06-01

The metal-rich and old bulge globular cluster (GC) NGC 6388 is one of the most massive Galactic GCs (M 106 M⊙). However, the spectroscopic properties of its multiple stellar populations rested only on 32 red giants (only 7 of which observed with UVES, the others with GIRAFFE), given the difficulties in observing a rather distant cluster, heavily contaminated by bulge and disc field stars. We bypassed the problem using the resources of the largest telescope facility ever: the European Southern Observatory (ESO) archive. By selecting member stars identified by other programmes, we derive atmospheric parameters and the full set of abundances for 15 species from high-resolution UVES spectra of another 17 red giant branch stars in NGC 6388. We confirm that no metallicity dispersion is detectable in this GC. About 30% of the stars show the primordial composition of first-generation stars, about 20% present an extremely modified second-generation composition, and 50% have an intermediate composition. The stars are clearly distributed in the Al-O and Na-O planes in three discrete groups. We find substantial hints that more than a single class of polluters is required to reproduce the composition of the intermediate component in NGC 6388. In the heavily polluted component the sum Mg+Al increases as Al increases. The sum Mg+Al+Si is constant, and is the fossil record of hot H-burning at temperatures higher than about 70 MK in the first-generation polluters that contributed to form multiple populations in this cluster. Based on observations collected at ESO telescopes under programmes 073.D-0211 (propr ietary), and 073.D-0760, 381.D-0329, 095.D-0834 (archival).

Progress on the European Extremely Large Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spyromilio, Jason; Comerón, Fernando; D'Odorico, Sandro; Kissler-Patig, Markus; Gilmozzi, Roberto

2008-09-01

In December 2006 the ESO Council gave the go-ahead for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) three-year Phase B study. The Baseline Reference Design (BRD) was presented to the ESO committees in 2006 and to the community at the Marseille meeting in December 2006. Phase B has been running for one and a half years and a progress report is presented covering science activities, telescope design, instrumentation, site selection and operations. The designs are maturing, in close synergy with industrial contracts, and the proposal for E-ELT construction is expected to be presented to the ESO Council in June 2010.

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 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.

Monitoring of comets activity and composition with the TRAPPIST-North telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moulane, Y.; Benkhaldoun, Z.; Jehin, E.; Opitom, C.; Gillon, M.; Daassou, A.

2017-06-01

TRAPPIST-North (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is a 60-cm robotic telescope that was installed in May 2016 at the Oukaimeden Observatory [1]. The project is led by the University of Liège (Belgium) and the Caddi Ayad University of Marrakech (Morocco). This telescope is a twin of the TRAPPIST-South telescope, which was installed at the ESO La Silla Observatory in 2010 [2]. The TRAPPIST telescopes are dedicated to the detection and characterization of planets orbiting stars other than our Sun (exoplanets) and the study of comets and other small bodies in our solar system. For the comets research, these telescopes have very sensitive CCD cameras with complete sets of narrow band filters to measure the production rates of several gases (OH, NH, CN, C3 and C2) and the dust [3]. With TRAPPIST-North we can also observe comets that would not be visible in the southern hemisphere. Therfore, with these two telescopes, we can now observe continuously the comets around their orbit. We project to study individually the evolution of the activity, chemical composition, dust properties, and coma morphology of several comets per year and of different origins (New comets and Jupiter Family comets) over a wide range of heliocentric distances, and on both sides of perihelion. We measure the production rates of each daughter molecules using a Haser model [4], in addition to the Afρ parameter to estimate the dust production in the coma. In this work, we present the first measurements of the production rates of comet C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS) observed with TN in June 2016, and the measurements of comet C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden) observed in 2014 with TRAPPIST-South.

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

News from the ESO Science Archive Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrzycki, A.; Arnaboldi, M.; Bierwirth, T.; Boelter, M.; Da Rocha, C.; Delmotte, N.; Forchì, V.; Fourniol, N.; klein Gebbinck, M.; Lange, U.; Mascetti, L.; Micol, A.; Moins, C.; Munte, C.; Pluciennik, C.; Retzlaff, J.; Romaniello, M.; Rosse, N.; Sequeiros, I. V.; Vuong, M.-H.; Zampieri, S.

2015-09-01

ESO Science Archive Facility (SAF) - one of the world's biggest astronomical archives - combines two roles: operational (ingest, tallying, safekeeping and distribution to observers of raw data taken with ESO telescopes and processed data generated both internally and externally) and scientific (publication and delivery of all flavours of data to external users). This paper presents the “State of the SAF.” SAF, as a living entity, is constantly implementing new services and upgrading the existing ones. We present recent and future developments related to the Archive's Request Handler and metadata handling as well as performance and usage statistics and trends. We also discuss the current and future datasets on offer at SAF.

Kuiper Airborne Observatory's Telescope Stabilization System: Disturbance Sensitivity Reduction Via Velocity Loop Feedback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, David P.; Tsui, K. C.; Tucker, John; Mancini, Ronald E. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

In July of 1994 the Kuiper Airborne Observatory's (KAO) Telescope Stabilization System (TSS) was upgraded to meet performance goals necessary to view the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet collision with Jupiter. The KAO is a modified C-141 Aircraft supporting a 36 inch Infrared telescope used to gather and analyze astronomical data. Before the upgrade, the TSS exhibited approximately a 10 arc-second resolution pointing accuracy. The majority of the inaccuracy was attributable to aircraft vibration and wind buffeting entering through the aircraft's telescope door opening; in other words, the TSS was overly sensitive to external disturbances. Because of power limitations and noise requirements, improving the pointing accuracy of the telescope required more sophistication than simply raising the bandwidth as some classical control strategies might suggest. Instead, relationships were developed between the disturbance sensitivity and closed loop transfer functions. These relationships suggested that employing velocity feedback along with an increase in current loop gain would dramatically improve the pointing resolution of the TSS by decreasing the control system's sensitivity to external disturbances. With the implementation of some classical control techniques and the above philosophy, the KAO's TSS's resolution was improved to approximately 2-3 arc-seconds.

Modernized build and test infrastructure for control software at ESO: highly flexible building, testing, and automatic quality practices for telescope control software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellegrin, F.; Jeram, B.; Haucke, J.; Feyrin, S.

2016-07-01

The paper describes the introduction of a new automatized build and test infrastructure, based on the open-source software Jenkins1, into the ESO Very Large Telescope control software to replace the preexisting in-house solution. A brief introduction to software quality practices is given, a description of the previous solution, the limitations of it and new upcoming requirements. Modifications required to adapt the new system are described, how these were implemented to current software and the results obtained. An overview on how the new system may be used in future projects is also presented.

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.

Hubble Space Telescope Scattered-light Imaging and Modeling of the Edge-on Protoplanetary Disk ESO-Hα 569

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Schuyler G.; Perrin, Marshall D.; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Duchêne, Gaspard; Ménard, Francois; Padgett, Deborah; Pinte, Christophe; Pueyo, Laurent; Fischer, William J.

2017-12-01

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys observations and detailed models for a recently discovered edge-on protoplanetary disk around ESO-Hα 569 (a low-mass T Tauri star in the Cha I star-forming region). Using radiative transfer models, we probe the distribution of the grains and overall shape of the disk (inclination, scale height, dust mass, flaring exponent, and surface/volume density exponent) by model fitting to multiwavelength (F606W and F814W) HST observations together with a literature-compiled spectral energy distribution. A new tool set was developed for finding optimal fits of MCFOST radiative transfer models using the MCMC code emcee to efficiently explore the high-dimensional parameter space. It is able to self-consistently and simultaneously fit a wide variety of observables in order to place constraints on the physical properties of a given disk, while also rigorously assessing the uncertainties in those derived properties. We confirm that ESO-Hα 569 is an optically thick nearly edge-on protoplanetary disk. The shape of the disk is well-described by a flared disk model with an exponentially tapered outer edge, consistent with models previously advocated on theoretical grounds and supported by millimeter interferometry. The scattered-light images and spectral energy distribution are best fit by an unusually high total disk mass (gas+dust assuming a ratio of 100:1) with a disk-to-star mass ratio of 0.16.

The ESO astronomical site monitor upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiozzi, Gianluca; Sommer, Heiko; Sarazin, Marc; Bierwirth, Thomas; Dorigo, Dario; Vera Sequeiros, Ignacio; Navarrete, Julio; Del Valle, Diego

2016-08-01

Monitoring and prediction of astronomical observing conditions are essential for planning and optimizing observations. For this purpose, ESO, in the 90s, developed the concept of an Astronomical Site Monitor (ASM), as a facility fully integrated in the operations of the VLT observatory[1]. Identical systems were installed at Paranal and La Silla, providing comprehensive local weather information. By now, we had very good reasons for a major upgrade: • The need of introducing new features to satisfy the requirements of observing with the Adaptive Optics Facility and to benefit other Adaptive Optics systems. • Managing hardware and software obsolescence. • Making the system more maintainable and expandable by integrating off-the-shelf hardware solutions. The new ASM integrates: • A new Differential Image Motion Monitor (DIMM) paired with a Multi Aperture Scintillation Sensor (MASS) to measure the vertical distribution of turbulence in the high atmosphere and its characteristic velocity. • A new SLOpe Detection And Ranging (SLODAR) telescope, for measuring the altitude and intensity of turbulent layers in the low atmosphere. • A water vapour radiometer to monitor the water vapour content of the atmosphere. • The old weather tower, which is being refurbished with new sensors. The telescopes and the devices integrated are commercial products and we have used as much as possible the control system from the vendors. The existing external interfaces, based on the VLT standards, have been maintained for full backward compatibility. All data produced by the system are directly fed in real time into a relational database. A completely new web-based display replaces the obsolete plots based on HP-UX RTAP. We analyse here the architectural and technological choices and discuss the motivations and trade-offs.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: A globular cluster escapee in the Galactic halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lind, K.; Koposov, S. E.; Battistini, C.; Marino, A. F.; Ruchti, G.; Serenelli, A.; Worley, C. C.; Alves-Brito, A.; Asplund, M.; Barklem, P. S.; Bensby, T.; Bergemann, M.; Blanco-Cuaresma, S.; Bragaglia, A.; Edvardsson, B.; Feltzing, S.; Gruyters, P.; Heiter, U.; Jofre, P.; Korn, A. J.; Nordlander, T.; Ryde, N.; Soubiran, C.; Gilmore, G.; Randich, S.; Ferguson, A. M. N.; Jeffries, R. D.; Vallenari, A.; Allende Prieto, C.; Pancino, E.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Romano, D.; Smiljanic, R.; Bellazzini, M.; Damiani, F.; Hill, V.; de Laverny, P.; Jackson, R. J.; Lardo, C.; Zaggia, S.

2015-03-01

A small fraction of the halo field is made up of stars that share the light element (Z ≤ 13) anomalies characteristic of second generation globular cluster (GC) stars. The ejected stars shed light on the formation of the Galactic halo by tracing the dynamical history of the clusters, which are believed to have once been more massive. Some of these ejected stars are expected to show strong Al enhancement at the expense of shortage of Mg, but until now no such star has been found. We search for outliers in the Mg and Al abundances of the few hundreds of halo field stars observed in the first eighteen months of the Gaia-ESO public spectroscopic survey. One halo star at the base of the red giant branch, here referred to as 22593757-4648029 is found to have [ Mg/Fe ] = -0.36 ± 0.04 and [ Al/Fe ] = 0.99 ± 0.08, which is compatible with the most extreme ratios detected in GCs so far. We compare the orbit of 22593757-4648029 to GCs of similar metallicity andfind it unlikely that this star has been tidally stripped with low ejection velocity from any of the clusters. However, both chemical and kinematic arguments render it plausible that the star has been ejected at high velocity from the anomalous GC ω Centauri within the last few billion years. We cannot rule out other progenitor GCs, because some may have disrupted fully, and the abundance and orbital data are inadequate for many of those that are still intact. Based on data acquired by the Gaia-ESO Survey, programme ID 188.B-3002. Observations were made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory.Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Report on the ''2017 ESO Calibration Workshop: The Second-Generation VLT Instruments and Friends''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smette, A.; Kerber, F.; Kaufer, A.

2017-03-01

The participants at the 2017 ESO Calibration Workshop shared their experiences and the challenges encountered in calibrating VLT second-generation instruments and the upgraded first-generation instruments, and discussed improvements in the characterisation of the atmosphere and data reduction. A small group of ESO participants held a follow-up retreat and identified possible game changers in the future operations of the La Silla Paranal Observatory: feedback on the proposals is encouraged.

Engineering aspects of the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory adaptive optics systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusa, Guido; Ashby, Dave; Christou, Julian C.; Kern, Jonathan; Lefebvre, Michael; McMahon, Tom J.; Miller, Douglas; Rahmer, Gustavo; Sosa, Richard; Taylor, Gregory; Vogel, Conrad; Zhang, Xianyu

2016-07-01

Vertical profiles of the atmospheric optical turbulence strength and velocity is of critical importance for simulating, designing, and operating the next generation of instruments for the European Extremely Large Telescope. Many of these instruments are already well into the design phase meaning these profies are required immediately to ensure they are optimised for the unique conditions likely to be observed. Stereo-SCIDAR is a generalised SCIDAR instrument which is used to characterise the profile of the atmospheric optical turbulence strength and wind velocity using triangulation between two optical binary stars. Stereo-SCIDAR has demonstrated the capability to resolve turbulent layers with the required vertical resolution to support wide-field ELT instrument designs. These high resolution atmospheric parameters are critical for design studies and statistical evaluation of on-sky performance under real conditions. Here we report on the new Stereo-SCIDAR instrument installed on one of the Auxillary Telescope ports of the Very Large Telescope array at Cerro Paranal. Paranal is located approximately 20 km from Cerro Armazones, the site of the E-ELT. Although the surface layer of the turbulence will be different for the two sites due to local geography, the high-altitude resolution profiles of the free atmosphere from this instrument will be the most accurate available for the E-ELT site. In addition, these unbiased and independent profiles are also used to further characterise the site of the VLT. This enables instrument performance calibration, optimisation and data analysis of, for example, the ESO Adaptive Optics facility and the Next Generation Transit Survey. It will also be used to validate atmospheric models for turbulence forecasting. We show early results from the commissioning and address future implications of the results.

N° 15-2000: ESA, CERN and ESO launch "Physics on Stage"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-03-01

communicating the outcome of the exciting research programmes carried out at the ESO observatories to a wide audience and in particular to Europe's youth. I warmly welcome the broad international collaboration within "Physics on Stage". I am confident that working together with the European Union and our sister organisations ESA and CERN, as well as teachers' organisations and dedicated individuals in all member countries, this innovative education programme will make a most important contribution towards raising the interest in fundamental research in Europe." About ESA, CERN, and ESO The European Space Agency (ESA) is an international/intergovernmental organisation made of 15 member states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. ESA provides and promotes, for peaceful purposes only, co-operation among its member states in space research, technology and their applications. With ESA, Europe shapes and shares space for people, companies and the scientific community. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is an intergovernmental organisation supported by Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Portugal has an agreement with ESO aiming at full membership. ESO is a major driving force in European astronomy, performing tasks that are beyond the capabilities of the individual member countries. The ESO observatory La Silla in Chile is one of the largest and best-equipped observatories in the world. ESO's Very Large Telescope Array (VLT), an array of giant telescopes, is under construction at Cerro Paranal in the Chilean Atacama Desert. When completed in 2001, the VLT will be the largest and best optical telescope in the world. The CERN, European Organisation for Nuclear Research, has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Calibration strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pancino, E.; Lardo, C.; Altavilla, G.; Marinoni, S.; Ragaini, S.; Cocozza, G.; Bellazzini, M.; Sabbi, E.; Zoccali, M.; Donati, P.; Heiter, U.; Koposov, S. E.; Blomme, R.; Morel, T.; Símon-Díaz, S.; Lobel, A.; Soubiran, C.; Montalban, J.; Valentini, M.; Casey, A. R.; Blanco-Cuaresma, S.; Jofré, P.; Worley, C. C.; Magrini, L.; Hourihane, A.; François, P.; Feltzing, S.; Gilmore, G.; Randich, S.; Asplund, M.; Bonifacio, P.; Drew, J. E.; Jeffries, R. D.; Micela, G.; Vallenari, A.; Alfaro, E. J.; Allende Prieto, C.; Babusiaux, C.; Bensby, T.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Hambly, N.; Korn, A. J.; Lanzafame, A. C.; Smiljanic, R.; Van Eck, S.; Walton, N. A.; Bayo, A.; Carraro, G.; Costado, M. T.; Damiani, F.; Edvardsson, B.; Franciosini, E.; Frasca, A.; Lewis, J.; Monaco, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sacco, G. G.; Sbordone, L.; Sousa, S. G.; Zaggia, S.; Koch, A.

2017-02-01

The Gaia-ESO survey (GES) is now in its fifth and last year of observations and has produced tens of thousands of high-quality spectra of stars in all Milky Way components. This paper presents the strategy behind the selection of astrophysical calibration targets, ensuring that all GES results on radial velocities, atmospheric parameters, and chemical abundance ratios will be both internally consistent and easily comparable with other literature results, especially from other large spectroscopic surveys and from Gaia. The calibration of GES is particularly delicate because of (I) the large space of parameters covered by its targets, ranging from dwarfs to giants, from O to M stars; these targets have a large wide of metallicities and also include fast rotators, emission line objects, and stars affected by veiling; (II) the variety of observing setups, with different wavelength ranges and resolution; and (III) the choice of analyzing the data with many different state-of-the-art methods, each stronger in a different region of the parameter space, which ensures a better understanding of systematic uncertainties. An overview of the GES calibration and homogenization strategy is also given, along with some examples of the usage and results of calibrators in GES iDR4, which is the fourth internal GES data release and will form the basis of the next GES public data release. The agreement between GES iDR4 recommended values and reference values for the calibrating objects are very satisfactory. The average offsets and spreads are generally compatible with the GES measurement errors, which in iDR4 data already meet the requirements set by the main GES scientific goals. Based on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 188.B-3002 and 193.B-0936.Full Table 2 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http

Agile development approach for the observatory control software of the DAG 4m telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güçsav, B. Bülent; ćoker, Deniz; Yeşilyaprak, Cahit; Keskin, Onur; Zago, Lorenzo; Yerli, Sinan K.

2016-08-01

Observatory Control Software for the upcoming 4m infrared telescope of DAG (Eastern Anatolian Observatory in Turkish) is in the beginning of its lifecycle. After the process of elicitation-validation of the initial requirements, we have been focused on preparation of a rapid conceptual design not only to see the big picture of the system but also to clarify the further development methodology. The existing preliminary designs for both software (including TCS and active optics control system) and hardware shall be presented here in brief to exploit the challenges the DAG software team has been facing with. The potential benefits of an agile approach for the development will be discussed depending on the published experience of the community and on the resources available to us.

Adaptive optics for the ESO-VLT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkle, Fritz

1989-04-01

This paper discusses adaptive optics, its performance, and its requirements for applications in astronomy to overcome limitations due to atmospheric turbulence. Guidelines for the implementation of these devices in telescopes are given, in particular for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO. It is intended to equip each one of the four 8-m telescopes of the VLT, which are arranged in a linear array with an independent adaptive optical system. These systems will serve the individual and the combined coude foci. A small-scale prototype adaptive system is under development. It is equipped with a 19-piezoelectric-actuator deformable mirror, a Shack-Hartmann-type wavefront sensor, and a dedicated wavefront computer for closing the feedback loop. This system is based on a polychromatic approach; i.e., it senses the wavefront in the visible, but the adaptive correction loop works at 3-5 microns.

Astronomical Research with the MicroObservatory Net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brecher, K.; Sadler, P.; Gould, R.; Leiker, S.; Antonucci, P.; Deutsch, F.

1997-05-01

We have developed a fully integrated automated astronomical telescope system which combines the imaging power of a cooled CCD, with a self-contained and weatherized 15 cm reflecting optical telescope and mount. The MicroObservatory Net consists of five of these telescopes. They are currently being deployed around the world at widely distributed longitudes. Remote access to the MicroObservatories over the Internet has now been implemented. Software for computer control, pointing, focusing, filter selection as well as pattern recognition have all been developed as part of the project. The telescopes can be controlled in real time or in delay mode, from a Macintosh, PC or other computer using Web-based software. The Internet address of the telescopes is http://cfa- www.harvard.edu/cfa/sed/MicroObservatory/MicroObservatory.html. In the real-time mode, individuals have access to all of the telescope control functions without the need for an `on-site' operator. Users can sign up for a specific period of ti me. In the batch mode, users can submit requests for delayed telescope observations. After a MicroObservatory completes a job, the user is automatically notified by e-mail that the image is available for viewing and downloading from the Web site. The telescopes were designed for classroom instruction, as well as for use by students and amateur astronomers for original scientific research projects. We are currently examining a variety of technical and educational questions about the use of the telescopes including: (1) What are the best approaches to scheduling real-time versus batch mode observations? (2) What criteria should be used for allocating telescope time? (3) With deployment of more than one telescope, is it advantageous for each telescope to be used for just one type of observation, i.e., some for photometric use, others for imaging? And (4) What are the most valuable applications of the MicroObservatories in astronomical research? Support for the MicroObservatory

Developing a NASA strategy for the verification of large space telescope observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crooke, Julie A.; Gunderson, Johanna A.; Hagopian, John G.; Levine, Marie

2006-06-01

In July 2005, the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) at NASA Headquarters was directed to develop a strategy for verification of the performance of large space telescope observatories, which occurs predominantly in a thermal vacuum test facility. A mission model of the expected astronomical observatory missions over the next 20 years was identified along with performance, facility and resource requirements. Ground testing versus alternatives was analyzed to determine the pros, cons and break points in the verification process. Existing facilities and their capabilities were examined across NASA, industry and other government agencies as well as the future demand for these facilities across NASA's Mission Directorates. Options were developed to meet the full suite of mission verification requirements, and performance, cost, risk and other analyses were performed. Findings and recommendations from the study were presented to the NASA Administrator and the NASA Strategic Management Council (SMC) in February 2006. This paper details the analysis, results, and findings from this study.

The Milky Way above La Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-09-01

Anybody who visits a high-altitude astronomical observatory at this time of the year will be impressed by the beauty of the Milky Way band that stretches across the sky. Compared to the poor views from cities and other human conglomerations, the dark and bright nebulae come into view together with an astonishing palette of clear stellar colours. This view above the ESO La Silla Observatory in the southernmost part of the Atacama desert was obtained some evenings ago by ESO Software Engineer Nico Housen. Normally stationed at the Paranal Observatory, he seized the opportunity of a visit to ESO's other observatory site to produce this amazing vista of the early evening scenery. To the left is the decommisioned 15-metre dish of the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST), and on the right in the background is the dome of the ESO 3.6-metre telescope, at the highest point of the mountain. The southern Milky Way is seen along the right border of the SEST and above the 3.6 metre telescope. There is an upside-down reflection of the sky and the horizon behind the photographer in the highly polished antenna dish of the SEST. Besides the reflection of the horizon (the darker part in the top of the dish) and the Milky Way (which runs as a thin cloud from the bottom of the dish up to the horizon) there is also a yellow area of light to the right. This is the reflection of the city lights of the city of La Serena, about 100 km away and too faint to disturb observations of celestial objects high above La Silla. The 3.6-m telescope began operations in 1976 and was ESO's largest telescope until the advent of the VLT at Paranal. Never endowed with a fancy name like the VLT Unit telescopes, the "3.6-m" houses several state-of-the-art astronomical instruments, including the ultra-precise HARPS facility that is used to hunt for exoplanets, cf. ESO PR 22/04. The SEST was for a long time the only instrument of its kind in the southern hemisphere. With it, ESO gained invaluable

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 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

Initial Results Obtained with the First TWIN VLBI Radio Telescope at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell

PubMed Central

Schüler, Torben; Kronschnabl, Gerhard; Plötz, Christian; Neidhardt, Alexander; Bertarini, Alessandra; Bernhart, Simone; la Porta, Laura; Halsig, Sebastian; Nothnagel, Axel

2015-01-01

Geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) uses radio telescopes as sensor networks to determine Earth orientation parameters and baseline vectors between the telescopes. The TWIN Telescope Wettzell 1 (TTW1), the first of the new 13.2 m diameter telescope pair at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell, Germany, is currently in its commissioning phase. The technology behind this radio telescope including the receiving system and the tri-band feed horn is depicted. Since VLBI telescopes must operate at least in pairs, the existing 20 m diameter Radio Telescope Wettzell (RTW) is used together with TTW1 for practical tests. In addition, selected long baseline setups are investigated. Correlation results portraying the data quality achieved during first initial experiments are discussed. Finally, the local 123 m baseline between the old RTW telescope and the new TTW1 is analyzed and compared with an existing high-precision local survey. Our initial results are very satisfactory for X-band group delays featuring a 3D distance agreement between VLBI data analysis and local ties of 1 to 2 mm in the majority of the experiments. However, S-band data, which suffer much from local radio interference due to WiFi and mobile communications, are about 10 times less precise than X-band data and require further analysis, but evidence is provided that S-band data are well-usable over long baselines where local radio interference patterns decorrelate. PMID:26263991

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...

WIYN Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Located at Kitt Peak in Arizona. The WIYN Observatory is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO). Most of the capital costs of the observatory were provided by these universities, while NOAO, which operates the other telescopes of the KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBS...

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

Deformable mirrors development program at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroebele, Stefan; Vernet, Elise; Brinkmann, Martin; Jakob, Gerd; Lilley, Paul; Casali, Mark; Madec, Pierre-Yves; Kasper, Markus

2016-07-01

Over the last decade, adaptive optics has become essential in different fields of research including medicine and industrial applications. With this new need, the market of deformable mirrors has expanded a lot allowing new technologies and actuation principles to be developed. Several E-ELT instruments have identified the need for post focal deformable mirrors but with the increasing size of the telescopes the requirements on the deformable mirrors become more demanding. A simple scaling up of existing technologies from few hundred actuators to thousands of actuators will not be sufficient to satisfy the future needs of ESO. To bridge the gap between available deformable mirrors and the future needs for the E-ELT, ESO started a development program for deformable mirror technologies. The requirements and the path to get the deformable mirrors for post focal adaptive optics systems for the E-ELT is presented.

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.

Lessons from the MicroObservatory Net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brecher, K.; Sadler, P.; Gould, R.; Leiker, S.; Antonucci, P.; Deutsch, F.

1998-12-01

Over the past several years, we have developed a fully integrated automated astronomical telescope system which combines the imaging power of a cooled CCD, with a self-contained and weatherized 15 cm reflecting optical telescope and mount. Each telescope can be pointed and focused remotely, and filters, field of view and exposure times can be changed easily. The MicroObservatory Net consists of five of these telescopes. They are being deployed around the world at widely distributed longitudes for access to distant night skies during local daytime. Remote access to the MicroObservatories over the Internet has been available to select schools since 1995. The telescopes can be controlled in real time or in delay mode, from any computer using Web-based software. Individuals have access to all of the telescope control functions without the need for an `on-site' operator. After a MicroObservatory completes a job, the user is automatically notified by e-mail that the image is available for viewing and downloading from the Web site. Images are archived at the Web site, along with sample challenges and a user bulletin board, all of which encourage collaboration between schools. The Internet address of the telescopes is http://mo-www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatory/. The telescopes were designed for classroom instruction by teachers, as well as for use by students and amateur astronomers for original scientific research projects. In this talk, we will review some of the experiences we, students and teachers have had in using the telescopes. Support for the MicroObservatory Net has been provided by the NSF, Apple Computer, Inc. and Kodak, Inc.

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.

ESO

Science.gov Websites

2009 100 Hours of Astronomy The Eye 3D IMAX® 3D Film Hidden Universe Open House Day 2011 Open House and Jupiter - 1994 Comet Hale Bopp - 1994 Astronomy Communication Seminars Outreach Education Educational Material Science in School ESO Astronomy Camp 2017 ESO Astronomy Camp 2016 ESO Astronomy Camp 2015

Shaping ESO2020+ Together: Feedback from the Community Poll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primas, F.; Ivison, R.; Berger, J.-P.; Caselli, P.; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Alonso Herrero, A.; Knudsen, K. K.; Leibundgut, B.; Moitinho, A.; Saviane, I.; Spyromilio, J.; Testi, L.; Vennes, S.

2015-09-01

A thorough evaluation and prioritisation of the ESO science programme into the 2020+ timeframe took place under the auspices of a working group, comprising astronomers drawn from ESO’s advisory structure and from within ESO. This group reported to ESO’s Scientific Technical Committee, and to ESO Council, concluding the exercise with the publication of a report, “Science Priorities at ESO”. A community poll and a dedicated workshop, held in January 2015, formed part of the information gathering process. The community poll was designed to probe the demographics of the user community, its scientific interests, use of observing facilities and plans for use of future telescopes and instruments, its views on types of observing programmes and on the provision of data processing and archiving. A total of 1775 full responses to the poll were received and an analysis of the results is presented here. Foremost is the importance of regular observing programmes on all ESO observing facilities, in addition to Large Programmes and Public Surveys. There was also a strong community requirement for ESO to process and archive data obtained at ESO facilities. Other aspects, especially those related to future facilities, are more challenging to interpret because of biases related to the distribution of science expertise and favoured wavelength regime amongst the targeted audience. The results of the poll formed a fundamental component of the report and pro-vide useful data to guide the evolution of ESO’s science programme.

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....

Comet Halley passes the halfway mark. Very distant image obtained with the ESO NTT.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-02-01

Eight years after the passage of Comet Halley in early 1986, astronomers at the European Southern Observatory have succeeded in obtaining an image [1] of this famous object at a distance of no less than 2,820 million km from the Sun. The comet is now about as far away as giant planet Uranus. It recently passed the halfway mark towards the most distant point of its very elongated 76-year orbit. The image shows the 6 x 15 km avocado-shaped nucleus as an extremely faint point of light without any surrounding dust cloud. It appears that the surface is now completely frozen and the comet has ceased to emit dust and gas. This observation was made with the ESO 3.58 metre New Technology Telescope (NTT). It is by far the faintest and most distant image ever recorded of this comet. A DIFFICULT OBSERVATION The new Halley image was obtained in the course of an observational programme by a small group of astronomers [2], aimed at the investigation of distant solar system objects. The observation was difficult to perform and is close to the limit of what is possible, even with the NTT, one of the technologically most advanced astronomical telescopes. In fact, this observation may be compared to viewing a black golfball, used during a late evening game, from a distance of 12,000 km. At Halley's present, very large distance from the Sun, the intensity of the solar light is over 350 times fainter than here on Earth. The surface of the cometary nucleus is very dark; it reflects only 4 % of the infalling sunlight. The amount of light received from Halley is therefore extremely small: the recorded star-like image of the nucleus is about 160 million times fainter than the faintest star that can be seen with the unaided eye. A long exposure was needed to catch enough light to show the object; even with the very sensitive SuSI CCD camera at the NTT, the shutter had to be kept open for a total of 3 hours 45 minutes. During this time, of the order of 9000 photons from Comet Halley were

A Nearby Galactic Exemplar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-09-01

ESO has released a spectacular new image of NGC 300, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way, and located in the nearby Sculptor Group of galaxies. Taken with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, this 50-hour exposure reveals the structure of the galaxy in exquisite detail. NGC 300 lies about six million light-years away and appears to be about two thirds the size of the full Moon on the sky. Originally discovered from Australia by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop early in the nineteenth century, NGC 300 is one of the closest and most prominent spiral galaxies in the southern skies and is bright enough to be seen easily in binoculars. It lies in the inconspicuous constellation of Sculptor, which has few bright stars, but is home to a collection of nearby galaxies that form the Sculptor Group [1]. Other members that have been imaged by ESO telescopes include NGC 55 (eso0914), NGC 253 (eso1025, eso0902) and NGC 7793 (eso0914). Many galaxies have at least some slight peculiarity, but NGC 300 seems to be remarkably normal. This makes it an ideal specimen for astronomers studying the structure and content of spiral galaxies such as our own. This picture from the Wide Field Imager (WFI) at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile was assembled from many individual images taken through a large set of different filters with a total exposure time close to 50 hours. The data was acquired over many observing nights, spanning several years. The main purpose of this extensive observational campaign was to take an unusually thorough census of the stars in the galaxy, counting both the number and varieties of the stars, and marking regions, or even individual stars, that warrant deeper and more focussed investigation. But such a rich data collection will also have many other uses for years to come. By observing the galaxy with filters that isolate the light coming specifically from hydrogen and oxygen, the many star-forming regions along NGC 300's

CERN, ESA and ESO Launch "Physics On Stage"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-03-01

and the scientific community. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is an intergovernmental organisation supported by Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Portugal has an agreement with ESO aiming at full membership. ESO is a major driving force in European astronomy, performing tasks that are beyond the capabilities of the individual member countries. The ESO La Silla observatory (Chile) is one of the largest and best-equipped in the world. ESO's Very Large Telescope Array (VLT) is under construction at Cerro Paranal (Chile). When completed in 2001, the VLT will be the largest optical telescope in the world. Useful Physics On Stage addresses "Physics on Stage" webaddress: http://www.estec.esa.nl/outreach/pos International Steering Committee (ISC) Clovis de Matos (Executive Coordinator) ESA/ESTEC European Space Research and Technology Centre Office for Educational Outreach Activities Keplerlaan 1 Postbus 299 NL-2200 AG Noordwijk The Netherlands email: cdematos@estec.esa.nl Telephone: +31-71-565- 5518 Fax: +31-71-565 5590

James Webb Space Telescope Core 2 Test - Cryogenic Thermal Balance Test of the Observatorys Core Area Thermal Control Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cleveland, Paul; Parrish, Keith; Thomson, Shaun; Marsh, James; Comber, Brian

2016-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, will be the largest astronomical telescope ever sent into space. To observe the very first light of the early universe, JWST requires a large deployed 6.5-meter primary mirror cryogenically cooled to less than 50 Kelvin. Three scientific instruments are further cooled via a large radiator system to less than 40 Kelvin. A fourth scientific instrument is cooled to less than 7 Kelvin using a combination pulse-tube Joule-Thomson mechanical cooler. Passive cryogenic cooling enables the large scale of the telescope which must be highly folded for launch on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle and deployed once on orbit during its journey to the second Earth-Sun Lagrange point. Passive cooling of the observatory is enabled by the deployment of a large tennis court sized five layer Sunshield combined with the use of a network of high efficiency radiators. A high purity aluminum heat strap system connects the three instrument's detector systems to the radiator systems to dissipate less than a single watt of parasitic and instrument dissipated heat. JWST's large scale features, while enabling passive cooling, also prevent the typical flight configuration fully-deployed thermal balance test that is the keystone of most space missions' thermal verification plans. This paper describes the JWST Core 2 Test, which is a cryogenic thermal balance test of a full size, high fidelity engineering model of the Observatory's 'Core' area thermal control hardware. The 'Core' area is the key mechanical and cryogenic interface area between all Observatory elements. The 'Core' area thermal control hardware allows for temperature transition of 300K to approximately 50 K by attenuating heat from the room temperature IEC (instrument electronics) and the Spacecraft Bus. Since the flight hardware is not available for test, the Core 2 test uses high fidelity and flight-like reproductions.

Blasting away a dwarf galaxy: the `tail' of ESO 324-G024

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Megan C.; Kamphuis, Peter; Koribalski, Bärbel S.; Wang, Jing; Oh, Se-Heon; Hill, Alex S.; O'Sullivan, Shane; Haan, Sebastian; Serra, Paolo

2015-08-01

We present Australia Telescope Compact Array radio data of the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 324-G024 which is seen in projection against the giant, northern lobe of the radio galaxy Centaurus A (Cen A, NGC 5128). The distorted morphology and kinematics of ESO 324-G024, as observed in the 21 cm spectral line emission of neutral hydrogen, indicate disruptions by external forces. We investigate whether tidal interactions and/or ram pressure stripping are responsible for the formation of the H I tail stretching to the north-east of ESO 324-G024 with the latter being most probable. Furthermore, we closely analyse the sub-structure of Cen A's polarized radio lobes to ascertain whether ESO 324-G024 is located in front, within or behind the northern lobe. Our multiwavelength, multicomponent approach allows us to determine that ESO 324-G024 is most likely behind the northern radio lobe of Cen A. This result helps to constrain the orientation of the lobe, which is likely inclined to our line of sight by approximately 60° if NGC 5128 and ESO 324-G024 are at the same distance.

Telescope Scientist on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanSpeybroeck, L.; Smith, Carl M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This period included many scientific observations made with the Chandra Observatory. The results, as is well known, are spectacular. Fortunately, the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) performance continues to be essentially identical to that predicted from ground calibration data. The Telescope Scientist Team has improved the mirror model to provide a more accurate description to the Chandra observers and enable them to reduce the systematic errors and uncertainties in their data reduction. We also have made considerable progress in improving the scattering model. There also has been progress in the scientific program. At this time 58 distant clusters of galaxies have been observed. We are performing a systematic analysis of this rather large data set for the purpose of determining absolute distances utilizing the Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect. These observations also have been used to study the evolution of the cluster baryon mass function and the cosmological constraints which result from this evolution.

Production of the 4.1-m Zerodur mirror blank for the VISTA Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doehring, Thorsten; Jedamzik, Ralf; Wittmer, Volker; Thomas, Armin

2004-09-01

VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is designed to be the world's largest wide field telescope. After finishing of the construction the telescope will be part of ESO and located in Chile close to the VLT observatory at Cerro Paranal. In November 2001 SCHOTT was selected by the VISTA project office at the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh to deliver the 4.1 m diameter primary mirror blank. The manufacturing of the mirror blank made from the zero expansion material Zerodur was challenging especially due to the f/1 design. Several tons of the glass ceramic material were removed during the grinding operation. A meniscus blank with a diameter of 4100 mm and a thickness of 171.5 mm was generated, having a large central hole of 1200 mm and an aspherical shape of the concave surface. Also the handling and turning operations needed special effort and were performed by a skilled team. This paper presents details and pictures of the corresponding production and inspection sequence at SCHOTT. The geometrical parameters were measured during manufacturing by help of a laser tracker system and the achieved parameters were compared with the initial technical specification. The final quality inspection verified the excellent quality of the mirror blank. The close co-operation between the astronomers and industry resulted in a project management without problems. In April 2003 the VISTA blank was delivered successfully within a ceremony dedicated to the anniversary of "100 years of astronomical mirror blanks from SCHOTT."

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.

ESO Observations of New Moon of Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-08-01

Two astronomers, both specialists in minor bodies in the solar system, have performed observations with ESO telescopes that provide important information about a small moon, recently discovered in orbit around the solar system's largest planet, Jupiter. Brett Gladman (of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and working at Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France) and Hermann Boehnhardt ( ESO-Paranal) obtained detailed data on the object S/1999 J 1 , definitively confirming it as a natural satellite of Jupiter. Seventeen Jovian moons are now known. The S/1999 J 1 object On July 20, 2000, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced on IAU Circular 7460 that orbital computations had shown a small moving object, first seen in the sky in 1999, to be a new candidate satellite of Jupiter. The conclusion was based on several positional observations of that object made in October and November 1999 with the Spacewatch Telescope of the University of Arizona (USA). In particular, the object's motion in the sky was compatible with that of an object in orbit around Jupiter. Following the official IAU procedure, the IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams designated the new object as S/1999 J 1 (the 1st candidate Satellite of Jupiter to be discovered in 1999). Details about the exciting detective story of this object's discovery can be found in an MPC press release and the corresponding Spacewatch News Note. Unfortunately, Jupiter and S/1999 J 1 were on the opposite side of the Sun as seen from the Earth during the spring of 2000. The faint object remained lost in the glare of the Sun in this period and, as expected, a search in July 2000 through all available astronomical data archives confirmed that it had not been seen since November 1999, nor before that time. With time, the extrapolated sky position of S/1999 J 1 was getting progressively less accurate. New observations were thus urgently needed to "recover

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CCD {Delta}a-photometry of 5 open clusters (Paunzen+, 2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paunzen, E.; Pintado, O. I.; Maitzen, H. M.

2004-01-01

Observations of the five open clusters were performed with the Bochum 61cm (ESO-La Silla), the Helen-Sawyer-Hogg 61cm telescope (UTSO-Las Campanas Observatory), the 2.15m telescope at the Complejo Astronomico el Leoncito (CASLEO) and the L. Figl Observatory (FOA) with the 150cm telescope on Mt. Schopfl (Austria) using the multimode instrument OEFOSC (see the observation log in Table 1). (5 data files).

Automated telescope scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Mark D.

1988-01-01

With the ever increasing level of automation of astronomical telescopes the benefits and feasibility of automated planning and scheduling are becoming more apparent. Improved efficiency and increased overall telescope utilization are the most obvious goals. Automated scheduling at some level has been done for several satellite observatories, but the requirements on these systems were much less stringent than on modern ground or satellite observatories. The scheduling problem is particularly acute for Hubble Space Telescope: virtually all observations must be planned in excruciating detail weeks to months in advance. Space Telescope Science Institute has recently made significant progress on the scheduling problem by exploiting state-of-the-art artificial intelligence software technology. What is especially interesting is that this effort has already yielded software that is well suited to scheduling groundbased telescopes, including the problem of optimizing the coordinated scheduling of more than one telescope.

New National Telescope at La Silla - TRAPPIST to Scout the Sky and Uncover Exoplanets and Comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-06-01

A new robotic telescope has had first light at ESO's La Silla Observatory, in Chile. TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is devoted to the study of planetary systems through two approaches: the detection and characterisation of planets located outside the Solar System (exoplanets) and the study of comets orbiting around the Sun. The 60-cm telescope is operated from a control room in Liège, Belgium, 12 000 km away. "The two themes of the TRAPPIST project are important parts of an emerging interdisciplinary field of research - astrobiology - that aims at studying the origin and distribution of life in the Universe," explains Michaël Gillon, who is in charge of the exoplanet studies. "Terrestrial planets similar to our Earth are obvious targets for the search for life outside the Solar System, while comets are suspected to have played an important role in the appearance and development of life on our planet," adds his colleague Emmanuël Jehin, who leads the cometary part of the project. TRAPPIST will detect and characterise exoplanets by making high precision measurements of "brightness dips" that might possibly be caused by exoplanet transits. During such a transit, the observed brightness of the star decreases slightly because the planet blocks a part of the starlight. The larger the planet, the more of the light is blocked and the more the brightness of the star will decrease [1]. "ESO's La Silla Observatory on the outskirts of the Atacama Desert is certainly one of the best astronomical sites in the world," says Gillon. "And because it is already home to two superb exoplanet hunters, we couldn't have found a better place to install our robotic telescope." The astronomers behind the TRAPPIST initiative will work very closely with the teams using HARPS on the 3.6-metre telescope and CORALIE attached to the Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope, both at La Silla. TRAPPIST is a collaboration between the University of Liège and the

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-01-01

This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being evaluated by engineers in the clean room of the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-06-01

This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being checked by engineers in the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope. The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.

The UTMOST: A Hybrid Digital Signal Processor Transforms the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailes, M.; Jameson, A.; Flynn, C.; Bateman, T.; Barr, E. D.; Bhandari, S.; Bunton, J. D.; Caleb, M.; Campbell-Wilson, D.; Farah, W.; Gaensler, B.; Green, A. J.; Hunstead, R. W.; Jankowski, F.; Keane, E. F.; Krishnan, V. Venkatraman; Murphy, Tara; O'Neill, M.; Osłowski, S.; Parthasarathy, A.; Ravi, V.; Rosado, P.; Temby, D.

2017-10-01

The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) is an 18000 m2 radio telescope located 40 km from Canberra, Australia. Its operating band (820-851 MHz) is partly allocated to telecommunications, making radio astronomy challenging. We describe how the deployment of new digital receivers, Field Programmable Gate Array-based filterbanks, and server-class computers equipped with 43 Graphics Processing Units, has transformed the telescope into a versatile new instrument (UTMOST) for studying the radio sky on millisecond timescales. UTMOST has 10 times the bandwidth and double the field of view compared to the MOST, and voltage record and playback capability has facilitated rapid implementaton of many new observing modes, most of which operate commensally. UTMOST can simultaneously excise interference, make maps, coherently dedisperse pulsars, and perform real-time searches of coherent fan-beams for dispersed single pulses. UTMOST operates as a robotic facility, deciding how to efficiently target pulsars and how long to stay on source via real-time pulsar folding, while searching for single pulse events. Regular timing of over 300 pulsars has yielded seven pulsar glitches and three Fast Radio Bursts during commissioning. UTMOST demonstrates that if sufficient signal processing is applied to voltage streams, innovative science remains possible even in hostile radio frequency environments.

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.

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.

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)

Telescope networking and user support via Remote Telescope Markup Language

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessman, Frederic V.; Pennypacker, Carlton R.; Romero-Colmenero, Encarni; Tuparev, Georg

2004-09-01

Remote Telescope Markup Language (RTML) is an XML-based interface/document format designed to facilitate the exchange of astronomical observing requests and results between investigators and observatories as well as within networks of observatories. While originally created to support simple imaging telescope requests (Versions 1.0-2.1), RTML Version 3.0 now supports a wide range of applications, from request preparation, exposure calculation, spectroscopy, and observation reports to remote telescope scheduling, target-of-opportunity observations and telescope network administration. The elegance of RTML is that all of this is made possible using a public XML Schema which provides a general-purpose, easily parsed, and syntax-checked medium for the exchange of astronomical and user information while not restricting or otherwise constraining the use of the information at either end. Thus, RTML can be used to connect heterogeneous systems and their users without requiring major changes in existing local resources and procedures. Projects as very different as a number of advanced amateur observatories, the global Hands-On Universe project, the MONET network (robotic imaging), the STELLA consortium (robotic spectroscopy), and the 11-m Southern African Large Telescope are now using or intending to use RTML in various forms and for various purposes.

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

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.

ALMA Telescope Passes Major Milestone with Successful Antenna Link

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-05-01

2011 we plan to have at least 16 antennas working together as a single giant telescope.” The ALMA Project is a partnership between the scientific communities of East Asia, Europe and North America with Chile. ALMA is funded in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada and the National Science Council of Taiwan. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which is operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Notes for Editors: With ALMA, astronomers will study the cool Universe: the molecular gas and dust that constitute the building blocks of stars, planetary systems, galaxies, and of life itself, providing new and necessary information on the creation of stars and planets. It will also reveal distant galaxies from the primal universe that we will see as they were more than ten billion years ago, representing not only an important observation instrument for scientists, but also a new cosmic vision for humanity. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and in East Asia by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the

Surface Layer turbulence profiling with the SL-SLODAR and LUSCI at ESO Paranal Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardi, G.; Sarazin, M.; Char, F.; González Ávila, C.; Navarrete, J.; Tokovinin, A.; Wilson, R. W.; Butterley, T.

2014-10-01

In the context of the Surface Layer investigation at ESO Paranal Observatory, a Surface Layer Slope Detection And Ranging (SL-SLODAR) instrument prototype has been used at Paranal during 2012, while Lunar Scintillometer (LuSci) measurements campaigns are being carried out since 2008. Simultaneous Surface Layer profiling data from the two instruments are analysed in order to compare the two instruments to enforce their reliability and finely characterize the Paranal Surface Layer profile. BETA is the slope of the turbulence power spectrum delivered by the SL-SLODAR. It is intended purely as a diagnostic tool to indicate whether the Cn2 profile can be trusted. When BETA is significantly less than 3.667 (Kolmogorov law value) this generally indicates that the wind speed is low and the data sets are too short to fully sample the low frequency components of the turbulence. Around the Kolmogorov value, the integrals form the SL-SLODAR and LuSci are pretty much the same. This is valid also in the first 20 m above ground only (SL). Both instruments agree very well when the wind speed on the Paranal platform is higher than 3 m/s. This last result suggests that wind speed higher than 3 m/s allow to have more reliable turbulence profile measurements from both instruments for further analyses of the Surface Layer. Furthermore, the disagreement of the two instruments in connection with wind speed lower than 3 m/s also suggests that the wind speed is a critical parameter to be taken into account before the treatment of the data.

VISTA Captures Celestial Cat's Hidden Secrets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-04-01

The Cat's Paw Nebula, NGC 6334, is a huge stellar nursery, the birthplace of hundreds of massive stars. In a magnificent new ESO image taken with the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, the glowing gas and dust clouds obscuring the view are penetrated by infrared light and some of the Cat's hidden young stars are revealed. Towards the heart of the Milky Way, 5500 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion), the Cat's Paw Nebula stretches across 50 light-years. In visible light, gas and dust are illuminated by hot young stars, creating strange reddish shapes that give the object its nickname. A recent image by ESO's Wide Field Imager (WFI) at the La Silla Observatory (eso1003) captured this visible light view in great detail. NGC 6334 is one of the most active nurseries of massive stars in our galaxy. VISTA, the latest addition to ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert, is the world's largest survey telescope (eso0949). It works at infrared wavelengths, seeing right through much of the dust that is such a beautiful but distracting aspect of the nebula, and revealing objects hidden from the sight of visible light telescopes. Visible light tends to be scattered and absorbed by interstellar dust, but the dust is nearly transparent to infrared light. VISTA has a main mirror that is 4.1 metres across and it is equipped with the largest infrared camera on any telescope. It shares the spectacular viewing conditions with ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), which is located on the nearby summit. With this powerful instrument at their command, astronomers were keen to see the birth pains of the big young stars in the Cat's Paw Nebula, some nearly ten times the mass of the Sun. The view in the infrared is strikingly different from that in visible light. With the dust obscuring the view far less, they can learn much more about how these stars form and develop in their first

VISTA Views the Sculptor Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-06-01

A spectacular new image of the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) has been taken with the ESO VISTA telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile as part of one of its first major observational campaigns. By observing in infrared light VISTA's view is less affected by dust and reveals a myriad of cooler stars as well as a prominent bar of stars across the central region. The VISTA image provides much new information on the history and development of the galaxy. The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) lies in the constellation of the same name and is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky. It is prominent enough to be seen with good binoculars and was discovered by Caroline Herschel from England in 1783. NGC 253 is a spiral galaxy that lies about 13 million light-years away. It is the brightest member of a small collection of galaxies called the Sculptor Group, one of the closest such groupings to our own Local Group of galaxies. Part of its visual prominence comes from its status as a starburst galaxy, one in the throes of rapid star formation. NGC 253 is also very dusty, which obscures the view of many parts of the galaxy (eso0902). Seen from Earth, the galaxy is almost edge on, with the spiral arms clearly visible in the outer parts, along with a bright core at its centre. VISTA, the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, the latest addition to ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert, is the world's largest survey telescope. After being handed over to ESO at the end of 2009 (eso0949) the telescope was used for two detailed studies of small sections of the sky before it embarked on the much larger surveys that are now in progress. One of these "mini surveys" was a detailed study of NGC 253 and its environment. As VISTA works at infrared wavelengths it can see right through most of the dust that is such a prominent feature of the Sculptor Galaxy when viewed in visible light. Huge numbers of cooler stars that are barely detectable with visible

Supernova rates from the Southern inTermediate Redshift ESO Supernova Search (STRESS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botticella, M. T.; Riello, M.; Cappellaro, E.; Benetti, S.; Altavilla, G.; Pastorello, A.; Turatto, M.; Greggio, L.; Patat, F.; Valenti, S.; Zampieri, L.; Harutyunyan, A.; Pignata, G.; Taubenberger, S.

2008-02-01

extinction correction both to SF and to CC SN rate and to measure the SN Ia rate in star forming and in passively evolving galaxies over a wide redshift range. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, using the 2.2 m MPG/ESO telescope on the La Silla (ESO Programmes 62.H-0833, 63.H-0322, 64.H-0390, 67.D-0422, 68.D-0273, 69.D-0453, 72.D-0670, 72.D-0745, 73.D-0670, 74.A-9008, 75.D-0662) and using Very Large Telescope on the Cerro Paranal (ESO Programme 74.D-0714). Table [see full textsee full textsee full text], Figs. [see full textsee full textsee full text]-[see full textsee full textsee full text] are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Celestial Fireworks from Dying Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-04-01

This image of the nebula NGC 3582, which was captured by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows giant loops of gas bearing a striking resemblance to solar prominences. These loops are thought to have been ejected by dying stars, but new stars are also being born within this stellar nursery. These energetic youngsters emit intense ultraviolet radiation that makes the gas in the nebula glow, producing the fiery display shown here. NGC 3582 is part of a large star-forming region in the Milky Way, called RCW 57. It lies close to the central plane of the Milky Way in the southern constellation of Carina (The Keel of Jason's ship, the Argo). John Herschel first saw this complex region of glowing gas and dark dust clouds in 1834, during his stay in South Africa. Some of the stars forming in regions like NGC 3582 are much heavier than the Sun. These monster stars emit energy at prodigious rates and have very short lives that end in explosions as supernovae. The material ejected from these dramatic events creates bubbles in the surrounding gas and dust. This is the probable cause of the loops visible in this picture. This image was taken through multiple filters. From the Wide Field Imager, data taken through a red filter are shown in green and red, and data taken through a filter that isolates the red glow characteristic of hydrogen are also shown in red. Additional infrared data from the Digitized Sky Survey are shown in blue. The image was processed by ESO using the observational data identified by Joe DePasquale, from the United States [1], who participated in ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition [2]. The competition was organised by ESO in October-November 2010, for everyone who enjoys making beautiful images of the night sky using astronomical data obtained using professional telescopes. Notes [1] Joe searched through ESO's archive and identified datasets that he used to compose his

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.

The NASA Spitzer Space Telescope.

PubMed

Gehrz, R D; Roellig, T L; Werner, M W; Fazio, G G; Houck, J R; Low, F J; Rieke, G H; Soifer, B T; Levine, D A; Romana, E A

2007-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) is the fourth and final facility in the Great Observatories Program, joining Hubble Space Telescope (1990), the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (1991-2000), and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (1999). Spitzer, with a sensitivity that is almost three orders of magnitude greater than that of any previous ground-based and space-based infrared observatory, is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the creation of the universe, the formation and evolution of primitive galaxies, the origin of stars and planets, and the chemical evolution of the universe. This review presents a brief overview of the scientific objectives and history of infrared astronomy. We discuss Spitzer's expected role in infrared astronomy for the new millennium. We describe pertinent details of the design, construction, launch, in-orbit checkout, and operations of the observatory and summarize some science highlights from the first two and a half years of Spitzer operations. More information about Spitzer can be found at http://spitzer.caltech.edu/.

The Etelman Observatory and the Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope: 2017 Milestone Achievements and Determined Resilience in the USVI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, David C.; Gendre, Bruce; Orange, N. Brice; Cucchiara, Antonino; Giblin, Timothy W.; Klotz, Alain; Thierry, Pierre

2018-01-01

The Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope (VIRT) 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 United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Astronomers from the College of Charleston, the US Air Force Academy and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) collaborate to maintain and operate the facility. Science goals of the facility include optical follow-up of high-energy transients, extra-solar planet observations, and near-Earth asteroid searches. The facility also supports a wide-reaching education and outreach program dedicated to raising the level of STEM engagement and enrichment in the USVI and is a primary research facility for students in UVI's new Physics Degree with a Concentration in Astronomy. The VIRT has begun reacting autonomously to the gamma-ray coordinates network (GCN) alerts in 2017 and, despite the challenges presented to the Caribbean region by hurricanes Irma and Maria, was a participant in the follow-up campaign of GW170817, the first source simultaneously detected in gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves. We detail the robotization and automation of the VIRT, provide an update on its characteristics and capabilities and discuss recent science results from the observatory as well as ongoing progress in the recovery from damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: open clusters in Gaia-DR1 . A way forward to stellar age calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randich, S.; Tognelli, E.; Jackson, R.; Jeffries, R. D.; Degl'Innocenti, S.; Pancino, E.; Re Fiorentin, P.; Spagna, A.; Sacco, G.; Bragaglia, A.; Magrini, L.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Alfaro, E.; Franciosini, E.; Morbidelli, L.; Roccatagliata, V.; Bouy, H.; Bravi, L.; Jiménez-Esteban, F. M.; Jordi, C.; Zari, E.; Tautvaišiene, G.; Drazdauskas, A.; Mikolaitis, S.; Gilmore, G.; Feltzing, S.; Vallenari, A.; Bensby, T.; Koposov, S.; Korn, A.; Lanzafame, A.; Smiljanic, R.; Bayo, A.; Carraro, G.; Costado, M. T.; Heiter, U.; Hourihane, A.; Jofré, P.; Lewis, J.; Monaco, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sbordone, L.; Sousa, S. G.; Worley, C. C.; Zaggia, S.

2018-05-01

and demonstrates the potential of combining Gaia and ground-based spectroscopic datasets. Based on observations collected with the FLAMES instrument at VLT/UT2 telescope (Paranal Observatory, ESO, Chile), for the Gaia-ESO Large Public Spectroscopic Survey (188.B-3002, 193.B-0936).Additional tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/612/A99

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.

VST project: distributed control system overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, Dario; Mazzola, Germana; Molfese, C.; Schipani, Pietro; Brescia, Massimo; Marty, Laurent; Rossi, Emilio

2003-02-01

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is a co-operative program between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the INAF Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), Naples, for the study, design, and realization of a 2.6-m wide-field optical imaging telescope to be operated at the Paranal Observatory, Chile. The telescope design, manufacturing and integration are responsibility of OAC. The VST has been specifically designed to carry out stand-alone observations in the UV to I spectral range and to supply target databases for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The control hardware is based on a large utilization of distributed embedded specialized controllers specifically designed, prototyped and manufactured by the Technology Working Group for VST project. The use of a field bus improves the whole system reliability in terms of high level flexibility, control speed and allow to reduce drastically the plant distribution in the instrument. The paper describes the philosophy and the architecture of the VST control HW with particular reference to the advantages of this distributed solution for the VST project.

Why Space Telescopes Are Amazing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, Jane R.

2012-01-01

One of humanity's best ideas has been to put telescopes in space. The dark stillness of space allows telescopes to perform much better than they can on even the darkest and clearest of Earth's mountaintops. In addition, from space we can detect colors of light, like X-rays and gamma rays, that are blocked by the Earth's atmosphere I'll talk about NASA's team of great observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory} and how they've worked together to answer key questions: When did the stars form? Is there really dark matter? Is the universe really expanding ever faster and faster?

SEPIA - a new single pixel receiver at the APEX telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belitsky, V.; Lapkin, I.; Fredrixon, M.; Meledin, D.; Sundin, E.; Billade, B.; Ferm, S.-E.; Pavolotsky, A.; Rashid, H.; Strandberg, M.; Desmaris, V.; Ermakov, A.; Krause, S.; Olberg, M.; Aghdam, P.; Shafiee, S.; Bergman, P.; Beck, E. De; Olofsson, H.; Conway, J.; Breuck, C. De; Immer, K.; Yagoubov, P.; Montenegro-Montes, F. M.; Torstensson, K.; Pérez-Beaupuits, J.-P.; Klein, T.; Boland, W.; Baryshev, A. M.; Hesper, R.; Barkhof, J.; Adema, J.; Bekema, M. E.; Koops, A.

2018-04-01

Context. We describe the new Swedish-ESO PI Instrument for APEX (SEPIA) receiver, which was designed and built by the Group for Advanced Receiver Development (GARD), at Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) in collaboration with ESO. It was installed and commissioned at the APEX telescope during 2015 with an ALMA Band 5 receiver channel and updated with a new frequency channel (ALMA Band 9) in February 2016. Aim. This manuscript aims to provide, for observers who use the SEPIA receiver, a reference in terms of the hardware description, optics and performance as well as the commissioning results. Methods: Out of three available receiver cartridge positions in SEPIA, the two current frequency channels, corresponding to ALMA Band 5, the RF band 158-211 GHz, and Band 9, the RF band 600-722 GHz, provide state-of-the-art dual polarization receivers. The Band 5 frequency channel uses 2SB SIS mixers with an average SSB noise temperature around 45 K with IF (intermediate frequency) band 4-8 GHz for each sideband providing total 4 × 4 GHz IF band. The Band 9 frequency channel uses DSB SIS mixers with a noise temperature of 75-125 K with IF band 4-12 GHz for each polarization. Results: Both current SEPIA receiver channels are available to all APEX observers.

Automatized Photometric Monitoring of Active Galactic Nuclei with the 46cm Telescope of the Wise Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozo Nuñez, Francisco; Chelouche, Doron; Kaspi, Shai; Niv, Saar

2017-09-01

We present the first results of an ongoing variability monitoring program of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using the 46 cm telescope of the Wise Observatory in Israel. The telescope has a field of view of 1.25^\\circ × 0.84^\\circ and is specially equipped with five narrowband filters at 4300, 5200, 5700, 6200, and 7000 Å to perform photometric reverberation mapping studies of the central engine of AGNs. The program aims to observe a sample of 27 AGNs (V < 17 mag) selected according to tentative continuum and line time delay measurements obtained in previous works. We describe the autonomous operation of the telescope together with the fully automatic pipeline used to achieve high-performance unassisted observations, data reduction, and light curves extraction using different photometric methods. The science verification data presented here demonstrates the performance of the monitoring program in particular for efficiently photometric reverberation mapping of AGNs with additional capabilities to carry out complementary studies of other transient and variable phenomena such as variable stars studies.

First Light for ASTROVIRTEL Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-04-01

Astronomical data archives increasingly resemble virtual gold mines of information. A new project, known as ASTROVIRTEL aims to exploit these astronomical treasure troves by allowing scientists to use the archives as virtual telescopes. The competition for observing time on large space- and ground-based observatories such as the ESA/NASA Hubble Space Telescope and the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) is intense. On average, less than a quarter of applications for observing time are successful. The fortunate scientist who obtains observing time usually has one year of so-called proprietary time to work with the data before they are made publicly accessible and can be used by other astronomers. Precious data from these large research facilities retain their value far beyond their first birthday and may still be useful decades after they were first collected. The enormous quantity of valuable astronomical data now stored in the archives of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Space Telescope-European Coordinating Facility (ST-ECF) is increasingly attracting the attention of astronomers. Scientists are aware that one set of observations can serve many different scientific purposes, including some that were not considered at all when the observations were first made. Data archives as "gold mines" for research [ASTROVIRTEL Logo; JPEG - 184 k] Astronomical data archives increasingly resemble virtual gold mines of information. A new project, known as ASTROVIRTEL or "Accessing Astronomical Archives as Virtual Telescopes" aims to exploit these astronomical treasure troves. It is supported by the European Commission (EC) within the "Access to Research Infrastructures" action under the "Improving Human Potential & the Socio-economic Knowledge Base" of the EC (under EU Fifth Framework Programme). ASTROVIRTEL has been established on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in response to rapid developments currently taking

Obsolescence of electronics at the VLT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hüdepohl, Gerhard; Haddad, Juan-Pablo; Lucuix, Christian

2016-07-01

The ESO Very Large Telescope Observatory (VLT) at Cerro Paranal in Chile had its first light in 1998. Most of the telescopes' electronics components were chosen and designed in the mid 1990s and are now around 20 years old. As a consequence we are confronted with increasing failure rates due to aging and lack of spare parts, since many of the components are no longer available on the market. The lifetime of large telescopes is generally much beyond 25 years. Therefore the obsolescence of electronics components and modules becomes an issue sooner or later and forces the operations teams to upgrade the systems to new technology in order to avoid that the telescope becomes inoperable. Technology upgrade is a time and money consuming process, which in many cases is not straightforward and has various types of complications. This paper shows the strategy, analysis, approach, timeline, complications and progress in obsolescence driven electronics upgrades at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory.

Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network: Keeping Education in the Dark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Rachel J.

2007-12-01

Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network is a non-profit organization that is building a completely robotic network of telescopes for education (24 x 0.4m, clusters of 4) and science (18 x 1.0m, clusters of 3 and 2 x 2.0 meters) which will be longitudinally spaced so there will always be at least one cluster in the dark. The network will be completely accessible online with observations being completed in either real-time or queued-based modes. The network will also have the ability to complete very long observations of all kinds of variable objects and include a rapid response system will allow the telescopes to quickly slew to unexpected phenomena and provide around-the-clock monitoring. Students will be able to do research projects using and collecting data from both the long observations (e.g. extrasolar planet follow-up, variable star light curves, etc.) and the quick response (e.g. supernovae, GRBs, etc.), as well as use their own ideas to create personalized projects. Also available online will be a huge archive of data and the ability to use online software to process it. A large library of activities and resources will be available for all age groups and levels of science. LCOGTN will work cooperatively with international organizations to bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience together to create a world class program. Through these collaborations, pilots have already been started in a few European countries, as well as trial programs involving schools partnered between the USA and UK. LCOGTN's education network will provide an avenue for educators and learners to use cutting edge technology to do real science. All you need is a broadband internet connection, computer, and lots of enthusiasm and imagination.

Imaging Spectropolarimeter for the Multi-Application Solar Telescope at Udaipur Solar Observatory: Characterization of Polarimeter and Preliminary Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwary, Alok Ranjan; Mathew, Shibu K.; Bayanna, A. Raja; Venkatakrishnan, P.; Yadav, Rahul

2017-04-01

The Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST) is a 50 cm off-axis Gregorian telescope that has recently become operational at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO). An imaging spectropolarimeter is being developed as one of the back-end instruments of MAST to gain a better understanding of the evolution and dynamics of solar magnetic and velocity fields. This system consists of a narrow-band filter and a polarimeter. The polarimeter includes a linear polarizer and two sets of liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs). The instrument is intended for simultaneous observations in the spectral lines 6173 Å and 8542 Å, which are formed in the photosphere and chromosphere, respectively. In this article, we present results from the characterization of the LCVRs for the spectral lines of interest and the response matrix of the polarimeter. We also present preliminary observations of an active region obtained using the spectropolarimeter. For verification purposes, we compare the Stokes observations of the active region obtained from the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with that of MAST observations in the spectral line 6173 Å. We find good agreement between the two observations, considering the fact that MAST observations are limited by seeing.

Metal-poor Stars Observed with the Magellan Telescope. II. Discovery of Four Stars with [Fe/H] <= -3.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Placco, Vinicius M.; Frebel, Anna; Beers, Timothy C.; Christlieb, Norbert; Lee, Young Sun; Kennedy, Catherine R.; Rossi, Silvia; Santucci, Rafael M.

2014-01-01

We report on the discovery of seven low-metallicity stars selected from the Hamburg/ESO Survey, six of which are extremely metal-poor (EMP, [Fe/H] <= -3.0), with four having [Fe/H] <= -3.5. Chemical abundances or upper limits are derived for these stars based on high-resolution (R ~ 35,000) Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy, and are in general agreement with those of other very and extremely metal-poor stars reported in the literature. Accurate metallicities and abundance patterns for stars in this metallicity range are of particular importance for studies of the shape of the metallicity distribution function of the Milky Way's halo system, in particular for probing the nature of its low-metallicity tail. In addition, taking into account suggested evolutionary mixing effects, we find that six of the program stars (with [Fe/H] <= -3.35) possess atmospheres that were likely originally enriched in carbon, relative to iron, during their main-sequence phases. These stars do not exhibit overabundances of their s-process elements, and hence may be, within the error bars, additional examples of the so-called CEMP-no class of objects. Based on observations gathered with: The 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile; the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope (SO2011B-002), which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU); and the New Technology Telescope (NTT) of the European Southern Observatory (088.D-0344A), La Silla, Chile.

The Orion Nebula: Still Full of Surprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-01-01

This ethereal-looking image of the Orion Nebula was captured using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. This nebula is much more than just a pretty face, offering astronomers a close-up view of a massive star-forming region to help advance our understanding of stellar birth and evolution. The data used for this image were selected by Igor Chekalin (Russia), who participated in ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition. Igor's composition of the Orion Nebula was the seventh highest ranked entry in the competition, although another of Igor's images was the eventual overall winner. The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, is one of the most easily recognisable and best-studied celestial objects. It is a huge complex of gas and dust where massive stars are forming and is the closest such region to the Earth. The glowing gas is so bright that it can be seen with the unaided eye and is a fascinating sight through a telescope. Despite its familiarity and closeness there is still much to learn about this stellar nursery. It was only in 2007, for instance, that the nebula was shown to be closer to us than previously thought: 1350 light-years, rather than about 1500 light-years. Astronomers have used the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile to observe the stars within Messier 42. They found that the faint red dwarfs in the star cluster associated with the glowing gas radiate much more light than had previously been thought, giving us further insights into this famous object and the stars that it hosts. The data collected for this science project, with no original intention to make a colour image, have now been reused to create the richly detailed picture of Messier 42 shown here. The image is a composite of several exposures taken through a total of five different filters. Light that passed through a red filter as well as light from a filter that

The many transformations of the University of Illinois Observatory Annex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svec, Michael

2018-04-01

The University of Illinois Observatory acquired a second-hand 30-inch Brashear reflector in 1912 with the intent of dedicating it to photoelectric photometry. A small observatory annex was built adjacent to the main observatory. This smaller observatory and its telescope underwent multiple transitions and instrument changes over the next 70 years, reflecting the research interests of Joel Stebbins and Robert H. Baker. The story of this observatory telescope illustrates changes in astronomical instrumentation and research over the course of the twentieth century.

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.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar mass of brightest cluster galaxies (Bellstedt+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellstedt, S.; Lidman, C.; Muzzin, A.; Franx, M.; Guatelli, S.; Hill, A. R.; Hoekstra, H.; Kurinsky, N.; Labbe, I.; Marchesini, D.; Marsan, Z. C.; Safavi-Naeini, M.; Sifon, C.; Stefanon, M.; van de Sande, J.; van Dokkum, P.; Weigel, C.

2017-11-01

We utilize a sample of 98 newly imaged galaxy clusters from the RELICS (REd Lens Infrared Cluster Survey) survey within this study. The data were collected during six observing runs on three instruments over a period spanning from 2013 October to 2015 March. The instruments utilized were the SofI2 camera on the New Technology Telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) La Silla Observatory in Chile, WHIRC3 on the WIYN telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory and LIRIS4 on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in La Palma, Spain. (2 data files).

Clear New View of a Classic Spiral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-05-01

ESO is releasing a beautiful image of the nearby galaxy Messier 83 taken by the HAWK-I instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The picture shows the galaxy in infrared light and demonstrates the impressive power of the camera to create one of the sharpest and most detailed pictures of Messier 83 ever taken from the ground. The galaxy Messier 83 (eso0825) is located about 15 million light-years away in the constellation of Hydra (the Sea Serpent). It spans over 40 000 light-years, only 40 percent the size of the Milky Way, but in many ways is quite similar to our home galaxy, both in its spiral shape and the presence of a bar of stars across its centre. Messier 83 is famous among astronomers for its many supernovae: vast explosions that end the lives of some stars. Over the last century, six supernovae have been observed in Messier 83 - a record number that is matched by only one other galaxy. Even without supernovae, Messier 83 is one of the brightest nearby galaxies, visible using just binoculars. Messier 83 has been observed in the infrared part of the spectrum using HAWK-I [1], a powerful camera on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). When viewed in infrared light most of the obscuring dust that hides much of Messier 83 becomes transparent. The brightly lit gas around hot young stars in the spiral arms is also less prominent in infrared pictures. As a result much more of the structure of the galaxy and the vast hordes of its constituent stars can be seen. This clear view is important for astronomers looking for clusters of young stars, especially those hidden in dusty regions of the galaxy. Studying such star clusters was one of the main scientific goals of these observations [2]. When compared to earlier images, the acute vision of HAWK-I reveals far more stars within the galaxy. The combination of the huge mirror of the VLT, the large field of view and great sensitivity of the camera, and the superb observing conditions

Subaru Telescope, Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

The Subaru Telescope, Hawaii is an 8.2 m aperture optical infrared telescope being operated by the NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY, JAPAN (NAOJ) atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. It is one of the new-generation telescopes with an actively controlled large monolithic mirror, and has been producing testing-phase observational results on solar system, star formation, active galactic nuclei and quasars, grou...

The Trilogy is Complete - GigaGalaxy Zoom Phase 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-09-01

The third image of ESO's GigaGalaxy Zoom project has just been released online, completing this eye-opening dive into our galactic home in outstanding fashion. The latest image follows on from views, released over the last two weeks, of the sky as seen with the unaided eye and through an amateur telescope. This third instalment provides another breathtaking vista of an astronomical object, this time a 370-million-pixel view of the Lagoon Nebula of the quality and depth needed by professional astronomers in their quest to understand our Universe. The newly released image extends across a field of view of more than one and a half square degree - an area eight times larger than that of the full Moon - and was obtained with the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. This 67-million-pixel camera has already created several of ESO's iconic pictures. The intriguing object depicted here - the Lagoon Nebula - is located four to five thousand light-years away towards the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer). The nebula is a giant interstellar cloud, 100 light-years across, where stars are forming. The scattered dark patches seen all over the nebula are huge clouds of gas and dust that are collapsing under their own weight and which will soon give birth to clusters of young, glowing stars. Some of the smallest clouds are known as "globules" and the most prominent ones have been catalogued by the astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard. The Lagoon Nebula hosts the young open stellar cluster known as NGC 6530. This is home for 50 to 100 stars and twinkles in the lower left portion of the nebula. Observations suggest that the cluster is slightly in front of the nebula itself, though still enshrouded by dust, as revealed by reddening of the starlight, an effect that occurs when small dust particles scatter light. The name of the Lagoon Nebula derives from the wide lagoon-shaped dark lane located in the middle of the

ESO's VLT Helps ESA's Rosetta Spacecraft Prepare to Ride on a Cosmic Bullet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-02-01

, but the very real task of ESA's Rosetta spacecraft. New observations with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) provide vital information about Comet Wirtanen - Rosetta's target - to help ESA reduce uncertainties in the mission, one of the most difficult ever to be performed. Every 5.5 years Comet Wirtanen completes an orbit around the Sun. Wirtanen has been seen during several apparitions since its discovery in 1948, but only recently have astronomers obtained detailed observations that have allowed them to estimate the comet's size and behaviour, cf. ESO PR Photos 27a-b/99. The most recent of these observations was performed in December 2001 with the ESO VLT at the Paranal Observatory in Northern Chile, cf. PR Photos 06a-b/02 , reproduced here. As a result of these observations ESA will be able to refine plans for its Rosetta mission. Good news for Rosetta Rosetta will be launched next year and it will reach Comet Wirtanen in 2011. By that time the comet will be nearly as far from the Sun as Jupiter, charging headlong towards the inner Solar System at speeds of up to 135,000 km/h. To get there and to be able to match the comet's orbit, Rosetta will need to be accelerated by several planetary swing-bys, after which the spacecraft - following a series of difficult manoeuvres - will get close to the comet, enter into orbit around it and release a lander from a height of about 1 km. The VLT observations were planned specifically to investigate the 'activity' of Wirtanen at about the same solar distance as at the time of the landing manoeuvres . Because of this timing requirement, they had to be carried out at a certain moment - unfortunately, when the comet was low in the twilight evening sky and descending rapidly towards the western horizon. However, even though the exposures therefore had to be quite short, the VLT with its superb light-gathering capability and opto-mechanical perfection was still able to produce excellent images of this rather faint, moving object

CUBES: cassegrain U-band Brazil-ESO spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbuy, B.; Bawden Macanhan, V.; Bristow, P.; Castilho, B.; Dekker, H.; Delabre, B.; Diaz, M.; Gneiding, C.; Kerber, F.; Kuntschner, H.; La Mura, G.; Maciel, W.; Meléndez, J.; Pasquini, L.; Pereira, C. B.; Petitjean, P.; Reiss, R.; Siqueira-Mello, C.; Smiljanic, R.; Vernet, J.

2014-11-01

CUBES is a high-efficiency, medium-resolution ( R˜20,000) ground based UV (300-400 nm) spectrograph, to be installed in the cassegrain focus of one of ESO's VLT unit telescopes in 2017/18. The CUBES project is a joint venture between ESO and IAG/USP, and LNA/MCTI. CUBES will provide access to a wealth of new and relevant information for stellar as well as extragalactic sources. Main science cases include the study of beryllium and heavy elements in metal-poor stars, the direct determination of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen abundances by study of molecular bands in the UV range, as well as the study of active galactic nuclei and the quasar absorption lines. With a streamlined modern instrument design, high efficiency dispersing elements and UV-sensitive detectors, it will give a significant gain in sensitivity over existing ground based medium-high resolution spectrographs, enabling vastly increased sample sizes accessible to the astronomical community. We present here a brief overview of the project including the status, science cases and a discussion of the design options.

Review of lunar telescope studies at MSFC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilchey, John D.; Nein, Max E.

1993-09-01

In the near future astronomers can take advantage of the lunar surface as the new 'high ground' from which to study the universe. Optical telescopes placed and operated on the lunar surface would be successors to NASA's Great Observatories. Four telescopes, ranging in aperture from a 16-m, IR/Vis/UV observatory down to a 1-m, UV 'transit' instrument, have been studied by the Lunar Telescope Working Group and the LUTE (lunar telescope ultraviolet experiment) Task Team of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This paper presents conceptual designs of the telescopes, provides descriptions of the telescope subsystem options selected for each concept, and outlines the potential evolution of their science capabilities.

Science with the Space Infrared Telescope Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roellig, Thomas L.

2003-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), the fourth and final member of NASA's series of Great Observatories, is scheduled to launch on April 15,2003. Together with the Hubbie Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma ray Telescope, and the Chandra X-Ray Telescope this series of observatories offers observational capabilities across the electromagnetic spectrum from the infrared to high-energy gamma rays. SIRTF is based on three focal plane instruments - an infrared spectrograph and two infrared imagers - coupled to a superfluid-helium cooled telescope to achieve unprecedented sensitivity from 3 to 180 microns. Although SIRTF is a powerful general-purpose infrared observatory, its design was based on the capability to address four broad science themes: (1) understanding the structure and composition of the early universe, (2) understanding the nature of brown dwarfs and super-planets, (3) probing protostellar, protoplanetary, and planetary debris disk systems, and (4) understanding the origin and structure of ultraluminous infrared galaxies and active galactic nuclei. This talk will address the design and capabilities of the SIRTF observatory, provide an overview of some of the initial science investigations planned by the SIRTF Guaranteed Time Observers, and give a brief overview of the General Observer proposal process.

Astronomical Research at the U.S. Air Force Academy Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della-Rose, Devin J.; Carlson, Randall E.; Chun, Francis K.; Giblin, Timothy W.; Novotny, Steven J.; Polsgrove, Daniel E.

2018-01-01

The U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) Observatory houses 61-cm and 41-cm Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) reflecting telescopes, and serves as the hub for a world-wide network of 50-cm RC reflectors known as the Falcon Telescope Network (FTN). Since the 1970s, the USAFA Observatory has hosted a wide range of student and faculty research projects including variable star photometry, exoplanet light curve and radial velocity studies, near-Earth object astrometry, and “lucky imaging” of manmade spacecraft. Further, the FTN has been used extensively for LEO through GEO satellite photometry and spectroscopy, and for exoplanet photometry. Future capabilities of our observatory complex include fielding several new FTN observatory sites and the acquisition of a 1-meter RC fast-tracking telescope at the USAFA Observatory.

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

Bavarian Prime Minister to Visit la Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1997-03-01

The Bavarian Prime Minister, Dr. Edmund Stoiber , is currently visiting a number of countries in South America. He is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of representatives of Bavarian politics and industry. During this trip, the Bavarian delegation will visit the Republic of Chile, arriving in Santiago de Chile on Sunday, March 9, 1997. On the same day, Dr. Stoiber and most other members of the delegation, on the invitation of the Director General of ESO, Professor Riccardo Giacconi, will visit the ESO La Silla Observatory , located in an isolated area in the Atacama desert some 600 km north of the Chilean capital. ESO, the European Organisation for Astronomy, with Headquarters in Garching near Munich in Bavaria, welcomes this opportunity to present its high-tech research facilities to Dr. Stoiber and leaders of the Bavarian industry. During the visit, the delegation will learn about the various front-line research projects, now being carried out by astronomers from Germany and other ESO member countries with the large telescopes at La Silla. There will also be a presentation of the ESO VLT project , which will become the world's largest optical astronomical telescope, when it is ready a few years from now. The delegation will be met by the Director of the La Silla Observatory, Dr. Jorge Melnick and his scientific-technical staff which includes several members of German nationality. Also present will be ESO's Head of Administration, Dr. Norbert König (Garching) and the General Manager of ESO in Chile, Mr. Daniel Hofstadt. More information about this visit and the ESO facilities is available from the ESO Education and Public Relations Department (Tel.: +49-89-32006-276; Fax.: +49-89-3202362; email: ips@eso.org; Web: http://www.eso.org../../../epr/ ). Diese Pressemitteilung ist auch in einer Deutschen Fassung vorhanden. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press

MONET: a MOnitoring NEtwork of Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessman, F. V.; Beuermann, K.

2002-01-01

MONET is a planned network of two 1m-class robotic telescopes which will be used for various photometric monitoring projects -- variable stars, planet searches, AGN's, GRB's -- as well as by school children in Germany and over the world. The two host partners, the Univ. of Texas' McDonald Observatory and the South African Astronomical Observatory, will operate the telescopes in exchange for observing time on the network. MONET will be one of the first robotic telescope networks offering 1-m class telescopes, complete coverage of the sky, good longitude coverage for long observing sequences on objects near the celestial equator, and a heavy educational emphasis.

Developments of a multi-wavelength spectro-polarimeter on the Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anan, Tetsu; Huang, Yu-Wei; Nakatani, Yoshikazu; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; UeNo, Satoru; Kimura, Goichi; Ninomiya, Shota; Okada, Sanetaka; Kaneda, Naoki

2018-05-01

To obtain full Stokes spectra in multi-wavelength windows simultaneously, we developed a new spectro-polarimeter on the Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory. The new polarimeter consists of a 60 cm aperture vacuum telescope on an altazimuth mounting, an image rotator, a high-dispersion spectrograph, and a polarization modulator and an analyzer composed of a continuously rotating waveplate with a retardation that is nearly constant at around 127° in 500-1100 nm. There are also a polarizing beam splitter located close behind the focus of the telescope, fast and large format CMOS cameras, and an infrared camera. A slit spectrograph allows us to obtain spectra in as many wavelength windows as the number of cameras. We characterized the instrumental polarization of the entire system and established a polarization calibration procedure. The cross-talks among the Stokes Q, U, and V have been evaluated to be about 0.06%-1.2%, depending on the degree of the intrinsic polarizations. In a typical observing setup, a sensitivity of 0.03% can be achieved in 20-60 seconds for 500-1100 nm. The new polarimeter is expected to provide a powerful tool for diagnosing the 3D magnetic field and other vector physical quantities in the solar atmosphere.

Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory began operating in 1959, and joined the NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL in 1970. It became part of the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in 1975. The site near Penticton, BC has a 26 m radio telescope, a seven-antenna synthesis telescope on a 600 m baseline and two telescopes dedicated to monitoring the solar radio flux at 10.7 cm. This part of the Institu...

Brilliant Star in a Colourful Neighbourhood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-07-01

A spectacular new image from ESO's Wide Field Imager at the La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the brilliant and unusual star WR 22 and its colourful surroundings. WR 22 is a very hot and bright star that is shedding its atmosphere into space at a rate many millions of times faster than the Sun. It lies in the outer part of the dramatic Carina Nebula from which it formed. Very massive stars live fast and die young. Some of these stellar beacons have such intense radiation passing through their thick atmospheres late in their lives that they shed material into space many millions of times more quickly than relatively sedate stars such as the Sun. These rare, very hot and massive objects are known as Wolf-Rayet stars [1], after the two French astronomers who first identified them in the mid-nineteenth century, and one of the most massive ones yet measured is known as WR 22. It appears at the centre of this picture, which was created from images taken through red, green and blue filters with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. WR 22 is a member of a double star system and has been measured to have a mass at least 70 times that of the Sun. WR 22 lies in the southern constellation of Carina, the keel of Jason's ship Argo in Greek mythology. Although the star lies over 5000 light-years from the Earth it is so bright that it can just be faintly seen with the unaided eye under good conditions. WR 22 is one of many exceptionally brilliant stars associated with the beautiful Carina Nebula (also known as NGC 3372) and the outer part of this huge region of star formation in the southern Milky Way forms the colourful backdrop to this image. The subtle colours of the rich background tapestry are a result of the interactions between the intense ultraviolet radiation coming from hot massive stars, including WR 22, and the vast gas clouds, mostly hydrogen, from which they formed. The central part of this enormous complex

VizieR Online Data Catalog: SN2009ip UBVRI, UVOT and JHK light curves (Fraser+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, M.; Inserra, C.; Jerkstrand, A.; Kotak, R.; Pignata, G.; Benetti, S.; Botticella, M.-T.; Bufano, F.; Childress, M.; Mattila, S.; Pastorello, A.; Smartt, S. J.; Turatto, M.; Yuan, F.; Anderson, J. P.; Bayliss, D. D. R.; Bauer, F. E.; Chen, T.-W.; Forster Buron, F.; Gal-Yam, A.; Haislip, J. B.; Knapic, C.; Le Guillou, L.; Marchi, S.; Mazzali, P.; Molinaro, M.; Moore, J. P.; Reichart, D.; Smareglia, R.; Smith, K. W.; Sternberg, A.; Sullivan, M.; Takats, K.; Tucker, B. E.; Valenti, S.; Yaron, O.; Young, D. R.; Zhou, G.

2014-11-01

Optical spectroscopic follow-up of SN 2009ip was chiefly obtained with the New Technology Telescope (NTT) + ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera 2 (EFOSC2), as part of the Public European Southern Observatory (ESO) Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects (PESSTO). The PESSTO data were supplemented with data from the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) + Device Optimized for the LOw RESolution (DOLORES), and the Australian National University (ANU) 2.3m telescope + Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS). (3 data files).

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.

A Picture-perfect Pure-disc Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-02-01

The bright galaxy NGC 3621, captured here using the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, appears to be a fine example of a classical spiral. But it is in fact rather unusual: it does not have a central bulge and is therefore described as a pure-disc galaxy. NGC 3621 is a spiral galaxy about 22 million light-years away in the constellation of Hydra (The Sea Snake). It is comparatively bright and can be seen well in moderate-sized telescopes. This picture was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. The data were selected from the ESO archive by Joe DePasquale as part of the Hidden Treasures competition [1]. Joe's picture of NGC 3621 was ranked fifth in the competition. This galaxy has a flat pancake shape, indicating that it hasn't yet come face to face with another galaxy as such a galactic collision would have disturbed the thin disc of stars, creating a small bulge in its centre. Most astronomers think that galaxies grow by merging with other galaxies, in a process called hierarchical galaxy formation. Over time, this should create large bulges in the centres of spirals. Recent research, however, has suggested that bulgeless, or pure-disc, spiral galaxies like NGC 3621 are actually fairly common. This galaxy is of further interest to astronomers because its relative proximity allows them to study a wide range of astronomical objects within it, including stellar nurseries, dust clouds, and pulsating stars called Cepheid variables, which astronomers use as distance markers in the Universe [2]. In the late 1990s, NGC 3621 was one of 18 galaxies selected for a Key Project of the Hubble Space Telescope: to observe Cepheid variables and measure the rate of expansion of the Universe to a higher accuracy than had been possible before. In the successful project, 69 Cepheid variables were observed in this galaxy alone. Multiple monochrome images taken through

Orbit Refinement of Asteroids and Comets Using a Robotic Telescope Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lantz Caughey, Austin; Brown, Johnny; Puckett, Andrew W.; Hoette, Vivian L.; Johnson, Michael; McCarty, Cameron B.; Whitmore, Kevin; UNC-Chapel Hill SKYNET Team

2016-01-01

We report on a multi-semester project to refine the orbits of asteroids and comets in our Solar System. One of the newest fields of research for undergraduate Astrophysics students at Columbus State University is that of asteroid astrometry. By measuring the positions of an asteroid in a set of images, we can reduce the overall uncertainty in the accepted orbital parameters of that object. These measurements, using our WestRock Observatory (WRO) and several other telescopes around the world, are being published through the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and benefit the global community.Three different methods are used to obtain these observations. First, we use our own 24-inch telescope at WRO, located in at CSU's Coca-Cola Space Science Center in downtown Columbus, Georgia . Second, we have access to data from the 20-inch telescope at Stone Edge Observatory in El Verano, California. Finally, we may request images remotely using Skynet, an online worldwide network of robotic telescopes. Our primary and long-time collaborator on Skynet has been the "41-inch" reflecting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Thus far, we have used these various telescopes to refine the orbits of more than 15 asteroids and comets. We have also confirmed the resulting reduction in orbit-model uncertainties using Monte Carlo simulations and orbit visualizations, using Find_Orb and OrbitMaster software, respectively.Before any observatory site can be used for official orbit refinement projects, it must first become a trusted source of astrometry data for the MPC. We have therefore obtained Observatory Codes not only for our own WestRock Observatory (W22), but also for 3 Skynet telescopes that we may use in the future: Dark Sky Observatory in Boone, North Carolina (W38) Hume Observatory in Santa Rosa, California (U54) and Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory in Athabasca, Alberta, Canada (U96).

The Gaia-ESO Survey. Mg-Al anti-correlation in iDR4 globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pancino, E.; Romano, D.; Tang, B.; Tautvaišienė, G.; Casey, A. R.; Gruyters, P.; Geisler, D.; San Roman, I.; Randich, S.; Alfaro, E. J.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Korn, A. J.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Smiljanic, R.; Carraro, G.; Bayo, A.; Costado, M. T.; Damiani, F.; Jofré, P.; Lardo, C.; de Laverny, P.; Monaco, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Sbordone, L.; Sousa, S. G.; Villanova, S.

2017-05-01

We use Gaia-ESO (GES) Survey iDR4 data to explore the Mg-Al anti-correlation in globular clusters that were observed as calibrators, as a demonstration of the quality of Gaia-ESO Survey data and analysis. The results compare well with the available literature, within 0.1 dex or less, after a small (compared to the internal spreads) offset between the UVES and GIRAFFE data of 0.10-0.15 dex was taken into account. In particular, for the first time we present data for NGC 5927, which is one of the most metal-rich globular clusters studied in the literature so far with [ Fe / H ] = - 0.39 ± 0.04 dex; this cluster was included to connect with the open cluster regime in the Gaia-ESO Survey internal calibration. The extent and shape of the Mg-Al anti-correlation provide strong constraints on the multiple population phenomenon in globular clusters. In particular, we studied the dependency of the Mg-Al anti-correlation extension with metallicity, present-day mass,and age of the clusters, using GES data in combination with a large set of homogenized literature measurements.We find a dependency with both metallicity and mass, which is evident when fitting for the two parameters simultaneously, but we do not find significant dependency with age. We confirm that the Mg-Al anti-correlation is not seen in all clusters, but disappears for the less massive or most metal-rich clusters. We also use our data set to see whether a normal anti-correlation would explain the low [Mg/α] observed in some extragalactic globular clusters, but find that none of the clusters in our sample can reproduce it; a more extreme chemical composition, such as that of NGC 2419, would be required. We conclude that GES iDR4 data already meet the requirements set by the main survey goals and can be used to study globular clusters in detail, even if the analysis procedures were not specifically designed for them. Based on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal

PESSTO: The Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smartt, S. J.; Valenti, S.; Fraser, M.; Inserra, C.; Young, D. R.; Sullivan, M.; Benetti, S.; Gal-Yam, A.; Knapic, C.; Molinaro, M.; Pastorello, A.; Smareglia, R.; Smith, K. W.; Taubenberger, S.; Yaron, O.

2013-12-01

PESSTO, which began in April 2012 as one of two ESO public spectroscopic surveys, uses the EFOSC2 and SOFI instruments on the New Technology Telescope during ten nights a month for nine months of the year. Transients for PESSTO follow-up are provided by dedicated large-field 1-2-metre telescope imaging surveys. In its first year PESSTO classified 263 optical transients, publicly released the reduced spectra within 12 hours of the end of the night and identified 33 supernovae (SNe) for dedicated follow-up campaigns. Nine papers have been published or submitted on the topics of supernova progenitors, the origins of type ia SNe, the uncertain nature of faint optical transients and superluminous supernovae, and a definitive public dataset on a most intriguing supernova, the infamous SN2009ip.

The Superwind Galaxy NGC 4666

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-09-01

The galaxy NGC 4666 takes pride of place at the centre of this new image, made in visible light with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. NGC 4666 is a remarkable galaxy with very vigorous star formation and an unusual "superwind" of out-flowing gas. It had previously been observed in X-rays by the ESA XMM-Newton space telescope, and the image presented here was taken to allow further study of other objects detected in the earlier X-ray observations. The prominent galaxy NGC 4666 in the centre of the picture is a starburst galaxy, about 80 million light-years from Earth, in which particularly intense star formation is taking place. The starburst is thought to be caused by gravitational interactions between NGC 4666 and its neighbouring galaxies, including NGC 4668, visible to the lower left. These interactions often spark vigorous star-formation in the galaxies involved. A combination of supernova explosions and strong winds from massive stars in the starburst region drives a vast flow of gas from the galaxy into space - a so-called "superwind". The superwind is huge in scale, coming from the bright central region of the galaxy and extending for tens of thousands of light-years. As the superwind gas is very hot it emits radiation mostly as X-rays and in the radio part of the spectrum and cannot be seen in visible light images such as the one presented here. This image was made as part of a follow-up to observations made with the ESA XMM-Newton space telescope in X-rays. NGC 4666 was the target of the original XMM-Newton observations, but thanks to the telescope's wide field-of-view many other X-ray sources were also seen in the background. One such serendipitous detection is a faint galaxy cluster seen close to the bottom edge of the image, right of centre. This cluster is much further away from us than NGC 4666, at a distance of about three billion light-years. In order to fully understand the nature of

Expectations Increase as VLT First Light Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-05-01

Two weeks before the moment of "First Light" of Unit Telescope no. 1 of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) , the ESO Team at the Paranal Observatory reports good progress of the preparatory work. The crucial optimization of the world's first, thin 8.2-metre mirror proceeds according to the established plan. It is thus expected that this important event will take place as foreseen, i.e. during the night of May 25-26, 1998 . If no unforeseen obstacles are encountered, the first scientific images will then be presented during a series of near-simultaneous Press Conferences in the ESO member countries on May 27 . The photos will be published on the WWW the same day, together with explanatory texts. In preliminary optical tests at the first VLT Unit Telescope (UT1), the initial adjustment of the active optics system that controls the telescope optics has demonstrated excellent results. In particular, the first tests have verified the fine optical performance of the 8.2-m primary mirror and of the complex control system that maintains the shape of this thin and flexible Zerodur mirror. In short test exposures with the guide probe (the technical device that is used to steer the telescope) - i.e., not yet with the scientific CCD-camera that will be used for the First Light images - the telescope has been following the external seeing provided by the Paranal site. Image quality of better than 0.5 arcsec has been achieved routinely. "We are pleased with the progress and confident that the telescope will live up to the expectations", says Riccardo Giacconi , Director General of ESO. "The team at Paranal is doing a great job." For more details about the various media activities surrounding the VLT First Light event, please consult the First Light homepage. A list of locations, times and contact addresses for the Press Conferences is available on the web. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso

SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simmons, Larry L.

1999-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is the last of the NASA Great Observatories, and a cornerstone of the NASA Origins Missions. The Observatory will include an 85 cm telescope in a unique orbit around the sun. The telescope will be launched at ambient temperature and cooled to 5.5K in space. The science instruments will use large detector arrays that will be background limited, and capable of a broad range of astrophysical investigations. The SIRTF architecture will accommodate up to 5 years of cryogenic space operations. This talk will describe both the scientific and technical capabilities of SIRTF.

Best Practices for Creating an Observatory or Telescope Bibliography from the IAU Commission 5 Working Group on Libraries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagerstrom, J.

2015-04-01

Telescope bibliographies have been used for many years to illustrate the scholarly impact of a particular facility. Often, however, the methods used to create these bibliographies were developed independently and not always shared. As a result, it is often difficult to judge the relative impact among facilities. Best Practices for Creating an Observatory or Telescope Bibliography was developed following discussions at the International Astronomical Union's Commission 5 Working Group on Libraries meeting at the 2012 IAU General Assembly in Beijing. This community-driven document identifies the basic components needed to create a bibliography policy that is transparent and the results of which are intended to be reproducible and retrievable by any entity to within a 5% error rate. This paper will review the details of the document as well as its history, progress, and future.

Euro50: Proposal for a 50 m Optical and Infrared Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardeberg, Arne; Andersen, Torben; Rodriguez Espinosa, Jose Miguel

Staff from Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Lund Observatory, Physics Department and Larmor Research Institute at Galway, and Tuorla Observatory is collaborating on studies for a 50 m optical and infrared telescope. The telescope concepts are based on the work on extremely large telescopes carried out during 1991-2000 at Lund Observatory, and on the experience from the 10.4 m segmented Grantecan telescope presently under construction. The proposed 50 m telescope is a fully adaptive Nasmyth telescope with a Ritchey Chretien configuration. It will have an aspherical, segmented primary mirror with 2 m large segments and a deformable secondary. Adaptive optics will be implemented in several steps. From the beginning, there will be single-conjugate adaptive optics for the K-band. Next, and within the first year of operation, the telescope will have single-conjugate adaptive optics for visible wavelengths. As a third step, and another year of operation, dual-conjugate adaptive optics will be made available for the K-band. The telescope will be housed in a co-rotating enclosure at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory on La Palma. Further studies are in progress aiming at preparation of a proposal during the first half of 2002.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Probes of the inner disk abundance gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, H. R.; Friel, E. D.; Jílková, L.; Magrini, L.; Bragaglia, A.; Vallenari, A.; Tosi, M.; Randich, S.; Donati, P.; Cantat-Gaudin, T.; Sordo, R.; Smiljanic, R.; Overbeek, J. C.; Carraro, G.; Tautvaišienė, G.; San Roman, I.; Villanova, S.; Geisler, D.; Muñoz, C.; Jiménez-Esteban, F.; Tang, B.; Gilmore, G.; Alfaro, E. J.; Bensby, T.; Flaccomio, E.; Koposov, S. E.; Korn, A. J.; Pancino, E.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Casey, A. R.; Costado, M. T.; Franciosini, E.; Heiter, U.; Hill, V.; Hourihane, A.; Lardo, C.; de Laverny, P.; Lewis, J.; Monaco, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Sacco, G. G.; Sousa, S. G.; Worley, C. C.; Zaggia, S.

2016-06-01

Context. The nature of the metallicity gradient inside the solar circle (RGC < 8 kpc) is poorly understood, but studies of Cepheids and a small sample of open clusters suggest that it steepens in the inner disk. Aims: We investigate the metallicity gradient of the inner disk using a sample of inner disk open clusters that is three times larger than has previously been studied in the literature to better characterize the gradient in this part of the disk. Methods: We used the Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) [Fe/H] values and stellar parameters for stars in 12 open clusters in the inner disk from GES-UVES data. Cluster mean [Fe/H] values were determined based on a membership analysis for each cluster. Where necessary, distances and ages to clusters were determined via comparison to theoretical isochrones. Results: The GES open clusters exhibit a radial metallicity gradient of -0.10 ± 0.02 dex kpc-1, consistent with the gradient measured by other literature studies of field red giant stars and open clusters in the range RGC ~ 6-12 kpc. We also measure a trend of increasing [Fe/H] with increasing cluster age, as has also been found in the literature. Conclusions: We find no evidence for a steepening of the inner disk metallicity gradient inside the solar circle as earlier studies indicated. The age-metallicity relation shown by the clusters is consistent with that predicted by chemical evolution models that include the effects of radial migration, but a more detailed comparison between cluster observations and models would be premature. Based on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme ID 188.B-3002 and 193.B-0936. These data products have been processed by the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit (CASU) at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, and by the FLAMES/UVES reduction team at INAF/Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri. These data have been obtained from the Gaia-ESO Survey Data Archive

A virtual reality environment for telescope operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, Luis A.; Villarreal, José L.; Ángeles, Fernando; Bernal, Abel

2010-07-01

Astronomical observatories and telescopes are becoming increasingly large and complex systems, demanding to any potential user the acquirement of great amount of information previous to access them. At present, the most common way to overcome that information is through the implementation of larger graphical user interfaces and computer monitors to increase the display area. Tonantzintla Observatory has a 1-m telescope with a remote observing system. As a step forward in the improvement of the telescope software, we have designed a Virtual Reality (VR) environment that works as an extension of the remote system and allows us to operate the telescope. In this work we explore this alternative technology that is being suggested here as a software platform for the operation of the 1-m telescope.

An innovative telescope control system architecture for SST-GATE telescopes at the CTA Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasola, Gilles; Mignot, Shan; Laporte, Philippe; Abchiche, Abdel; Buchholtz, Gilles; Jégouzo, Isabelle

2014-07-01

SST-GATE (Small Size Telescope - GAmma-ray Telescope Elements) is a 4-metre telescope designed as a prototype for the Small Size Telescopes (SST) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), a major facility for the very high energy gamma-ray astronomy of the next three decades. In this 100-telescope array there will be 70 SSTs, involving a design with an industrial view aiming at long-term service, low maintenance effort and reduced costs. More than a prototype, SST-GATE is also a fully functional telescope that shall be usable by scientists and students at the Observatoire de Meudon for 30 years. The Telescope Control System (TCS) is designed to work either as an element of a large array driven by an array controller or in a stand-alone mode with a remote workstation. Hence it is built to be autonomous with versatile interfacing; as an example, pointing and tracking —the main functions of the telescope— are managed onboard, including astronomical transformations, geometrical transformations (e.g. telescope bending model) and drive control. The core hardware is a CompactRIO (cRIO) featuring a real-time operating system and an FPGA. In this paper, we present an overview of the current status of the TCS. We especially focus on three items: the pointing computation implemented in the FPGA of the cRIO —using CORDIC algorithms— since it enables an optimisation of the hardware resources; data flow management based on OPCUA with its specific implementation on the cRIO; and the use of an EtherCAT field-bus for its ability to provide real-time data exchanges with the sensors and actuators distributed throughout the telescope.

The MATISSE analysis of large spectral datasets from the ESO Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worley, C.; de Laverny, P.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Hill, V.; Vernisse, Y.; Ordenovic, C.; Bijaoui, A.

2010-12-01

The automated stellar classification algorithm, MATISSE, has been developed at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA) in order to determine stellar temperatures, gravities and chemical abundances for large datasets of stellar spectra. The Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) has selected MATISSE as one of the key programmes to be used in the analysis of the Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) spectra. MATISSE is currently being used to analyse large datasets of spectra from the ESO archive with the primary goal of producing advanced data products to be made available in the ESO database via the Virtual Observatory. This is also an invaluable opportunity to identify and address issues that can be encountered with the analysis large samples of real spectra prior to the launch of Gaia in 2012. The analysis of the archived spectra of the FEROS spectrograph is currently underway and preliminary results are presented.

TNO Photometry and Spectroscopy at ESO and Calar Alto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehnhardt, H.; Sekiguchi, T.; Vair, M.; Hainaut, O.; Delahodde, C.; West, R. M.; Tozzi, G. P.; Barrera, L.; Birkle, K.; Watanabe, J.; Meech, K.

New photometry and spectroscopy of Transneptunian objects (TNO) has been obtained at ESO (VLT+FORS1, NTT+SOFI) and the Calar Alto (3.5m+MOSCA) observatory. BVRI photometry of more than 10 objects confirms the general colour-colour distribution of TNOs found previously. Quasi-simultaneous spectroscopy in the visible wavelength range of 5 TNOs did not reveal any spectral signature apart from the spetral gradients which are in agreement with the broadband colours. JHK filter photometry of 3 objects indicates that the reddening may only occur in the near-IR at least in some cases. Using new observations from the ESO VLT the lightcurve, colours and spectrum of 1996TO66 are investigated: the rotation period of 6.25h is confirmed, also the change in the lightcurve between 1997 and 1998 which indicates an exceptional behaviour in this object (temporary cometary activity ?). The 1999 photometry and spectroscopy in the visible revealed solar colours, no reddening and no spectral features. V-R colour changes over the rotation phase are not found. This works is done in colaboration with:

NGST telescope aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghibaudo, J.-B.

2017-11-01

This paper is focused on the NGST telescope aspects and presents the main results of the ESA study "NGST Payload Suite and Telescope". The first part summarises the trade-off analyses on optical, mechanical and control telescope concepts, and eventually proposes a baseline design for the telescope. The second part describes the possible European contributions to the NGST telescope : invitations to tender based on the selected telescope design have been sent out to specialised European companies, and the results have been reported as well as the identified critical areas and needed associated developments. Alcatel is well known in the field of cryogenic optics through the realisation of the Infrared Space Observatory, and in the field of high resolution telescopes, notably in the framework of military programmes.

A New Observatory for Eastern College: A Dream Realized

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradstreet, D. H.

1996-12-01

The Eastern College Observatory began as a rooftop observing deck with one Celestron 8 telescope in 1976 as the workhorse instrument of the observational astronomy lab within the core curriculum. For 20 years the observing deck served as the crude observatory, being augmented through the years by other computerized Celestron 8's and a 17.5" diameter Dobsonian with computerized setting circles. The lab consisted primarily of visual observations and astrophotography. In 1987 plans were set into motion to raise money to build a permanent Observatory on the roof of the main classroom building. Fundraising efforts included three Jog-A-Thons (raising more than $40,000) and many donations from individuals and foundations. The fundraising was completed in 1996 and a two telescope observatory was constructed in the summer of 1996 complete with warm room, CCD cameras, computers, spectrograph, video network, and computerized single channel photometer. The telescopes are computerized 16" diameter Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrains, each coupled to Gateway Pentium Pro 200 MHz computers. SBIG ST-8 CCD cameras were also secured for each telescope and an Optec SSP-7 photometer and Optomechanics Research 10C Spectrograph were also purchased. A Daystar H-alpha solar filter and Thousand Oaks visual light solar filter have expanded the Observatory's functionality to daytime observing as well. This is especially useful for the thousands of school children who frequent the Planetarium each year. The Observatory primarily serves the core astronomy lab where students must observe and photograph a prescribed number of celestial objects in a semester. Advanced students can take directed studies where they conduct photometry on eclipsing binaries or other variable stars or search for new asteroids. In addition, the Observatory and Planetarium are open to the public. Interested members of the community can reserve time on the telescopes and receive training and supervision from lab assistants

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.

Report on the ''ESO Python Boot Camp — Pilot Version''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, B.; Milli, J.

2017-03-01

The Python programming language is becoming very popular within the astronomical community. Python is a high-level language with multiple applications including database management, handling FITS images and tables, statistical analysis, and more advanced topics. Python is a very powerful tool both for astronomical publications and for observatory operations. Since the best way to learn a new programming language is through practice, we therefore organised a two-day hands-on workshop to share expertise among ESO colleagues. We report here the outcome and feedback from this pilot event.

Software engineering for ESO's VLT project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippi, G.

1994-12-01

This paper reports on the experience at the European Southern Observatory on the application of software engineering techniques to a 200 man-year control software project for the Very Large Telescope (VLT). This shall provide astronomers, before the end of the century, with one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. From the definition of the general model, described in the software management plan, specific activities have been and will be defined: standards for documents and for code development, design approach using a CASE tool, the process of reviewing both documentation and code, quality assurance, test strategy, etc. The initial choices, the current implementation and the future planned activities are presented and, where feedback is already available, pros and cons are discussed.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, Lee D.

2004-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) is a segmented, cryogenic telescope scheduled for launch in 2011. In September of 2002, NASA selected prime contractor Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST) to build the observatory including management of the OTE. NGST is teamed with subcontractors Ball Aerospace, Alliant Techsystems (ATK). and Kodak. The team has completed several significant design, technology, architecture definition, and manufacturing milestones in the past year that are summarized in this paper.

The gamma-ray observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

An overview is given of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission. Detection of gamma rays and gamma ray sources, operations using the Space Shuttle, and instruments aboard the GRO, including the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), and the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) are among the topics surveyed.

Autonomous Dome for a Robotic Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A.; Sengupta, A.; Ganesh, S.

2016-12-01

The Physical Research Laboratory operates a 50 cm robotic observatory at Mount Abu (Rajsthan, India). This Automated Telescope for Variability Studies (ATVS) makes use of the Remote Telescope System 2 (RTS2) for autonomous operations. The observatory uses a 3.5 m dome from Sirius Observatories. We have developed electronics using Arduino electronic circuit boards with home grown logic and software to control the dome operations. We are in the process of completing the drivers to link our Arduino based dome controller with RTS2. This document is a short description of the various phases of the development and their integration to achieve the required objective.

ASASSN-18gq: Discovery of A Low-Luminosity Transient Towards Very Nearby ( 3.4 Mpc) Galaxy ESO 325- G?011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholls, B.; Brimacombe, J.; Vallely, P.; Dong, Subo; Stanek, K. Z.; Kochanek, C. S.; Brown, J. S.; Shields, J.; Thompson, T. A.; Shappee, B. J.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Prieto, J. L.; Bersier, D.; Bose, S.; Chen, Ping; Stritzinger, M.; Holmbo, S.

2018-04-01

During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014), using data from the quadruple 14-cm "Payne-Gaposchkin" telescope in Sutherland, South Africa, and the quadruple 14-cm "Cassius" and "Paczynski" telescopes in Cerro Tololo, Chile, we discovered a new transient source, most likely a supernova, in the low surface brightness galaxy ESO 325- G?011.

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.

A new mix of power for the ESO installations in Chile: greener, more reliable, cheaper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippi, G.; Tamai, R.; Kalaitzoglou, D.; Wild, W.; Delorme, A.; Rioseco, D.

2016-07-01

The highest sky quality demands for astronomical research impose to locate observatories often in areas not easily reached by the existing power infrastructures. At the same time, availability and cost of power is a primary factor for sustainable operations. Power may also be a potential source for CO2 pollution. As part of its green initiatives, ESO is in the process of replacing the power sources for its own, La Silla and Paranal-Armazones, and shared, ALMA, installations in Chile in order to provide them with more reliable, affordable, and smaller CO2 footprint power solutions. The connectivity to the Chilean interconnected power systems (grid) which is to extensively use Non-Conventional Renewable Energy (NCRE) as well as the use of less polluting fuels wherever self-generation cannot be avoided are key building blocks for the solutions selected for every site. In addition, considerations such as the environmental impact and - if required - the partnership with other entities have also to be taken into account. After years of preparatory work to which the Chilean Authorities provided great help and support, ESO has now launched an articulated program to upgrade the existing agreements/facilities in i) the La Silla Observatory, from free to regulated grid client status due to an agreement with a Solar Farm private initiative, in ii) the Paranal-Armazones Observatory, from local generation using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to connection to the grid which is to extensively use NCRE, and last but not least, in iii) the ALMA Observatory where ESO participates together with North American and East Asian partners, from replacing the LPG as fuel for the turbine local generation system with the use of less polluting natural gas (NG) supplied by a pipe connection to eliminate the pollution caused by the LPG trucks (currently 1 LPG truck from the VIII region, Bio Bio, to the II region, ALMA and back every day, for a total of 3000km). The technologies used and the status

Ambitious Survey Spots Stellar Nurseries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-08-01

Astronomers scanning the skies as part of ESO's VISTA Magellanic Cloud survey have now obtained a spectacular picture of the Tarantula Nebula in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. This panoramic near-infrared view captures the nebula itself in great detail as well as the rich surrounding area of sky. The image was obtained at the start of a very ambitious survey of our neighbouring galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, and their environment. The leader of the survey team, Maria-Rosa Cioni (University of Hertfordshire, UK) explains: "This view is of one of the most important regions of star formation in the local Universe - the spectacular 30 Doradus star-forming region, also called the Tarantula Nebula. At its core is a large cluster of stars called RMC 136, in which some of the most massive stars known are located." ESO's VISTA telescope [1] is a new survey telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile (eso0949). VISTA is equipped with a huge camera that detects light in the near-infrared part of the spectrum, revealing a wealth of detail about astronomical objects that gives us insight into the inner workings of astronomical phenomena. Near-infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light and so we cannot see it directly for ourselves, but it can pass through much of the dust that would normally obscure our view. This makes it particularly useful for studying objects such as young stars that are still enshrouded in the gas and dust clouds from which they formed. Another powerful aspect of VISTA is the large area of the sky that its camera can capture in each shot. This image is the latest view from the VISTA Magellanic Cloud Survey (VMC). The project will scan a vast area - 184 square degrees of the sky (corresponding to almost one thousand times the apparent area of the full Moon) including our neighbouring galaxies the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The end result will be a detailed study of the star formation history and three

Gender Systematics in Telescope Time Allocation at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patat, F.

2016-09-01

The results of a comprehensive statistical analysis of gender systematics in the time allocation process at ESO are presented. The sample on which the study is based includes more than 13 000 Normal and Short proposals, submitted by about 3000 principal investigators (PI) over eight years. The genders of PIs, and of the panel members of the Observing Programmes Committee (OPC), were used, together with their career level, to analyse the grade distributions and the proposal success rates. Proposals submitted by female PIs show a significantly lower probability of being allocated time. The proposal success rates (defined as number of top ranked runs over requested runs) are 16.0 ± 0.6% and 22.0 ± 0.4% for females and males, respectively. To a significant extent the disparity is related to different input distributions in terms of career level. The seniority of male PIs is significantly higher than that of female PIs, with only 34% of the female PIs being professionally employed astronomers (compared to 53% for male PIs). A small, but statistically significant, gender-dependent behaviour is measured for the OPC referees: both genders show the same systematics, but they are larger for males than females. The PI female/male fraction is very close to 30/70; although far from parity, the fraction is higher than that observed, for instance, among IAU membership.

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.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Space telescope RM project. V. NGC5548 sp. monitoring (Pei+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, L.; Fausnaugh, M. M.; Barth, A. J.; Peterson, B. M.; Bentz, M. C.; De Rosa, G.; Denney, K. D.; Goad, M. R.; Kochanek, C. S.; Korista, K. T.; Kriss, G. A.; Pogge, R. W.; Bennert, V. N.; Brotherton, M.; Clubb, K. I.; Dalla Bonta, E.; Filippenko, A. V.; Greene, J. E.; Grier, C. J.; Vestergaard, M.; Zheng, W.; Adams, S. M.; Beatty, T. G.; Bigley, A.; Brown, J. E.; Brown, J. S.; Canalizo, G.; Comerford, J. M.; Coker, C. T.; Corsini, E. M.; Croft, S.; Croxall, K. V.; Deason, A. J.; Eracleous, M.; Fox, O. D.; Gates, E. L.; Henderson, C. B.; Holmbeck, E.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Jensen, J. J.; Johnson, C. A.; Kelly, P. L.; Kim, S.; King, A.; Lau, M. W.; Li, M.; Lochhaas, C.; Ma, Z.; Manne-Nicholas, E. R.; Mauerhan, J. C.; Malkan, M. A.; McGurk, R.; Morelli, L.; Mosquera, A.; Mudd, D.; Sanchez, F. M.; Nguyen, M. L.; Ochner, P.; Ou-Yang, B.; Pancoast, A.; Penny, M. T.; Pizzella, A.; Poleski, R.; Runnoe, J.; Scott, B.; Schimoia, J. S.; Shappee, B. J.; Shivvers, I.; Simonian, G. V.; Siviero, A.; Somers, G.; Stevens, D. J.; Strauss, M. A.; Tayar, J.; Tejos, N.; Treu, T.; van Saders, J.; Vican, L.; Villanueva, S.; Yuk, H.; Zakamska, N. L.; Zhu, W.; Anderson, M. D.; Arevalo, P.; Bazhaw, C.; Bisogni, S.; Borman, G. A.; Bottorff, M. C.; Brandt, W. N.; Breeveld, A. A.; Cackett, E. M.; Carini, M. T.; Crenshaw, D. M.; de Lorenzo-Caceres, A.; Dietrich, M.; Edelson, R.; Efimova, N. V.; Ely, J.; Evans, P. A.; Ferland, G. J.; Flatland, K.; Gehrels, N.; Geier, S.; Gelbord, J. M.; Grupe, D.; Gupta, A.; Hall, P. B.; Hicks, S.; Horenstein, D.; Horne, K.; Hutchison, T.; Im, M.; Joner, M. D.; Jones, J.; Kaastra, J.; Kaspi, S.; Kelly, B. C.; Kennea, J. A.; Kim, M.; Kim, S. C.; Klimanov, S. A.; Lee, J. C.; Leonard, D. C.; Lira, P.; Macinnis, F.; Mathur, S.; McHardy, I. M.; Montouri, C.; Musso, R.; Nazarov, S. V.; Netzer, H.; Norris, R. P.; Nousek, J. A.; Okhmat, D. N.; Papadakis, I.; Parks, J. R.; Pott, J.-U.; Rafter, S. E.; Rix, H.-W.; Saylor, D. A.; Schnulle, K.; Sergeev, S. G.; Siegel, M.; Skielboe, A.; Spencer, M.; Starkey, D.; Sung, H.-I.; Teems, K. G.; Turner, C. S.; Uttley, P.; Villforth, C.; Weiss, Y.; Woo, J.-H.; Yan, H.; Young, S.; Zu, Y.

2017-10-01

Spectroscopic data were obtained from five telescopes: the McGraw-Hill 1.3m telescope at the MDM Observatory (4225-5775Å; median S/N=118), the Shane 3m telescope at the Lick Observatory (Kast Double Spectrograph: 3250-7920Å; median S/N=194), the 1.22m Galileo telescope at the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory (3250-7920Å; median S/N=160), the 3.5m telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO; Dual Imaging Spectrograph: 4180-5400Å, median S/N =160), and the 2.3m telescope at the Wyoming Infrared Observatory (WIRO; 5599-4399Å; median S/N=217). The optical spectroscopic monitoring targeting NGC 5548 began on 2014 January 4 and continued through 2014 July 6 with approximately daily cadence. MDM contributed the largest number of spectra with 143 epochs. (1 data file).

ALMA Partners Break Ground on World's Largest Millimeter Wavelength Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-11-01

Scientists and dignitaries from North America, Europe, and Chile broke ground today (Thursday, November 6, 2003) on what will be the world's largest, most sensitive radio telescope operating at millimeter wavelengths. ALMA - the Atacama Large Millimeter Array - will be a single instrument composed of 64 high-precision antennas located on the Chajnantor plain of the Chilean Andes in the District of San Pedro de Atacama, 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level. ALMA's primary function will be to observe and image with unprecedented clarity the enigmatic cold regions of the Universe, which are optically dark, yet shine brightly in the millimeter portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. ALMA Array Artist's Conception of ALMA Array in Compact Configuration (Click on Image for Larger Version) Other Images Available: Artist's conception of the antennas for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array Moonrise over ALMA test equipment near Cerro Chajnantor, Chile VertexRSI antenna at the VLA test site The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is an international astronomy facility. ALMA is an equal partnership between Europe and North America, in cooperation with the Republic of Chile, and is funded in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and in Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Spain. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and on behalf of Europe by ESO. "The U.S. National Science Foundation joins today with our North American partner, Canada, and with the European Southern Observatory, Spain, and Chile to prepare for a spectacular new instrument," said Dr. Rita Colwell, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation. "The Atacama Large Millimeter Array will expand our vision of the Universe with "eyes" that pierce the shrouded mantles of

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.

Astro-1 Image Taken by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This is a presentation of two comparison images of the Spiral Galaxy M81 in the constellation URA Major. The galaxy is about 12-million light years from Earth. The left image is the Spiral Galaxy M81 as photographed by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the Astro-1 Mission (STS-35) on December 9, 1990. This UIT photograph, made with ultraviolet light, reveals regions where new stars are forming at a rapid rate. The right image is a photograph of the same galaxy in red light made with a 36-inch (0.9-meter) telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Three instruments made up the Astro Observatory: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE). The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the Astro-1 mission. The Astro-1 Observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Variables in Centaurus field F170 (Pietrukowicz+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrukowicz, P.; Minniti, D.; Alonso-Garcia; J.; Hempel, M.

2011-10-01

VJHKs photometry of stars in two VIMOS disc fields: F167 and F170. Data table with 333 variables detected in the field F170 in Centaurus. The optical observations were taken with the 8.2-m Unit Telescope 3 + VIMOS imager with a scale of 0.205"/pix at ESO Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory. Date of the observations: Apr 11-12, 2005. The infrared observations were obtained with the 4.1-m VISTA telescope + VIRCAM with a scale of 0.34"/pix also at Paranal Observatory. Date of the observations: Mar-Apr 2010. (4 data files).

Calibration strategies for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaug, Markus; Berge, David; Daniel, Michael; Doro, Michele; Förster, Andreas; Hofmann, Werner; Maccarone, Maria C.; Parsons, Dan; de los Reyes Lopez, Raquel; van Eldik, Christopher

2014-08-01

The Central Calibration Facilities workpackage of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory for very high energy gamma ray astronomy defines the overall calibration strategy of the array, develops dedicated hardware and software for the overall array calibration and coordinates the calibration efforts of the different telescopes. The latter include LED-based light pulsers, and various methods and instruments to achieve a calibration of the overall optical throughput. On the array level, methods for the inter-telescope calibration and the absolute calibration of the entire observatory are being developed. Additionally, the atmosphere above the telescopes, used as a calorimeter, will be monitored constantly with state-of-the-art instruments to obtain a full molecular and aerosol profile up to the stratosphere. The aim is to provide a maximal uncertainty of 10% on the reconstructed energy-scale, obtained through various independent methods. Different types of LIDAR in combination with all-sky-cameras will provide the observatory with an online, intelligent scheduling system, which, if the sky is partially covered by clouds, gives preference to sources observable under good atmospheric conditions. Wide-field optical telescopes and Raman Lidars will provide online information about the height-resolved atmospheric extinction, throughout the field-of-view of the cameras, allowing for the correction of the reconstructed energy of each gamma-ray event. The aim is to maximize the duty cycle of the observatory, in terms of usable data, while reducing the dead time introduced by calibration activities to an absolute minimum.

“An Instrument for the Frontiers of Modern Astronomy”: An Exhibit for the Harlan J. Smith 2.7-m Telescope Lobby at McDonald Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, Sandra; Cianciolo, F.; Jones, T.; Wetzel, M.; Mace, K.; Barrick, R.; Kelton, P.; Cochran, A.; Johnson, R.

2007-05-01

Of the 100,000 visitors that come to McDonald Observatory each year, about half of them visit the Harlan J. Smith 2.7-m Telescope. Visitors experience the 2.7-m telescope as part of a guided tour, a self-guided tour, and during the once-a-month special viewing nights, that are unique to a telescope this size. Recent safety requirements limiting visitor access to the dome-floor level and a need to modernize out-of-date displays in the 2.7-m lobby area, motivated us to do this new exhibit. A planning team consisting of McDonald Observatory personnel from Outreach & Education, Physical Plant, and Administration came together via videoconferences (between Austin and Fort Davis) to develop an exhibit for the lobby area of this telescope. As the planning process unfolded, the team determined that a mix of static displays and modern technology such as flat panel displays and DVD video were key to presenting the history of the facility, introducing basic concepts about the telescope and current research, as well as giving virtual access to the dome floor for visitors on the self-guided tour. This approach also allows for content development and much of production to be done in-house, which was important from both a cost and maintenance standpoint. A representative of the Smith family was also consulted throughout the development of the exhibit to insure that the exhibit plan was seen as an acceptable memorial to the late director. The exhibit was installed in January 2007.

World atlas of large optical telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meszaros, S. P.

1979-01-01

By 1980 there will be approximately 100 large optical telescopes in the world with mirror or lens diameters of one meter (39 inches) and larger. This atlas gives information on these telescopes and shows their locations on continent-sized maps. Observatory locations considered suitable for the construction of future large telescopes are also shown.

In-Flight Calibration of the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esposito, J. A.; Bertsch, D. L.; Chen, A. W.; Dingus, B. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.; Kniffen, D. A.; Lin, Y. C.;

Becoming reality: the SOFIA telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krabbe, Alfred

2003-02-01

After 4.5 years of development, the telescope of the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA is becoming reality. The telescope module was delivered at the end of August 2002 from Germany to Waco/Texas, where the integration into the aircraft will begin in fall 2002. Here I present a progress report and describe the recent achievements as well as the status of the telescope.

Automated telescope for variability studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganesh, S.; Baliyan, K. S.; Chandra, S.; Joshi, U. C.; Kalyaan, A.; Mathur, S. N.

PRL has installed a 50 cm telescope at Mt Abu, Gurushikhar. The backend instrument consists of a 1K × 1K EMCCD camera with standard UBVRI filters and also has polarization measurement capability using a second filter wheel with polaroid sheets oriented at different position angles. This 50 cm telescope observatory is operated in a robotic mode with different methods of scheduling of the objects being observed. This includes batch mode, fully manual as well as fully autonomous mode of operation. Linux based command line as well as GUI software are used entirely in this observatory. This talk will present the details of the telescope and associated instruments and auxiliary facilities for weather monitoring that were developed in house to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the telescope. The facility has been in use for a couple of years now and various objects have been observed. Some of the interesting results will also be presented.

Double Engine for a Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-08-01

ESO has just released a stunning new image of a field of stars towards the constellation of Carina (the Keel). This striking view is ablaze with a flurry of stars of all colours and brightnesses, some of which are seen against a backdrop of clouds of dust and gas. One unusual star in the middle, HD 87643, has been extensively studied with several ESO telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Surrounded by a complex, extended nebula that is the result of previous violent ejections, the star has been shown to have a companion. Interactions in this double system, surrounded by a dusty disc, may be the engine fuelling the star's remarkable nebula. The new image, showing a very rich field of stars towards the Carina arm of the Milky Way, is centred on the star HD 87643, a member of the exotic class of B[e] stars [1]. It is part of a set of observations that provide astronomers with the best ever picture of a B[e] star. The image was obtained with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the 2400-metre-high La Silla Observatory in Chile. The image shows beautifully the extended nebula of gas and dust that reflects the light from the star. The central star's wind appears to have shaped the nebula, leaving bright, ragged tendrils of gas and dust. A careful investigation of these features seems to indicate that there are regular ejections of matter from the star every 15 to 50 years. A team of astronomers, led by Florentin Millour, has studied the star HD 87643 in great detail, using several of ESO's telescopes. Apart from the WFI, the team also used ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal. At the VLT, the astronomers used the NACO adaptive optics instrument, allowing them to obtain an image of the star free from the blurring effect of the atmosphere. To probe the object further, the team then obtained an image with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). The sheer range of this set of observations

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.

STK: A new CCD camera at the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugrauer, M.; Berthold, T.

2010-04-01

The Schmidt-Teleskop-Kamera (STK) is a new CCD-imager, which is operated since begin of 2009 at the University Observatory Jena. This article describes the main characteristics of the new camera. The properties of the STK detector, the astrometry and image quality of the STK, as well as its detection limits at the 0.9 m telescope of the University Observatory Jena 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.

Astrophysical Research Consortium Telescope Imaging Camera (ARCTIC) facility optical imager for the Apache Point Observatory 3.5m telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huehnerhoff, Joseph; Ketzeback, William; Bradley, Alaina; Dembicky, Jack; Doughty, Caitlin; Hawley, Suzanne; Johnson, Courtney; Klaene, Mark; Leon, Ed; McMillan, Russet; Owen, Russell; Sayres, Conor; Sheen, Tyler; Shugart, Alysha

2016-08-01

The Astrophysical Research Consortium Telescope Imaging Camera, ARCTIC, is a new optical imaging camera now in use at the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) 3.5m telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO). As a facility instrument, the design criteria broadly encompassed many current and future science opportunities, and the components were built for quick repair or replacement, to minimize down-time. Examples include a quick change shutter, filter drive components accessible from the exterior and redundant amplifiers on the detector. The detector is a Semiconductor Technology Associates (STA) device with several key properties (e.g. high quantum efficiency, low read-noise, quick readout, minimal fringing, operational bandpass 350-950nm). Focal reducing optics (f/10.3 to f/8.0) were built to control aberrations over a 7.8'x7.8' field, with a plate scale of 0.11" per 0.15 micron pixel. The instrument body and dewar were designed to be simple and robust with only two components to the structure forward of the dewar, which in turn has minimal feedthroughs and permeation areas and holds a vacuum <10-8 Torr. A custom shutter was also designed, using pneumatics as the driving force. This device provides exceptional performance and reduces heat near the optical path. Measured performance is repeatable at the 2ms level and offers field uniformity to the same level of precision. The ARCTIC facility imager will provide excellent science capability with robust operation and minimal maintenance for the next decade or more at APO.

The Space-Age Legacy of Telescope Designer George A. Carroll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggs, John W.

2013-01-01

Remembered particularly as a founding member of Stony Ridge Observatory near Mount Wilson, George A. Carroll (1902-1987) was legendary in the Southern California telescope making community. In Texas at the age of sixteen, Carroll built and flew his own aircraft, becoming one of the youngest aviators in the country. He eventually became an employee of Lockheed's "Skunk Works" in Burbank. His earliest known commercial telescopes were high-end amateur instruments built by R. R. Cook. As described in a brochure describing his later telescope work, he had "experience in so many branches of technology that it is unbelievable." By the time Carroll's designs were built by Thomas Tool & Die in Sun Valley, his telescopes were well known in the solar community and in use at National Solar Observatory, Caltech, and at many other domestic and international research institutions. Among the most remarkable were large solar spars for Lockheed Solar Observatory in California and Ottawa River Solar Observatory in Canada. His instrumentation also equipped educational facilities including observatories at UCLA, Westmont College, Pasadena City College, Bevard Community College, and many others. A Carroll telescope boasting a particularly distinguished educational history was a small astrograph built in 1953 for Professor George Moyen of Hollywood and subsequently used for the long-running Summer Science Program in Ojai, California. Later solar instruments built by Carson Instruments were closely derivative of Carroll designs.

Philippe Busquin Visits Paranal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-07-01

The European Commissioner for Research, Mr. Philippe Busquin, who is currently visiting the Republic of Chile, arrived at the ESO Paranal Observatory on Tuesday afternoon, July 29, 2003. The Commissioner was accompanied, among others, by the EU Ambassador to Chile, Mr. Wolfgang Plasa, and Ms. Christina Lazo, Executive Director of the Chilean Science and Technology Agency (CONICYT). The distinguished visitors were able to acquaint themselves with one of the foremost European research facilities, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT), during an overnight stay at this remote site. Arriving after the long flight from Europe in Antofagasta, capital of the II Chilean region, the Commissioner continued along the desert road to Paranal, some 130 km south of Antofasta and site of the world's largest and most efficient optical/infrared astronomical telescope facility. The high guests were welcomed by the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, and the ESO Representative in Chile, Mr. Daniel Hofstadt, as well as ESO staff members of many nationalities. The visitors were shown the various high-tech installations at the observatory, including many of the large, front-line VLT astronomical instruments that have been built in collaboration between ESO and European research institutes. Explanations were given by ESO astronomers and engineers and the Commissioner gained a good impression of the wide range of exciting research programmes that are carried out with the VLT. Having enjoyed the spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the KUEYEN telescope, one of the four 8.2-m telescopes that form the VLT array, the Commissioner visited the VLT Control Room from where the four 8.2-m Unit Telescopes and the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) are operated. Here, the Commissioner was invited to follow an observing sequence at the console of the KUEYEN telescope. " This is a tribute to the human genius ", commented the Commissioner. " It is an extraordinary contribution to the development

Adaptive Optics for the Thirty Meter Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellerbroek, Brent

2013-12-01

This paper provides an overview of the progress made since the last AO4ELT conference towards developing the first-light AO architecture for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The Preliminary Design of the facility AO system NFIRAOS has been concluded by the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics. Work on the client Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) has progressed in parallel, including a successful Conceptual Design Review and prototyping of On-Instrument WFS (OIWFS) hardware. Progress on the design for the Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) continues at the Institute of Optics and Electronics in Chengdu, China, including the final acceptance of the Conceptual Design and modest revisions for the updated TMT telescope structure. Design and prototyping activities continue for lasers, wavefront sensing detectors, detector readout electronics, real-time control (RTC) processors, and deformable mirrors (DMs) with their associated drive electronics. Highlights include development of a prototype sum frequency guide star laser at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (Beijing); fabrication/test of prototype natural- and laser-guide star wavefront sensor CCDs for NFIRAOS by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and W.M. Keck Observatory; a trade study of RTC control algorithms and processors, with prototyping of GPU and FPGA architectures by TMT and the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory; and fabrication/test of a 6x60 actuator DM prototype by CILAS. Work with the University of British Columbia LIDAR is continuing, in collaboration with ESO, to measure the spatial/temporal variability of the sodium layer and characterize the sodium coupling efficiency of several guide star laser systems. AO performance budgets have been further detailed. Modeling topics receiving particular attention include performance vs. computational cost tradeoffs for RTC algorithms; optimizing performance of the tip/tilt, plate scale, and sodium focus tracking loops controlled by the NGS on

Subaru Telescope Network III (STN-III): more effective, more operation-oriented, and more inexpensive solutions for the observatory's needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noumaru, Junichi; Kawai, Jun A.; Schubert, Kiaina; Yagi, Masafumi; Takata, Tadafumi; Winegar, Tom; Scanlon, Tim; Nishida, Takuhiro; Fox, Camron; Hayasaka, James; Forester, Jason; Uchida, Kenji; Nakamura, Isamu; Tom, Richard; Koura, Norikazu; Yamamoto, Tadahiro; Tanoue, Toshiya; Yamada, Toru

2008-07-01

Subaru Telescope has recently replaced most equipment of Subaru Telescope Network II with the new equipment which includes 124TB of RAID system for data archive. Switching the data storage from tape to RAID enables users to access the data faster. The STN-III dropped some important components of STN-II, such as supercomputers, development & testing subsystem for Subaru Observation Control System, or data processing subsystem. On the other hand, we invested more computers to the remote operation system. Thanks to IT innovations, our LAN as well as the network between Hilo and summit were upgraded to gigabit network at the similar or even reduced cost from the previous system. As the result of the redesigning of the computer system by more focusing on the observatory operation, we greatly reduced the total cost for computer rental, purchase and maintenance.

Reflected Glory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-02-01

The nebula Messier 78 takes centre stage in this image taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, while the stars powering the bright display take a backseat. The brilliant starlight ricochets off dust particles in the nebula, illuminating it with scattered blue light. Igor Chekalin was the overall winner of ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition with his image of this stunning object. Messier 78 is a fine example of a reflection nebula. The ultraviolet radiation from the stars that illuminate it is not intense enough to ionise the gas to make it glow - its dust particles simply reflect the starlight that falls on them. Despite this, Messier 78 can easily be observed with a small telescope, being one of the brightest reflection nebulae in the sky. It lies about 1350 light-years away in the constellation of Orion (The Hunter) and can be found northeast of the easternmost star of Orion's belt. This new image of Messier 78 from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory is based on data selected by Igor Chekalin in his winning entry to the Hidden Treasures competition [1]. The pale blue tint seen in the nebula in this picture is an accurate representation of its dominant colour. Blue hues are commonly seen in reflection nebulae because of the way the starlight is scattered by the tiny dust particles that they contain: the shorter wavelength of blue light is scattered more efficiently than the longer wavelength red light. This image contains many other striking features apart from the glowing nebula. A thick band of obscuring dust stretches across the image from the upper left to the lower right, blocking the light from background stars. In the bottom right corner, many curious pink structures are also visible, which are created by jets of material being ejected from stars that have recently formed and are still buried deep in dust clouds. Two bright stars, HD 38563A and

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.

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.

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

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 Paranal Metamorphosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-12-01

Some years ago, the Paranal mountain was still a remote and inhospitable site, some 12 km from the Pacific Coast in the dry Atacama desert in northern Chile. Few aircraft passengers flying along that coast would notice anything particular about this peak, except perhaps that it was one of the tallest in the steep coastal mountain range. Already in the early 1960's, pioneer astronomers crossed this desolate region in search of suitable sites for future observatories. One of them, Jürgen Stock , did notice the Paranal peak as a possible candidate. However, without any water in this extremely dry area, how could any people, even hardy scientists, ever live up there? He then went on to discover La Silla, where ESO decided to build its first observatory in 1964. ESO presence at Paranal from 1983 In the beginning of the 1980's, when the main construction phase at La Silla was over, ESO launched a thorough search for the best possible site for the next-generation telescope, already then known as the "Very Large Telescope", or VLT. During this campaign, the Paranal mountain was visited by a small search troupe from this organisation, including the ESO Director General (1975 - 1987), Lo Woltjer . The first test measurements indicated a great potential for astronomical observations, both in term of clear nights and low humidity, the latter being particularly important for infrared observations. From 1983, ESO maintained a small site testing station at the top of Paranal. The meteorological conditions were registered around the clock and the atmospheric transparency and stability were recorded each night. At that time, the mountain Vizcachas, a site near ESO's first observatory, La Silla, and some 600 km further south, was also considered a possible site for the VLT. The data from the two sites were therefore carefully compared over a period of several years. Paranal becomes the site for the VLT Following the decision in December 1987 by the ESO Council to embark upon the

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.

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.

The VTIE telescope resource management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busschots, B.; Keating, J. G.

2005-06-01

The VTIE Telescope Resource Management System (TRMS) provides a frame work for managing a distributed group of internet telescopes as a single "Virtual Observatory". The TRMS provides hooks which allow for it to be connected to any Java Based web portal and for a Java based scheduler to be added to it. The TRMS represents each telescope and observatory in the system with a software agent and then allows the scheduler and web portal to communicate with these distributed resources in a simple transparent way, hence allowing the scheduler and portal designers to concentrate only on what they wish to do with these resources rather than how to communicate with them. This paper outlines the structure and implementation of this frame work.

Simulated Guide Stars: Adapting the Robo-AO Telescope Simulator to UH 88”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashcraft, Jaren; Baranec, Christoph

2018-01-01

Robo-AO is an autonomous adaptive optics system that is in development for the UH 88” Telescope on the Mauna Kea Observatory. This system is capable of achieving near diffraction limited imaging for astronomical telescopes, and has seen successful deployment and use at the Palomar and Kitt Peak Observatories previously. A key component of this system, the telescope simulator, will be adapted from the Palomar Observatory design to fit the UH 88” Telescope. The telescope simulator will simulate the exit pupil of the UH 88” telescope so that the greater Robo-AO system can be calibrated before observing runs. The system was designed in Code V, and then further improved upon in Zemax for later development. Alternate design forms were explored for the potential of adapting the telescope simulator to the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, where simulating the exit pupil of the telescope proved to be more problematic. A proposed design composed of solely catalog optics was successfully produced for both telescopes, and they await assembly as time comes to construct the new Robo-AO system.

MSE observatory: a revised and optimized astronomical facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauman, Steven E.; Angers, Mathieu; Benedict, Tom; Crampton, David; Flagey, Nicolas; Gedig, Mike; Green, Greg; Liu, Andy; Lo, David; Loewen, Nathan; McConnachie, Alan; Murowinski, Rick; Racine, René; Salmon, Derrick; Stiemer, Siegfried; Szeto, Kei; Wu, Di

2016-07-01

The Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope Corporation (CFHT) plans to repurpose its observatory on the summit of Maunakea and operate a (60 segment) 11.25m aperture wide field spectroscopic survey telescope, the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE). The prime focus telescope will be equipped with dedicated instrumentation to take advantage of one of the best sites in the northern hemisphere and offer its users the ability to perform large surveys. Central themes of the development plan are reusing and upgrading wherever possible. MSE will reuse the CFHT site and build upon the existing observatory infrastructure, using the same building and telescope pier as CFHT, while minimizing environmental impact on the summit. MSE will require structural support upgrades to the building to meet the latest building seismic code requirements and accommodate a new larger telescope and upgraded enclosure. It will be necessary to replace the current dome since a larger slit opening is needed for a larger telescope. MSE will use a thermal management system to remove heat generated by loads from the building, flush excess heat from lower levels, and maintain the observing environment temperature. This paper describes the design approach for redeveloping the CFHT facility for MSE. Once the project is completed the new facility will be almost indistinguishable on the outside from the current CFHT observatory. Past experience and lessons learned from CFHT staff and the astronomical community will be used to create a modern, optimized, and transformative scientific data collecting machine.

Giant Magellan Telescope

Science.gov Websites

collaborate with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to articulate a community based science program for presentation to the next Decadal Survey of Astronomy and

Nuclei of dwarf spheroidal galaxies KKs 3 and ESO 269-66 and their counterparts in our Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharina, M. E.; Shimansky, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.

2017-10-01

We present the analysis of medium-resolution spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope for nuclear globular clusters (GCs) in two dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). The galaxies have similar star formation histories, but they are situated in completely different environments. ESO 269-66 is a close neighbour of the giant S0 NGC 5128. KKs 3 is one of the few truly isolated dSphs within 10 Mpc. We estimate the helium abundance Y = 0.3, age = 12.6 ± 1 Gyr, [Fe/H] = -1.5, -1.55 ± 0.2 dex, and abundances of C, N, Mg, Ca, Ti, and Cr for the nuclei of ESO 269-66 and KKs 3. Our surface photometry results using Hubble Space Telescope images yield the half-light radius of the cluster in KKs 3, rh = 4.8 ± 0.2 pc. We demonstrate the similarities of medium-resolution spectra, ages, chemical compositions, and structure for GCs in ESO 269-66 and KKs 3 and for several massive Galactic GCs with [Fe/H] ∼ -1.6 dex. All Galactic GCs posses Extended Blue Horizontal Branches and multiple stellar populations. Five of the selected Galactic objects are iron-complex GCs. Our results indicate that the sample GCs observed now in different environments had similar conditions of their formation ∼1 Gyr after the Big Bang.

Processing of Digital Plates1.2m of Baldone Observatory Schmidt Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eglitis, Ilgmars; Andruk, Vitaly

2017-04-01

The aim of this research is to evaluate accuracy of Plate Processing Method and to perform a detailed study of the Epson Expression 10000XL scanner, which was used to digitize plates from the database collection of the 1.2 m Schmidt Telescope installed in the Baldone Observatory. Special software developed in LINUX/MIDAS/ROMAFOT environment was used for processing the scans. Results of the digitized files with grey gradations of 8- and 16-bits were compared; an estimation of the accuracy of the developed method for rectangular coordinates determination and photometry was made. Errors in the instrumental system are ±0.026 pixels and ±0.024m for coordinates and stellar magnitudes respectively. To evaluate the repeatability of the scanner's astrometric and photometric errors, six consecutive scans of one plate were processed with a spatial separation of 1200 dpi. The following error estimations are obtained for stars brighter than U< 13.5m: σxy = ±0.021 to 0.027 pixels and σm = ±0.014m to 0.016m for rectangular coordinates and instrumental stellar magnitudes respectively.

On the Trail of a Cosmic Cat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-01-01

Imager (WFI) instrument at the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, combining images taken through blue, green and red filters, as well as a special filter designed to let through the light of glowing hydrogen. More information ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and VISTA, the world's largest survey telescope. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Results from the energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fichtel, C. E.; Bertsch, D. L.; Dingus, B.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.; Kniffen, D. A.; Kwok, P. W.; Lin, Y. C.; Mattox, J. R.

1993-01-01

The Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) covers the high energy gamma ray energy range, approximately 30 MeV to 30 GeV, with a sensitivity considerably greater than earlier high energy gamma-ray satellites. Thus far, 4 pulsars have been detected and their properties measured, including in 3 cases the energy spectrum as a function of phase. The details of the galactic plane are being mapped and a spectra of the center region has been obtained in good agreement with that expected from cosmic ray interactions. The Magellanic clouds have been examined with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) having been detected at a level consistent with it having a cosmic ray density compatible with quasi-stable equilibrium. Sixteen Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN's) have been seen thus far with a high degree of certainty including 12 quasars and 4 BL Lac objects, but no Seyferts. Time variation has been detected in some of these AGN's

OpenROCS: a software tool to control robotic observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colomé, Josep; Sanz, Josep; Vilardell, Francesc; Ribas, Ignasi; Gil, Pere

2012-09-01

We present the Open Robotic Observatory Control System (OpenROCS), an open source software platform developed for the robotic control of telescopes. It acts as a software infrastructure that executes all the necessary processes to implement responses to the system events that appear in the routine and non-routine operations associated to data-flow and housekeeping control. The OpenROCS software design and implementation provides a high flexibility to be adapted to different observatory configurations and event-action specifications. It is based on an abstract model that is independent of the specific hardware or software and is highly configurable. Interfaces to the system components are defined in a simple manner to achieve this goal. We give a detailed description of the version 2.0 of this software, based on a modular architecture developed in PHP and XML configuration files, and using standard communication protocols to interface with applications for hardware monitoring and control, environment monitoring, scheduling of tasks, image processing and data quality control. We provide two examples of how it is used as the core element of the control system in two robotic observatories: the Joan Oró Telescope at the Montsec Astronomical Observatory (Catalonia, Spain) and the SuperWASP Qatar Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Canary Islands, Spain).

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.

Zooming to the centre of the Milky Way - GigaGalaxy Zoom phase 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-09-01

The second of three images of ESO's GigaGalaxy Zoom project has just been released online. It is a new and wonderful 340-million-pixel vista of the central parts of our home galaxy as seen from ESO's Paranal Observatory with an amateur telescope. This 34 by 20-degree wide image provides us with a view as experienced by amateur astronomers around the world. However, its incredible beauty and appeal owe much to the quality of the observing site and the skills of Stéphane Guisard, the world-renowned astrophotographer, who is also an ESO engineer. This second image directly benefits from the quality of Paranal's sky, one of the best on the planet, where ESO's Very Large Telescope is located. In addition, Guisard has drawn on his professional expertise as an optical engineer specialising in telescopes, a rare combination in the world of astrophotographers. Guisard, as head of the optical engineering team at Paranal, is responsible for ensuring that the Very Large Telescope has the best optical performance possible. To create this stunning, true-colour mosaic of the Galactic Centre region, Guisard assembled about 1200 individual images, totalling more than 200 hours of exposure time, collected over 29 nights, during Guisard's free time, while working during the day at Paranal [1]. The image shows the region spanning the sky from the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer) to Scorpius (the Scorpion). The very colourful Rho Ophiuchi and Antares region is a prominent feature to the right, although much darker areas, such as the Pipe and Snake nebulae also stand out. The dusty lane of our Milky Way runs obliquely through the image, dotted with remarkable bright, reddish nebulae, such as the Lagoon and the Trifid Nebulae, as well as NGC 6357 and NGC 6334. This dark lane also hosts the very centre of our Galaxy, where a supermassive black hole is lurking. "The area I have depicted in this image is an incredibly rich region of the sky, and the one I find most beautiful

Crew of Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission visits Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-01-01

The Hubble Space telescope servicing mission in December (STS-61) was a great success and the fully refurbished orbiting telescope produced absolutely remarkable first results just two weeks ago. The 7-member crew who carried out the mission will soon be in Europe to share their experience with the Press, ESA space specialists and the European space community. Public conferences will also be held in Switzerland, the home country of ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier. The visit of the STS-61 crew is scheduled as follows: Friday 11 February, 1994 - ESA Paris, France Presentation and Press Conference Location: ESA, 8/10 Rue Mario Nikis, 75015 Paris time: 16:00 hrs - 17:30 hrs contact: ESA, Public Relations Office Tel. (+33) 1 42 73 71 55 Fax. (+33) 1 42 73 76 90 Monday 14 February, 1994 - British Aerospace, Bristol, United Kingdom Presentation and Press Conference Location: British Aerospace, FPC 333, Filton, Bristol BS12 7QW time: 10:00 hrs - 12:00 hrs contact: BAe, Public Relations Tel. (+44) 272 36 33 69 Tel. (+44) 272 36 33 68 Tuesday 15 February, 1994 - ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands Presentation and Press Conference Location: Noordwijk Space Expo, Keplerlaan 3, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, the Netherlands time: 09:30 hrs - 12:00 hrs contact: ESTEC Public Relations Office Tel. (+31) 1719 8 3006 Fax. (+31) 1719 17 400 Wednesday 16 February, 1944 - ESO, Garching - Munich, Germany Presentation and Press Conference Location: European Southern Observatory, Karl- Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching -Munich, Germany time: to be decided contact: ESO Information Service Tel. (+49) 89 32 006 276 Fax. (+49) 89 320 23 62 Thursday 17 February, 1994 - Bern, Switzerland a. Presentation and Press Conference Location: Hotel Bern, Zeughausgasse 9, 3001 Bern, Switzerland time: 09:30 hrs contact: Press & Information Service of the Federal Dept. for Education & Sciences Tel. (+41) 31 322 80 34 Fax. (+41) 31 312 30 15 b. Public conference Location: University of Bern, Institute of Physics

NASA's Great Observatories Paper Model Kits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC. Education Dept.

The Hubble Space Telescope, the most complex and sensitive optical telescope ever made, was built to study the cosmos from low-Earth orbit for 10 to 15 years or more. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is a complex spacecraft fitted with four different gamma ray detectors, each of which concentrates on different but overlapping energy range and was…

Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy. VI. A multi-observatory identification campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masetti, N.; Mason, E.; Morelli, L.; Cellone, S. A.; McBride, V. A.; Palazzi, E.; Bassani, L.; Bazzano, A.; Bird, A. J.; Charles, P. A.; Dean, A. J.; Galaz, G.; Gehrels, N.; Landi, R.; Malizia, A.; Minniti, D.; Panessa, F.; Romero, G. E.; Stephen, J. B.; Ubertini, P.; Walter, R.

2008-04-01

Using 8 telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres, plus archival data from two on-line sky surveys, we performed a systematic optical spectroscopic study of 39 putative counterparts of unidentified or poorly studied INTEGRAL sources in order to determine or at least better assess their nature. This was implemented within the framework of our campaign to reveal the nature of newly-discovered and/or unidentified sources detected by INTEGRAL. Our results show that 29 of these objects are active galactic nuclei (13 of which are of Seyfert 1 type, 15 are Seyfert 2 galaxies and one is possibly a BL Lac object) with redshifts between 0.011 and 0.316, 7 are X-ray binaries (5 with high-mass companions and 2 with low-mass secondaries), one is a magnetic cataclysmic variable, one is a symbiotic star and one is possibly an active star. Thus, the large majority (74%) of the identifications in this sample belongs to the AGN class. When possible, the main physical parameters for these hard X-ray sources were also computed using the multiwavelength information available in the literature. These identifications further underscore the importance of INTEGRAL in studying the hard X-ray spectra of all classes of X-ray emitting objects, and the effectiveness of a strategy of multi-catalogue cross-correlation plus optical spectroscopy to securely pinpoint the actual nature of still unidentified hard X-ray sources. Based on observations collected at the following observatories: ESO (La Silla, Chile), partly under program 079.A-0171(A); Astronomical Observatory of Bologna in Loiano (Italy); Astronomical Observatory of Asiago (Italy); Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (Chile); Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (San Juan, Argentina); South African Astronomical Observatory (Sutherland, South Africa); Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Canary Islands, Spain); Anglo-Australian Observatory (Siding Spring, Australia); Apache Point

Invited Review Article: The Chandra X-ray Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Daniel A.

2014-06-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is an orbiting x-ray telescope facility. It is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's four "Great Observatories" that collectively have carried out astronomical observations covering the infrared through gamma-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Chandra is used by astronomers world-wide to acquire imaging and spectroscopic data over a nominal 0.1-10 keV (124-1.24 Å) range. We describe the three major parts of the observatory: the telescope, the spacecraft systems, and the science instruments. This article will emphasize features of the design and development driven by some of the experimental considerations unique to x-ray astronomy. We will update the on-orbit performance and present examples of the scientific highlights.

Invited review article: The Chandra X-ray Observatory.

PubMed

Schwartz, Daniel A

2014-06-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is an orbiting x-ray telescope facility. It is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's four "Great Observatories" that collectively have carried out astronomical observations covering the infrared through gamma-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Chandra is used by astronomers world-wide to acquire imaging and spectroscopic data over a nominal 0.1-10 keV (124-1.24 Å) range. We describe the three major parts of the observatory: the telescope, the spacecraft systems, and the science instruments. This article will emphasize features of the design and development driven by some of the experimental considerations unique to x-ray astronomy. We will update the on-orbit performance and present examples of the scientific highlights.

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.

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).

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.

A Swarm of Ancient Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-12-01

We know of about 150 of the rich collections of old stars called globular clusters that orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way. This sharp new image of Messier 107, captured by the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, displays the structure of one such globular cluster in exquisite detail. Studying these stellar swarms has revealed much about the history of our galaxy and how stars evolve. The globular cluster Messier 107, also known as NGC 6171, is a compact and ancient family of stars that lies about 21 000 light-years away. Messier 107 is a bustling metropolis: thousands of stars in globular clusters like this one are concentrated into a space that is only about twenty times the distance between our Sun and its nearest stellar neighbour, Alpha Centauri, across. A significant number of these stars have already evolved into red giants, one of the last stages of a star's life, and have a yellowish colour in this image. Globular clusters are among the oldest objects in the Universe. And since the stars within a globular cluster formed from the same cloud of interstellar matter at roughly the same time - typically over 10 billion years ago - they are all low-mass stars, as lightweights burn their hydrogen fuel supply much more slowly than stellar behemoths. Globular clusters formed during the earliest stages in the formation of their host galaxies and therefore studying these objects can give significant insights into how galaxies, and their component stars, evolve. Messier 107 has undergone intensive observations, being one of the 160 stellar fields that was selected for the Pre-FLAMES Survey - a preliminary survey conducted between 1999 and 2002 using the 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, to find suitable stars for follow-up observations with the VLT's spectroscopic instrument FLAMES [1]. Using FLAMES, it is possible to observe up to 130 targets at the same time, making it particularly well suited

Shedding Light on the Cosmic Skeleton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-11-01

Astronomers have tracked down a gigantic, previously unknown assembly of galaxies located almost seven billion light-years away from us. The discovery, made possible by combining two of the most powerful ground-based telescopes in the world, is the first observation of such a prominent galaxy structure in the distant Universe, providing further insight into the cosmic web and how it formed. "Matter is not distributed uniformly in the Universe," says Masayuki Tanaka from ESO, who led the new study. "In our cosmic vicinity, stars form in galaxies and galaxies usually form groups and clusters of galaxies. The most widely accepted cosmological theories predict that matter also clumps on a larger scale in the so-called 'cosmic web', in which galaxies, embedded in filaments stretching between voids, create a gigantic wispy structure." These filaments are millions of light years long and constitute the skeleton of the Universe: galaxies gather around them, and immense galaxy clusters form at their intersections, lurking like giant spiders waiting for more matter to digest. Scientists are struggling to determine how they swirl into existence. Although massive filamentary structures have been often observed at relatively small distances from us, solid proof of their existence in the more distant Universe has been lacking until now. The team led by Tanaka discovered a large structure around a distant cluster of galaxies in images they obtained earlier. They have now used two major ground-based telescopes to study this structure in greater detail, measuring the distances from Earth of over 150 galaxies, and, hence, obtaining a three-dimensional view of the structure. The spectroscopic observations were performed using the VIMOS instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope and FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Thanks to these and other observations, the astronomers were able to make a real demographic study of this structure

Observation Report for the Year 2012: Humacao University Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, R.; Cersosimo, J.; Cotto, D.; Rodriguez, R.; Diaz, M.; Rosario, M.; Nieves, Y.; Franco, E.; Lopez, A.; Torres, B.; Vergara, N.; Del Valle, Y.; Ortiz, D.; Espinosa, G.; Reyes, M.; Carromero, O.; Martinez J.

2017-01-01

We report on the measurement of position angle and separation of 93 binary pairs. The data was obtained using the NURO Telescope at the Anderson Mesa location of Lowell Observatory, 20 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona on May and September 2012. 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 by undergraduate students undertaking research projects.

Complementarity of NGST, ALMA, and far IR Space Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mather, John C.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will both start operations long before a new far IR observatory in space can be launched. What will be unknown even after they are operational, and what will a far IR space observatory be able to add? I will compare the telescope design concepts and capabilities and the advertised scientific programs for the projects and attempt to forecast the research topics that will be at the forefront in 2010.

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.

Final binary star results from the ESO VLT Lunar occultations program

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

Richichi, A.; Fors, O.; Cusano, F.

2014-03-01

We report on 13 subarcsecond binaries, detected by means of lunar occultations in the near-infrared at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). They are all first-time detections except for the visual binary HD 158122, which we resolved for the first time in the near-infrared. The primaries have magnitudes in the range K = 4.5-10.0, and companions in the range K = 6.8-11.1. The magnitude differences have a median value of 2.4, with the largest being 4.6. The projected separations are in the range of 4-168 mas, with a median of 13 mas. We discuss and compare our results with themore » available literature. With this paper, we conclude the mining for binary star detections in the 1226 occultations recorded at the VLT with the ISAAC instrument. We expect that the majority of these binaries may be unresolvable by adaptive optics on current telescopes, and they might be challenging for long-baseline interferometry. However, they constitute an interesting sample for future larger telescopes and for astrometric missions such as GAIA.« less

Astronomer's new guide to the galaxy: largest map of cold dust revealed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-07-01

visible from the APEX site on Chajnantor, as well as combining it with infrared observations to be made by the ESA Herschel Space Observatory. We look forward to new discoveries made with these maps, which will also serve as a guide for future observations with ALMA", said Leonardo Testi from ESO, who is a member of the ATLASGAL team and the European Project Scientist for the ALMA project. Note [1] The map was constructed from individual APEX observations in radiation at 870 µm (0.87 mm) wavelength. More information: The ATLASGAL observations are presented in a paper by Frederic Schuller et al., ATLASGAL -- The APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy at 870 µm, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. ATLASGAL is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, ESO, and the University of Chile. LABOCA (Large APEX Bolometer Camera), one of APEX's major instruments, is the world's largest bolometer camera (a "thermometer camera", or thermal camera that measures and maps the tiny changes in temperature that occur when sub-millimetre wavelength light falls on its absorbing surface; see ESO 35/07). LABOCA's large field of view and high sensitivity make it an invaluable tool for imaging the "cold Universe". LABOCA was built by the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope is a 12-metre telescope, located at 5100 m altitude on the arid plateau of Chajnantor in the Chilean Andes. APEX operates at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. This wavelength range is a relatively unexplored frontier in astronomy, requiring advanced detectors and an extremely high and dry observatory site, such as Chajnantor. APEX, the largest submillimetre-wave telescope operating in the southern hemisphere, is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, the Onsala Space Observatory and ESO. Operation of APEX at Chajnantor is entrusted to ESO. APEX is a

Science with ESO's Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Demonstrator - MAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnick, Jorge; Marchetti, Enrico; Amico, Paola

2012-07-01

ESO's Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Demonstrator (MAD) was a prototype designed and built to demonstrate wide-field adaptive optics science on large telescopes. The outstanding results obtained during commissioning and guaranteed time observations (GTO) prompted ESO to issue and open call to the community for 23 science demonstration (SD) observing nights distributed in three runs (in order to provide access to the summer an winter skies). Thus, in total MAD was used for science for 33 nights including the 10 nights of GTO time. date, 19 articles in refereed journals (including one in Nature) have been published based fully or partially o MAD data. To the best of our knowledge, these are not only the first, but also the only scientific publication from MCAO instruments world-wide to date (at least in Astronomy). The scientific impact of these publication, as measured by the h-index, is comparable to that of other AO instruments on the VLT, although over the years these instruments have been allocated many more nights than MAD. In this contribution we present an overview of the scientific results from MAD and a more detailed discussion of the most cited papers.

Jupiter's Spot Seen Glowing - Scientists Get First Look at Weather Inside the Solar System's Biggest Storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-03-01

New ground-breaking thermal images obtained with ESO's Very Large Telescope and other powerful ground-based telescopes show swirls of warmer air and cooler regions never seen before within Jupiter's Great Red Spot, enabling scientists to make the first detailed interior weather map of the giant storm system linking its temperature, winds, pressure and composition with its colour. "This is our first detailed look inside the biggest storm of the Solar System," says Glenn Orton, who led the team of astronomers that made the study. "We once thought the Great Red Spot was a plain old oval without much structure, but these new results show that it is, in fact, extremely complicated." The observations reveal that the reddest colour of the Great Red Spot corresponds to a warm core within the otherwise cold storm system, and images show dark lanes at the edge of the storm where gases are descending into the deeper regions of the planet. The observations, detailed in a paper appearing in the journal Icarus, give scientists a sense of the circulation patterns within the solar system's best-known storm system. Sky gazers have been observing the Great Red Spot in one form or another for hundreds of years, with continuous observations of its current shape dating back to the 19th century. The spot, which is a cold region averaging about -160 degrees Celsius, is so wide that about three Earths could fit inside its boundaries. The thermal images were mostly obtained with the VISIR [1] instrument attached to ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile, with additional data coming from the Gemini South telescope in Chile and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. The images have provided an unprecedented level of resolution and extended the coverage provided by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. Together with observations of the deep cloud structure by the 3-metre NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii, the level of thermal detail observed

The Dusty Disc of NGC 247

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-03-01

This image of NGC 247, taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, reveals the fine details of this highly inclined spiral galaxy and its rich backdrop. Astronomers say this highly tilted orientation, when viewed from Earth, explains why the distance to this prominent galaxy was previously overestimated. The spiral galaxy NGC 247 is one of the closest spiral galaxies of the southern sky. In this new view from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope in Chile large numbers of the galaxy's component stars are clearly resolved and many glowing pink clouds of hydrogen, marking regions of active star formation, can be made out in the loose and ragged spiral arms. NGC 247 is part of the Sculptor Group, a collection of galaxies associated with the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253, also shown in eso0902 and eso1025). This is the nearest group of galaxies to our Local Group, which includes the Milky Way, but putting a precise value on such celestial distances is inherently difficult. To measure the distance from the Earth to a nearby galaxy, astronomers have to rely on a type of variable star called a Cepheid to act as a distance marker. Cepheids are very luminous stars, whose brightness varies at regular intervals. The time taken for the star to brighten and fade can be plugged into a simple mathematical relation that gives its intrinsic brightness. When compared with the measured brightness this gives the distance. However, this method isn't foolproof, as astronomers think this period-luminosity relationship depends on the composition of the Cepheid. Another problem arises from the fact that some of the light from a Cepheid may be absorbed by dust en route to Earth, making it appear fainter, and therefore further away than it really is. This is a particular problem for NGC 247 with its highly inclined orientation, as the line of sight to the Cepheids passes through the galaxy's dusty disc. However, a

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 video starts with a composite image of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant that 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. The video dissolves to the red-colored radio-light view that shows how a neutron star’s fierce “wind” of charged particles from the central neutron star energized the nebula, causing it to emit the radio waves. The yellow-colored infrared image includes the glow of dust particles absorbing ultraviolet and visible light. The green-colored Hubble visible-light image offers a very sharp view of hot filamentary structures that permeate this nebula. The blue-colored ultraviolet image and the purple-colored X-ray image shows the effect of an energetic cloud of electrons driven by a rapidly rotating neutron star at the center of the nebula. Read more: go.nasa.gov/2r0s8VC Credits: NASA, ESA, J. DePasquale (STScI)

Albion College Celebrates 130 Years with an Alvan Clark Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smeltekop, N. G.; Zellner, N. E. B.

2014-07-01

In 2013-2014, Albion College, an undergraduate liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan, will celebrate the 130th anniversary of its 8'' Alvan Clark refracting telescope and observatory building. Dedicated in 1883 and completed in 1884, the observatory is one of two surviving examples of a nineteenth-century astronomical building in Michigan. Its instruments also include a Fauth and Company sidereal clock and transit telescope. Several times each year the telescope is open to the public and to the campus community for public observing events. Here we describe the history of our Alvan Clark telescope and the events that will take place in 2013-2014.

Two Galaxies for a Unique Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-04-01

To celebrate the 100 Hours of Astronomy, ESO is sharing two stunning images of unusual galaxies, both belonging to the Sculptor group of galaxies. The images, obtained at two of ESO's observatories at La Silla and Paranal in Chile, illustrate the beauty of astronomy. ESO PR Photo 14a/09 Irregular Galaxy NGC 55 ESO PR Photo 14b/09 Spiral Galaxy NGC 7793 As part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone project, 100 Hours of Astronomy, the ambitious "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" event is a unique live webcast over 24 hours, following night and day around the globe to some of the most advanced observatories on and off the planet. To provide a long-lasting memory of this amazing world tour, observatories worldwide are revealing wonderful, and previously unseen, astronomical images. For its part, ESO is releasing outstanding pictures of two galaxies, observed with telescopes at the La Silla and Paranal observatories. The first of these depicts the irregular galaxy NGC 55, a member of the prominent Sculptor group of galaxies in the southern constellation of Sculptor. The galaxy is about 70 000 light-years across, that is, a little bit smaller than our own Milky Way. NGC 55 actually resembles more our galactic neighbour, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), although the LMC is seen face-on, whilst NGC 55 is edge-on. By studying about 20 planetary nebulae in this image, a team of astronomers found that NGC 55 is located about 7.5 million light-years away. They also found that the galaxy might be forming a bound pair with the gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 300 . Planetary nebulae are the final blooming of Sun-like stars before their retirement as white dwarfs. This striking image of NGC 55, obtained with the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla, is dusted with a flurry of reddish nebulae, created by young, hot massive stars. Some of the more extended ones are not unlike those seen in the LMC, such as the Tarantula Nebula. The quality

Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer -- First Light with Telescope 1 and Progress to Fringes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creech-Eakman, Michelle J.; Haniff, Chris A.; Buscher, David F.; Young, John S.; Payne, Ifan; Romero, Van D.; Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer Team

2018-01-01

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI), a 10-telescope optical/near-IR interferometer in central NM has been conceived to be the most ambitious optical interferometric array under construction to date. With baselines ranging from 7.8 to 343 meters, and limiting magnitudes of 14 at K band, it will be able to assess many thousands of astronomical targets on spatial scales of 10's to 0.1's of milliarcseconds. After over a decade of funding from NRL and the major partner institutions (NM Tech and Cambridge University), new funding was obtained in late 2015 via a Cooperative Agreement between NM Tech and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to bring the facility to a three-interferometer system capable of observing geosynchronous satellites. However, we still maintain an exciting and compelling astronomical portfolio which will produce statistical samples of: YSOs and their surrounding disks, systems dominated by mass-loss and mass-transfer, pulsational stars and binary systems, and image the environs of AGN in nearby galaxies. An update on the status and plans for MROI for the next 3 years under the current Cooperative Agreement will be presented. In addition, we will present some examples of observational applications feasible with MROI both in the near-term and as we approach the full 10-telescope facility and describe how the astronomical community can become involved in this exciting project.We wish to acknowledge our sponsors in the NM Congressional Delegation and AFRL FA #9453-15-2-0086 for our recent support.

Assembly of NASA's Most Powerful X-Ray Telescope Completed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-03-01

Assembly of the world's most powerful X-ray telescope, NASA's Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, was completed last week with the installation of its power-generating twin solar panels. The observatory is scheduled for launch aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-93, in December 1998. The last major components of the observatory were bolted and pinned into place March 4 at TRW Space & Electronics Group in Redondo Beach, Calif., and pre-launch testing of the fully assembled observatory began March 7. "Completion of the observatory's assembly process is a big step forward toward launch scheduled for the end of this year," said Fred Wojtalik, manager of the Observatory Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "With all the major components in place, we are now concentrating on a thorough pre-launch checkout of the observatory." "We're delighted to reach this major milestone for the program," said Craig Staresinich, TRW's Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility program manager. "The entire observatory team has worked hard to get to this point and will continue an exhaustive test program to ensure mission success. We're looking forward to delivering a truly magnificent new space capability to NASA later this summer." The first pre-launch test of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility was an acoustic test, which simulated the sound pressure environment inside the Space Shuttle cargo bay during launch. A thorough electrical checkout before and after the acoustic test verifies that the observatory and its science instruments can withstand the extreme sound levels and vibrations that accompany launch. "With 10 times the resolution and 50-100 times the sensitivity of any previous X-ray telescope, this observatory will provide us with a new perspective of our universe," said the project's chief scientist, Dr. Martin Weisskopf of Marshall Center. "We'll be able to study sources of X-rays throughout the universe, like colliding galaxies and black

The Atsa Suborbital Observatory: An Observatory for a Commercial Suborbital Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.

2012-12-01

The advantages of astronomical observations made above Earth's atmosphere have long been understood: free access to spectral regions inaccessible from Earth (e.g., UV) or affected by the atmosphere's content (e.g., IR). Most robotic, space-based telescopes maintain large angular separation between the Sun and an observational target in order to avoid accidental damage to instruments from the Sun. For most astronomical targets, this possibility is easily avoided by waiting until objects are visible away from the Sun. For the Solar System objects inside Earth's orbit, this is never the case. Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. Commercial suborbital spacecraft are largely expected to go to ~100 km altitude above Earth, providing a limited amount of time for astronomical observations. The unique scientific advantage to these observations is the ability to point close to the Sun: if a suborbital spacecraft accidentally turns too close to the Sun and fries an instrument, it is easy to land the spacecraft and repair the hardware for the next flight. Objects uniquely observed during the short observing window include inner-Earth asteroids, Mercury, Venus, and Sun-grazing comets. Both open-FOV and target-specific observations are possible. Despite many space probes to the inner Solar System, scientific questions remain. These include inner-Earth asteroid size and bulk density informing Solar System evolution studies and efforts to develop methods of mitigation against imminent impactors to Earth; chemistry and dynamics of Venus' atmosphere addressing physical phenomena such as greenhouse effect, atmospheric super-rotation and global resurfacing on Venus. With the Atsa Suborbital Observatory, we combine the strengths of both ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with both in-house facility

The Growth of the User Community of the La Silla Paranal Observatory Science Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniello, M.; Arnaboldi, M.; Da Rocha, C.; De Breuck, C.; Delmotte, N.; Dobrzycki, A.; Fourniol, N.; Freudling, W.; Mascetti, L.; Micol, A.; Retzlaff, J.; Sterzik, M.; Sequeiros, I. V.; De Breuck, M. V.

2016-03-01

The archive of the La Silla Paranal Observatory has grown steadily into a powerful science resource for the ESO astronomical community. Established in 1998, the Science Archive Facility (SAF) stores both the raw data generated by all ESO instruments and selected processed (science-ready) data. The growth of the SAF user community is analysed through access and publication statistics. Statistics are presented for archival users, who do not contribute to observing proposals, and contrasted with regular and archival users, who are successful in competing for observing time. Archival data from the SAF contribute to about one paper out of four that use data from ESO facilities. This study reveals that the blend of users constitutes a mixture of the traditional ESO community making novel use of the data and of a new community being built around the SAF.

Six Years of Science with the TAROT Telescope at La Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotz, A.; Boer, M.; Atteia, J.-L.; Gendre, B.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Frappa, E.; Vachier, F.; Berthier, J.

2013-03-01

The TAROT telescopes are a pair of robotic autonomous observatories with identical suites of instrumentation, with one located in each hemisphere. The southern TAROT telescope, which was installed in 2006 at the La Silla Observatory, uses more than 90% of the clear night-time, and has become a very reliable and productive instrument. The primary objective of TAROT is the detection and study of the optical counter-parts of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, and many results have been obtained in this area. But several other topics, ranging from stellar physics to supernovae, have also been addressed successfully thanks to the telescope's flexibility. We present the main scientific results obtained by the TAROT robotic observatory at La Silla.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, J.

2004-05-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, will carry a 3-meter-class telescope onboard a Boeing 747SP aircraft to altitudes of 41,000 to 45,000 ft, above most of the atmosphere's IR-absorbing water vapor. The telescope was developed and built in Germany and has been delivered to the U.S. in September 2002. The integration into the B747SP has been com- pleted and functional tests are under way in Waco, Texas. In early 2005 flight-testing of the observatory will initially be dedi-cated to the re-certification of the modified aircraft, then performance tests of the telescope and the electronics and data systems will commence. Later in 2005 after transferring to its home base, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, SOFIA will start astrophysical observations. A suite of specialized infrared cameras and spectrometers covering wave-lengths between 1 and 600 ?m is being developed by U.S. and German science institutions. In addition to the infrared instruments, a high-speed visible range CCD camera will use the airborne observatory to chase the shadows of celestial bodies during occultations. Once SOFIA will be in routine operations with a planned observing schedule of up to 960 hours at altitude per year, it might also be available as a platform to serendipitous observations not using the main telescope, such as recordings of meteor streams or the search for extra-solar planets transiting their central stars. These are areas of research in which amateur astronomers with relatively small telescopes and state-of-the-art imaging equipment can contribute.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

An overview of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory 2 contributions to X-ray astronomy is presented along with a brief description of the satellite and onboard telescope. Observations relating to galaxies and galactic clusters, black holes, supernova remnants, quasars, and cosmology are discussed.

Observatory Sponsoring Astronomical Image Contest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-05-01

Forget the headphones you saw in the Warner Brothers thriller Contact, as well as the guttural throbs emanating from loudspeakers at the Very Large Array in that 1997 movie. In real life, radio telescopes aren't used for "listening" to anything - just like visible-light telescopes, they are used primarily to make images of astronomical objects. Now, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) wants to encourage astronomers to use radio-telescope data to make truly compelling images, and is offering cash prizes to winners of a new image contest. Radio Galaxy Fornax A Radio Galaxy Fornax A Radio-optical composite image of giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1316, showing the galaxy (center), a smaller companion galaxy being cannibalized by NGC 1316, and the resulting "lobes" (orange) of radio emission caused by jets of particles spewed from the core of the giant galaxy Click on image for more detail and images CREDIT: Fomalont et al., NRAO/AUI/NSF "Astronomy is a very visual science, and our radio telescopes are capable of producing excellent images. We're sponsoring this contest to encourage astronomers to make the extra effort to turn good images into truly spectacular ones," said NRAO Director Fred K.Y. Lo. The contest, offering a grand prize of $1,000, was announced at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The image contest is part of a broader NRAO effort to make radio astronomical data and images easily accessible and widely available to scientists, students, teachers, the general public, news media and science-education professionals. That effort includes an expanded image gallery on the observatory's Web site. "We're not only adding new radio-astronomy images to our online gallery, but we're also improving the organization and accessibility of the images," said Mark Adams, head of education and public outreach (EPO) at NRAO. "Our long-term goal is to make the NRAO Image Gallery an international resource for radio astronomy imagery

The Swift Mission and the REM Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrels, N.; Chincarini, G.; Giommi, P.; Mason, K. O.; Nousek, J. A.; Wells, A. A.; White, N. E.; Barthelemy, S. D.; Burrow, D. N.; Hurley, K. C.

2003-01-01

Following a description of the science drive which originated the Swift Mission, this is US NASA MIDEX Mission with the collaboration of Italy and the UK, we will describe the status of the hardware and the observing strategy. The telemetry is carried out via the TDRSS satellite for those communications that need immediate response. The data transfer and the scheduled uploading of routine commands will be done through the ASI Malindi station in Kenia. Both in the US and in Europe a large effort will be done to follow the bursts with the maximum of efficiency and as soon as possible after the alert. We will describe how the ESO VLT telescopes are able to respond to the alert. To address the problematic of the dark bursts and to immediately follow up all of the bursts also in the Near Infrared we designed and built a 60 cm NIR Robotic telescope, REM, to be located on the ESO ground at Cerro La Silla. The instrumentation includes also a low dispersion spectrograph with the capability of multi wavelength optical photometry.

A 3000 TNOs Survey Project at ESO La Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehnhardt, H.; Hainaut, O.

We propose a wide-shallow TNO search to be done with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument at the 2.2m MPG/ESO telescope in La Silla/Chile. The WFI is a half-deg camera equipped with an 8kx8k CCD (0.24 arcsec/pixel). The telescope can support excellent seeing quality down to 0.5arcsec FWHM. A TNO search pilot project was run with the 2.2m+WFI in 1999: images with just 1.6sdeg sky coverage and typically 24mag limiting brightness revealed 6 new TNOs when processed with our new automatic detection program MOVIE. The project is now continued on a somewhat larger scale in order to find more TNOs and to fine-tune the operational environment for a full automatic on-line detection, astrometry and photometry of the objects at the telescope. The future goal is to perform - with the 2.2m+WFI and in an international colaboration - an even larger TNO survey over a major part of the sky (typically 2000sdeg in and out of Ecliptic) down to 24mag. Follow-up astrometry and photometry of the expected more than 3000 discovered objects will secure their orbital and physical characterisation for synoptic dynamical and taxonomic studies of the Transneptunian population.

ACS (Alma Common Software) operating a set of robotic telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westhues, C.; Ramolla, M.; Lemke, R.; Haas, M.; Drass, H.; Chini, R.

2014-07-01

We use the ALMA Common Software (ACS) to establish a unified middleware for robotic observations with the 40cm Optical, 80cm Infrared and 1.5m Hexapod telescopes located at OCA (Observatorio Cerro Armazones) and the ESO 1-m located at La Silla. ACS permits to hide from the observer the technical specifications, like mount-type or camera-model. Furthermore ACS provides a uniform interface to the different telescopes, allowing us to run the same planning program for each telescope. Observations are carried out for long-term monitoring campaigns to study the variability of stars and AGN. We present here the specific implementation to the different telescopes.

Near-infrared Detection of WD 0806-661 B with the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhman, K. L.; Morley, C. V.; Burgasser, A. J.; Esplin, T. L.; Bochanski, J. J.

2014-10-01

WD 0806-661 B is one of the coldest known brown dwarfs (T eff = 300-345 K) based on previous mid-infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope. In addition, it is a benchmark for testing theoretical models of brown dwarfs because its age and distance are well constrained via its primary star (2 ± 0.5 Gyr, 19.2 ± 0.6 pc). We present the first near-infrared detection of this object, which has been achieved through F110W imaging (~Y + J) with the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We measure a Vega magnitude of m 110 = 25.70 ± 0.08, which implies J ~ 25.0. When combined with the Spitzer photometry, our estimate of J helps to better define the empirical sequence of the coldest brown dwarfs in M 4.5 versus J - [4.5]. The positions of WD 0806-661 B and other Y dwarfs in that diagram are best matched by the cloudy models of Burrows et al. and the cloudless models of Saumon et al., both of which employ chemical equilibrium. The calculations by Morley et al. for 50% cloud coverage differ only modestly from the data. Spectroscopy would enable a more stringent test of the models, but based on our F110W measurement, such observations are currently possible only with Hubble, and would require at least ~10 orbits to reach a signal-to-noise ratio of ~5. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope through program 12815, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555, and observations with the ESO Telescopes at Paranal Observatory under programs ID 089.C-0428 and ID 089.C-0597.

The Calar Alto Observatory: current status and future instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrado, D.; Thiele, U.; Aceituno, J.; Pedraz, S.; Sánchez, S. F.; Aguirre, A.; Alises, M.; Bergond, G.; Galadí, D.; Guijarro, A.; Hoyo, F.; Mast, D.; Montoya, L.; Sengupta, Ch.; de Guindos, E.; Solano, E.

2011-11-01

The Calar Alto Observatory, located at 2168 m height above the sea level in continental Europe, holds a significant number of astronomical telescopes and experiments, covering a large range of the electromagnetic domain, from gamma-ray to near-infrared. It is a very well characterized site, with excellent logistics. Its main telescopes includes a large suite of instruments. At the present time, new instruments, namely CAFE, PANIC and Carmenes, are under development. We are also planning a new operational scheme in order to optimize the observatory resources.

Complementarity of NGST, ALMA, and Far IR Space Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mather, John C.

2004-01-01

The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will both start operations long before a new far IR observatory to follow SIRTF into space can be launched. What will be unknown even after they are operational, and what will a far IR space observatory be able to add? I will compare the telescope design concepts and capabilities and the advertised scientific programs for the projects and attempt to forecast the research topics that will be at the forefront in 2010.

The VANDELS ESO spectroscopic survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLure, R. J.; Pentericci, L.; Cimatti, A.; Dunlop, J. S.; Elbaz, D.; Fontana, A.; Nandra, K.; Amorin, R.; Bolzonella, M.; Bongiorno, A.; Carnall, A. C.; Castellano, M.; Cirasuolo, M.; Cucciati, O.; Cullen, F.; De Barros, S.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Fontanot, F.; Franzetti, P.; Fumana, M.; Gargiulo, A.; Garilli, B.; Guaita, L.; Hartley, W. G.; Iovino, A.; Jarvis, M. J.; Juneau, S.; Karman, W.; Maccagni, D.; Marchi, F.; Mármol-Queraltó, E.; Pompei, E.; Pozzetti, L.; Scodeggio, M.; Sommariva, V.; Talia, M.; Almaini, O.; Balestra, I.; Bardelli, S.; Bell, E. F.; Bourne, N.; Bowler, R. A. A.; Brusa, M.; Buitrago, F.; Caputi, K. I.; Cassata, P.; Charlot, S.; Citro, A.; Cresci, G.; Cristiani, S.; Curtis-Lake, E.; Dickinson, M.; Fazio, G. G.; Ferguson, H. C.; Fiore, F.; Franco, M.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Galametz, A.; Georgakakis, A.; Giavalisco, M.; Grazian, A.; Hathi, N. P.; Jung, I.; Kim, S.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Khusanova, Y.; Le Fèvre, O.; Lotz, J. M.; Mannucci, F.; Maltby, D. T.; Matsuoka, K.; McLeod, D. J.; Mendez-Hernandez, H.; Mendez-Abreu, J.; Mignoli, M.; Moresco, M.; Mortlock, A.; Nonino, M.; Pannella, M.; Papovich, C.; Popesso, P.; Rosario, D. P.; Salvato, M.; Santini, P.; Schaerer, D.; Schreiber, C.; Stark, D. P.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Thomas, R.; Treu, T.; Vanzella, E.; Wild, V.; Williams, C. C.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.

2018-05-01

VANDELS is a uniquely-deep spectroscopic survey of high-redshift galaxies with the VIMOS spectrograph on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). The survey has obtained ultra-deep optical (0.48 < λ < 1.0 μm) spectroscopy of ≃2100 galaxies within the redshift interval 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0, over a total area of ≃ 0.2 deg2 centred on the CANDELS UDS and CDFS fields. Based on accurate photometric redshift pre-selection, 85% of the galaxies targeted by VANDELS were selected to be at z ≥ 3. Exploiting the red sensitivity of the refurbished VIMOS spectrograph, the fundamental aim of the survey is to provide the high signal-to-noise ratio spectra necessary to measure key physical properties such as stellar population ages, masses, metallicities and outflow velocities from detailed absorption-line studies. Using integration times calculated to produce an approximately constant signal-to-noise ratio (20 < tint < 80 hours), the VANDELS survey targeted: a) bright star-forming galaxies at 2.4 ≤ z ≤ 5.5, b) massive quiescent galaxies at 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 2.5, c) fainter star-forming galaxies at 3.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0 and d) X-ray/Spitzer-selected active galactic nuclei and Herschel-detected galaxies. By targeting two extragalactic survey fields with superb multi-wavelength imaging data, VANDELS will produce a unique legacy data set for exploring the physics underpinning high-redshift galaxy evolution. In this paper we provide an overview of the VANDELS survey designed to support the science exploitation of the first ESO public data release, focusing on the scientific motivation, survey design and target selection.

Spain to Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-03-01

On 13 February, at a ceremony in Madrid, an agreement was signed by the Spanish Minister of Education and Science, Mrs. María Jesús San Segundo, and the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, affirming their commitment to securing Spanish membership of ESO.

ESO Large Program on physical studies of Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs: Final results of the visible spectrophotometric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornasier, S.; Doressoundiram, A.; Tozzi, G. P.; Barucci, M. A.; Boehnhardt, H.; de Bergh, C.; Delsanti, A.; Davies, J.; Dotto, E.

2004-07-01

The Large Program on physical studies of TNOs and Centaurs, started at ESO Cerro Paranal on April 2001, has recently been concluded. This project was devoted to the investigation of the surface properties of these icy bodies through photometric and spectroscopic observations. In this paper we present the latest results on these pristine bodies obtained from the spectrophotometric investigation in the visible range. The newly obtained spectrophotometric data on 3 Centaurs and 5 TNOs, coming from 2 observing runs at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), show a large variety of spectral characteristics, comprising both gray and red objects in the two different populations. A very broad and weak absorption feature, centered around 7000 Å , has been revealed in the spectrum of the gray TNO 2003 AZ84. This absorption is very similar to a feature observed on low albedo main belt asteroids and attributed to the action of the aqueous alteration process on minerals. This process was previously also claimed as the most plausible explanation for some peculiar visible absorption bands observed on 2000 EB173 and 2000 GN171 in the framework of the Large Program (Lazzarin et al. \\cite{Lazzarin03}; de Bergh et al. \\cite{Bergh04}). This detection seems to reinforce the hypothesis that aqueous alteration might have taken place also at such large heliocentric distances. We also report the results of a spectroscopic investigation performed outside the Large Program on the very interesting TNO 2000 GN171 during part of its rotational period. This object, previously observed twice in the framework of the Large Program, had shown during the early observations a very peculiar absorption band tentatively attributed to aqueous alteration processes. As this feature was not confirmed in a successive spectrum, we recently repeated the investigations of 2000 GN171, finding out that it has an heterogeneous composition. Finally an analysis of the visible spectral slopes is reported for all the data

Astro-1 Image Taken by Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This image shows a part of the Cygnus loop supernova remnant, taken by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) on the Astro Observatory during the Astro-1 mission (STS-35) on December 5, 1990. Pictured is a portion of the huge Cygnus loop, an array of interstellar gas clouds that have been blasted by a 900,000 mile per hour shock wave from a prehistoric stellar explosion, which occurred about 20,000 years ago, known as supernova. With ultraviolet and x-rays, astronomers can see emissions from extremely hot gases, intense magnetic fields, and other high-energy phenomena that more faintly appear in visible and infrared light or in radio waves that are crucial to deepening the understanding of the universe. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Three instruments make up the Astro Observatory: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE). The Marshall Space Flight Center had managment responsibilities for the Astro-1 mission. The Astro-1 Observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

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).

Automated and continual determination of radio telescope reference points with sub-mm accuracy: results from a campaign at the Onsala Space Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lösler, Michael; Haas, Rüdiger; Eschelbach, Cornelia

2013-08-01

The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) requires sub-mm accuracy, automated and continual determinations of the so-called local tie vectors at co-location stations. Co-location stations host instrumentation for several space geodetic techniques and the local tie surveys involve the relative geometry of the reference points of these instruments. Thus, these reference points need to be determined in a common coordinate system, which is a particular challenge for rotating equipment like radio telescopes for geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry. In this work we describe a concept to achieve automated and continual determinations of radio telescope reference points with sub-mm accuracy. We developed a monitoring system, including Java-based sensor communication for automated surveys, network adjustment and further data analysis. This monitoring system was tested during a monitoring campaign performed at the Onsala Space Observatory in the summer of 2012. The results obtained in this campaign show that it is possible to perform automated determination of a radio telescope reference point during normal operations of the telescope. Accuracies on the sub-mm level can be achieved, and continual determinations can be realized by repeated determinations and recursive estimation methods.

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.

Global TIE: Developing a Virtual Network of Robotic Observatories for K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, L. A.; Clark, G.

2001-11-01

Astronomy in grades K-12 is traditionally taught (if at all) using textbooks and a few simple hands-on activities. In addition, most students, by High School graduation, will never have even looked through the eyepiece of a telescope. The possibility now exists to establish a network of research grade telescopes, no longer useful to the professional astronomical community, that can be made accessible to schools all across the country through existing IT technologies and applications. These telescopes could provide unparalleled research and educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of K-12 and college students and turns underutilized observatory facilities into valuable, state-of-the-art teaching centers. The NASA-sponsored Telescopes In Education (TIE, http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov) project has been wildly successful in engaging the K-12 education community in real-time, hands-on, interactive astronomy activities. Hundreds of schools in the US, Australia, Canada, England, and Japan have participated in the TIE program, remotely controlling the 24-inch telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory from their classrooms. In recent years, several (approximately 20 to date) other telescopes have been, or are in the process of being, outfitted for remote use as TIE affiliates. Global TIE integrates these telescopes seamlessly into one virtual observatory and provides the services required to operate this facility, including a scheduling service, tools for data manipulation, an online proposal review environment, an online "Virtual TIE Student Ap J" for publication of results, and access to related educational materials provided by the TIE community. Global TIE provides unparalleled research and educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of K-12 and college students and turns essentially unused observatory facilities into valuable, state-of-the-art teaching centers. This presentation describes the Global TIE Observatory data and organizational systems and details the

An Overview of the Performance and Scientific Results From the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, M. C.; Brinkman, B.; Canizares, C.; Garmine, G.; Murray, S.; VanSpeybroeck, L. P.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), the x-ray component of NASA's Great Observatories, was launched on 1999, July 23 by the Space Shuttle Columbia. After satellite systems activation, the first x-rays focused by the telescope were observed on 1999, August 12. Beginning with the initial observation it was clear that the telescope had survived the launch environment and was operating as expected. Despite an initial surprise due to the discovery that the telescope was far more efficient for concentrating CCD-damaging low-energy protons than had been anticipated, the observatory is performing well and is returning superb scientific data. Together with other space observatories, most notably XMM-Newton, it is clear that we have entered a new era of discovery in high-energy astrophysics.

Cryogenic system for the Origins Space Telescope: cooling a large space telescope to 4K with today's technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiPirro, M.; Fantano, L.; Canavan, E.; Leisawitz, D.; Carter, R.; Florez, A.; Amatucci, E.

2017-09-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) concept is one of four NASA Science Mission Directorate, Astrophysics Division, observatory concepts being studied for launch in the mid 2030's. OST's wavelength coverage will be from the midinfrared to the sub-millimeter, 6-600 microns. To enable observations at the zodiacal background limit the telescope must be cooled to about 4 K. Combined with the telescope size (currently the primary is 9 m in diameter) this appears to be a daunting task. However, simple calculations and thermal modeling have shown the cooling power required is met with several currently developed cryocoolers. Further, the telescope thermal architecture is greatly simplified, allowing simpler models, more thermal margin, and higher confidence in the final performance values than previous cold observatories. We will describe design principles to simplify modeling and verification. We will argue that the OST architecture and design principles lower its integration and test time and reduce its ultimate cost.

Cryogenic System for the Origins Space Telescope: Cooling a Large Space Telescope to 4K with Today's Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiPirro, M.; Fantano, L.; Canavan, E.; Leisawitz, D.; Carter, R.; Florez, A.; Amatucci, E.

2014-01-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) concept is one of four NASA Science Mission Directorate, Astrophysics Division, observatory concepts being studied for launch in the mid 2030's. OST's wavelength coverage will be from the midinfrared to the sub-millimeter, 6-600 microns. To enable observations at the zodiacal background limit the telescope must be cooled to about 4 K. Combined with the telescope size (currently the primary is 9 m in diameter) this appears to be a daunting task. However, simple calculations and thermal modeling have shown the cooling power required is met with several currently developed cryocoolers. Further, the telescope thermal architecture is greatly simplified, allowing simpler models, more thermal margin, and higher confidence in the final performance values than previous cold observatories. We will describe design principles to simplify modeling and verification. We will argue that the OST architecture and design principles lower its integration and test time and reduce its ultimate cost.

Sensor system development for the WSO-UV (World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet) space-based astronomical telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes-Thakore, Chris; Spark, Stephen; Pool, Peter; Walker, Andrew; Clapp, Matthew; Waltham, Nick; Shugarov, Andrey

2015-10-01

As part of a strategy to provide increasingly complex systems to customers, e2v is currently developing the sensor solution for focal plane array for the WSO-UV (World Space Observatory - Ultraviolet) programme, a Russian led 170 cm space astronomical telescope. This is a fully integrated sensor system for the detection of UV light across 3 channels: 2 high resolution spectrometers covering wavelengths of 115 - 176 nm and 174 - 310 nm and a Long-Slit Spectrometer covering 115 nm - 310 nm. This paper will describe the systematic approach and technical solution that has been developed based on e2v's long heritage, CCD experience and expertise. It will show how this approach is consistent with the key performance requirements and the overall environment requirements that the delivered system will experience through ground test, integration, storage and flight.

Opening up a Colourful Cosmic Jewel Box

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-10-01

The combination of images taken by three exceptional telescopes, the ESO Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal , the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla observatory and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, has allowed the stunning Jewel Box star cluster to be seen in a whole new light. Star clusters are among the most visually alluring and astrophysically fascinating objects in the sky. One of the most spectacular nestles deep in the southern skies near the Southern Cross in the constellation of Crux. The Kappa Crucis Cluster, also known as NGC 4755 or simply the "Jewel Box" is just bright enough to be seen with the unaided eye. It was given its nickname by the English astronomer John Herschel in the 1830s because the striking colour contrasts of its pale blue and orange stars seen through a telescope reminded Herschel of a piece of exotic jewellery. Open clusters [1] such as NGC 4755 typically contain anything from a few to thousands of stars that are loosely bound together by gravity. Because the stars all formed together from the same cloud of gas and dust their ages and chemical makeup are similar, which makes them ideal laboratories for studying how stars evolve. The position of the cluster amongst the rich star fields and dust clouds of the southern Milky Way is shown in the very wide field view generated from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 data. This image also includes one of the stars of the Southern Cross as well as part of the huge dark cloud of the Coal Sack [2]. A new image taken with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the cluster and its rich surroundings in all their multicoloured glory. The large field of view of the WFI shows a vast number of stars. Many are located behind the dusty clouds of the Milky Way and therefore appear red [3]. The FORS1 instrument on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) allows a much closer look at the cluster itself. The telescope's huge mirror

Atoms-for-Peace: A Galactic Collision in Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-11-01

European Southern Observatory astronomers have produced a spectacular new image of the famous Atoms-for-Peace galaxy (NGC 7252). This galactic pile-up, formed by the collision of two galaxies, provides an excellent opportunity for astronomers to study how mergers affect the evolution of the Universe. Atoms-for-Peace is the curious name given to a pair of interacting and merging galaxies that lie around 220 million light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius. It is also known as NGC 7252 and Arp 226 and is just bright enough to be seen by amateur astronomers as a very faint small fuzzy blob. This very deep image was produced by ESO's Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. A galaxy collision is one of the most important processes influencing how our Universe evolves, and studying them reveals important clues about galactic ancestry. Luckily, such collisions are long drawn-out events that last hundreds of millions of years, giving astronomers plenty of time to observe them. This picture of Atoms-for-Peace represents a snapshot of its collision, with the chaos in full flow, set against a rich backdrop of distant galaxies. The results of the intricate interplay of gravitational interactions can be seen in the shapes of the tails made from streams of stars, gas and dust. The image also shows the incredible shells that formed as gas and stars were ripped out of the colliding galaxies and wrapped around their joint core. While much material was ejected into space, other regions were compressed, sparking bursts of star formation. The result was the formation of hundreds of very young star clusters, around 50 to 500 million years old, which are speculated to be the progenitors of globular clusters. Atoms-for-Peace may be a harbinger of our own galaxy's fate. Astronomers predict that in three or four billion years the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy will collide, much as has happened with Atoms-for-Peace. But don

Hundred metre virtual telescope captures unique detailed colour image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-02-01

A team of French astronomers has captured one of the sharpest colour images ever made. They observed the star T Leporis, which appears, on the sky, as small as a two-storey house on the Moon [1]. The image was taken with ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), emulating a virtual telescope about 100 metres across and reveals a spherical molecular shell around an aged star. ESO PR Photo 06a/09 The star T Leporis as seen with VLTI ESO PR Photo 06b/09 The star T Leporis to scale ESO PR Photo 06c/09 A virtual 100-metre telescope ESO PR Photo 06d/09 The orbit of Theta1 Orionis C ESO PR Video 06a/09 Zoom-in onto T Leporis "This is one of the first images made using near-infrared interferometry," says lead author Jean-Baptiste Le Bouquin. Interferometry is a technique that combines the light from several telescopes, resulting in a vision as sharp as that of a giant telescope with a diameter equal to the largest separation between the telescopes used. Achieving this requires the VLTI system components to be positioned to an accuracy of a fraction of a micrometre over about 100 metres and maintained so throughout the observations -- a formidable technical challenge. When doing interferometry, astronomers must often content themselves with fringes, the characteristic pattern of dark and bright lines produced when two beams of light combine, from which they can model the physical properties of the object studied. But, if an object is observed on several runs with different combinations and configurations of telescopes, it is possible to put these results together to reconstruct an image of the object. This is what has now been done with ESO's VLTI, using the 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescopes. "We were able to construct an amazing image, and reveal the onion-like structure of the atmosphere of a giant star at a late stage of its life for the first time," says Antoine Mérand, member of the team. "Numerical models and indirect data have allowed us to imagine the

World Atlas of large optical telescopes (second edition)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meszaros, S. P.

1986-01-01

By early 1986 there will be over 120 large optical telescopes in the world engaged in astronomical research with mirror or lens diameters of one meter (39-inches) and larger. This atlas gives information on these telescopes and shows their observatory sites on continent sized maps. Also shown are observatory locations considered suitable for the construction of future large telescopes. Of the 126 major telescopes listed in this atlas, 101 are situated in the Northern Hemisphere and 25 are located in the Southern Hemisphere. The totals by regions are as follows: Europe (excluding the USSR), 30; Soviet Union, 9; Asia (excluding the USSR), 5; Africa, 9; Australia, 6; The Pacific, 4 (all on Hawaii); South America, 17; North America, 46 (the continental US has 38 of these). In all, the United States has 42 of the world's major telescopes on its territory (continental US plus Hawaii) making it by far the leading nation in astronomical instrumentation.

World Atlas of large optical telescopes (second edition)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meszaros, S. P.

1986-04-01

By early 1986 there will be over 120 large optical telescopes in the world engaged in astronomical research with mirror or lens diameters of one meter (39-inches) and larger. This atlas gives information on these telescopes and shows their observatory sites on continent sized maps. Also shown are observatory locations considered suitable for the construction of future large telescopes. Of the 126 major telescopes listed in this atlas, 101 are situated in the Northern Hemisphere and 25 are located in the Southern Hemisphere. The totals by regions are as follows: Europe (excluding the USSR), 30; Soviet Union, 9; Asia (excluding the USSR), 5; Africa, 9; Australia, 6; The Pacific, 4 (all on Hawaii); South America, 17; North America, 46 (the continental US has 38 of these). In all, the United States has 42 of the world's major telescopes on its territory (continental US plus Hawaii) making it by far the leading nation in astronomical instrumentation.