Further Advancements of the PARI Optical Ridge
Telescopes for Education and Public Outreach
M. W. Castelaz, J. D. Cline Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
www.pari.eduAAS 203rd Meeting. 8 January 2004.
Session 118.04 Reaching Out: EPO
A Not-For-Profit Public Foundation
IntroductionPisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a not-for-profit public foundation dedicated to providing research and educational access to radio and optical astronomy for a broad cross-section of users.
PARI is located on 200 acres in the Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina
The PARI campus is relatively free of light and radio interference.
N
PARI Optical Ridge
• Location: Optical observatories are 500 m from the PARI Main Campus and runs East-West with sharp N-S drop-offs
• Altitude 910 m, Latitude 35O 11.8’ N, Longitude 82O 52.3’ W
• Horizon: Lowest point is 0.25O and highest point is 5O
• Skies: Average of three nights per week for spectroscopy, differential photometry, astrometry
• Ideal for long-term and survey work
8. Polaris (PARI)
PARI Optical Observatories
6. Low Mass Binary Star Survey (UNC-Chapel Hill)
N1. Optical Afterglow Gamma Ray Burst (UNC-Chapel Hill)
2. Stellar (PARI)
5. SPACE (PARI Supporters)
3,4. Atmosphere, Solar & Lunar
7. Webcams (PARI)
9. Wide Field 1.1 m Telescope (Future)
Latitude 35O 11.8’ N, Longitude 82O 52.3’ W, Altitude 910 m
10. University 0.5 m Telescope (Future)
1. Near-Infrared Afterglow Gamma Ray Burst
Principal Investigators: Melissa Nysewonger and Dan Reichart (UNC-Chapel Hill)
Telescope: 0.30 m, f/10, 68.7 arcsec/mm
Camera: Cooled Indigo Systems Alpha NIR InGaAs CCD Mode of Operation: Robotic/Remote
Education:
Observatory for use by high school teachers and students. In collaboration with Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill. Also, doctoral candidate thesis research.
Research:
Investigate infrared wavelengths of GRBs to find emission from dark bursts, called "dark" because they have no detectable optical afterglow
Near-Infrared Afterglow Gamma Ray Burst
CCD Camera:Near-IR, 0.9-1.7 um320 x 256 pixels30 um square pixels12-bit A/D
FOV:10.3 arcmin x 8.8 arcmin2.0 arcsec/pix
2. Stellar Observatory
Principal Investigators: D. Cline & M. Castelaz (PARI)
Telescope: 0.30 m, f/10, 68.7 arcsec/mm
Camera: SBIG ST10XME + BVRI, SBIG Self-Guiding Spectrometer with 600 g/mm gratings
Mode of Operation: Remote
Education:
Undergraduate research experiences observing and modeling of Mira variable spectra.
Research:
Five year observation campaign measuring optical low resolution spectra (120 Å/mm) and photometry covering complete light curves of four Mira variables.
Stellar Observatory
CCD Camera:2184 x 1472 pixels6.8 um square pixels16-bit, 9 e- rms
FOV:17.1 arcmin x 11.5 arcmin0.47 arcsec/pix
3. Atmosphere
Principal Investigators: Cline (PARI)
Telescope: 12.7 cm, f/10, 162 arcsec/mm
Camera: SBIG STV
Mode of Operation: Robotic
Education:
Environmental studies students have access to atmospheric conditions. The conditions are published to the internet.
Research:
Continuously monitor seeing and atmospheric transparency in the Pisgah National Forest.
4. Solar & Lunar
Principal Investigators: Cline & Castelaz
Telescope: 12.7 cm, f/3.3 with focal reducer, 535 arcsec/mm
Camera: SBIG STV
Mode of Operation: Robotic
Education:
General public and K-12 science studies from live images of the Sun and Moon
Research:
Record sunspots
Atmosphere and Solar/Lunar Telescopes
Solar/Lunar
AtmosphereEach CCD Camera:656 x 480 pixels7.4 um square pixels16-bit
FOV:15.8 arcmin x 9.6 arcmin 1.2 arcsec/pix
FOV with f/3.3 focal reducer:52.1 arcmin x 31.7 arcmin4 arcsec/pix
5. Supporters of the PARI Astronomy Center for Education (SPACE Observatory)
Principal Investigators: Joe Phillips
Telescope: 0.25 m, f/10, 82.5 arcsec/mm
Camera: SBIG ST7XME
Mode of Operation: Remote
Education:
Supporters of PARI and amateur astronomers use this telescope remotely, on a subscription basis.
Research:
PARI has access for target-of-opportunity events such as gamma ray bursts.
CCD Camera:756 x 510 pixels9 um square pixels16-bit, 15 e- rms
SPACE Observatory
FOV:9.5 arcmin x 6.3 arcmin0.74 arcsec/pix
6. Low Mass Binary Star Survey
Principal Investigators: Mercedes Lopez-Morales, Chris Clemens (UNC-Chapel Hill)
Telescope: 0.24 m, f/10, 103 arcsec/mm
Camera: Apogee Ap-10 + VRI filters
Mode of Operation: Robotic
Education:
Doctoral candidate thesis research.
Research:
Three-year optical survey to find detached low mass eclipsing binaries and use them to make direct measurements of masses and radii.
Low Mass Binary Star Survey
CCD Camera:2048 x 2048 pixels14 um square pixels14-bit, 15 e- rms
FOV:47 arcmin x 31 arcmin1.4 arcsec/pix
7. Webcams
Principal Investigators: PARI Staff
Telescope: Telescopes are video lenses
Camera: Each position is a CCD video camera
Mode of Operation: Robotic
Education:
Eight Webcams show the PARI campus and observatories and sky conditions live at www.pari.edu.
Research:
These cameras are for education/public outreach.
8. Polaris (PARI)
Principal Investigators: Cline & Castelaz
Telescope: 0.25 m, f/6.3, 130.9 arcsec/mm
Camera: SBIG STV + BVRI filters
Mode of Operation: Robotic
Education:
Undergraduate research experiences observing the light curve of Polaris.
Research:
Dedicated to multi-year, continuous phase coverage photometry of Polaris, a Cepheid with variations in period and minimum & maximum amplitude.
Polaris Observatory
CCD Camera:656 x 480 pixels7.4 um square pixels16-bit
FOV:10.6 arcmin x 7.8 arcmin0.97 arcsec/pix
9. Wide Field 1.1 m Telescope
Principal Investigators: PLANNED: PARI
Telescope: 1.1 m f/4.4 prime focus
Camera: TBD … telescope has 150mm dia. flat field
Mode of Operation: Remote
Education:
1. All data to be published on Internet for education/public outreach.
2. Also, undergraduate and graduate research.
Research:
1. Near-Earth Asteroid Monitoring
2. Supernova Survey
3. Gamma-Ray burst follow-up
4. Spectrographic measurements
10. University Remote
Principal Investigators: PLANNED: Consortium
Telescope: 0.50 m
Camera: TBD
Mode of Operation: Remote
Education:
1. Undergraduate research
2. Classroom use
Research:
Dedicated to use by universities that invest in the observatory for their astronomy students and faculty.
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