Rothney Astrophysical Observatory
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| Organization | University of Calgary | ||||||
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| Observatory code | 661  | ||||||
| Location | near Priddis, Alberta | ||||||
| Coordinates | 50°52′06″N 114°17′28″W / 50.8684°N 114.2910°W | ||||||
| Altitude | 1,269 metres (4,163 ft) | ||||||
| Established | 1972 | ||||||
| Website | Rothney Astrophysical Observatory | ||||||
| Telescopes | |||||||
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  Location of Rothney Astrophysical Observatory | |||||||
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The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) is an
Calgary. The observatory is owned and operated by the University of Calgary (UC), and was dedicated in 1972.[1] The facility is used for research, undergraduate and graduate teaching, and public outreach. Research performed at the RAO included a variable star search program, follow-up observations of variable star discoveries, and detailed investigation of binary stars.[2][3][4] An outstanding minor planet search program was also performed with comet discoveries by Rob Cardinal.[5] The RAO is a link in the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network.[6]
Telescopes
- The 1.8 m (71 in) A.R. Cross Telescope (ARCT) is a Ritchey-Chrétien design dedicated in 1987.[7] It is attached to an unusual altitude-altitude (alt-alt) mount which allows greater access to northern skies than other mounts.[8] It was originally equipped with 1.5 m (59 in) metal mirror acquired many years earlier, but even before the telescope was completed, plans were made to acquire a conventional mirror.[9] This new primary was fabricated in the 1980s and, under a cost-sharing agreement, used from 1990 to 1993 at Apache Point Observatory. The glass mirror was finally installed in 1996.[10] The telescope is equipped with the Rapid Alternate Detection System (RADS) developed at UC. The computer-controlled "chopping" of the secondary mirror enables observers to perform differential photometrywith the telescope.
- The 0.5 m (20 in) Baker-Nunn Telescope was built in 1957 and donated in 1981 to RAO by the Cassegrain reflector which was used to track satellites under a United States Air Force program.[7] The original altitude-altitude-azimuth mount was replaced with a simpler equatorial mount when the telescoped was refurbished in 2004.[11] DFM Engineering performed the work with the help of UC.[12]
- The 0.4 m (16 in) Clark-Milone Telescope (CMT), named after former co-directors Alan Clark and Eugene Milone, was installed at RAO in 1972.[13] It was used to develop RADS in the early 1980s.[14]
See also
- Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
- List of astronomical observatories in Canada
- List of astronomical observatories
References
- ^ "The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory | Observatories | AstroLab". ASTROLab of Mont-Mégantic National Park. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- arXiv:1101.5650 [astro-ph.GA].
- Bibcode:2006AAS...208.0501L.
- Bibcode:1997AAS...18912007K.
- ^ "Announcements | Rothney Astrophysical Observatory / University of Calgary". www.ucalgary.ca. Archived from the original on 2010-08-26.
- ^ "Skynet: RAO". Skynet Robotic Telescope Network. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ a b "History of the RAO | Rothney Astrophysical Observatory / University of Calgary". University of Calgary Department of Physics & Astronomy. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- ^ "The 1.8 meter ARCT Telescope". University of Calgary Department of Physics & Astronomy. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- ^ Peterson, Jim. "A Brief History of the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) and the Apache Point Observatory (APO)". Apache Point Observatory. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- Bibcode:1999ASPC..189..103M.
- PMID 20396162.
- ^ "University of Calgary Modernizes Baker-Nunn Camera". DFM Engineering. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- ^ "The 0.4 meter Telescope". University of Calgary Department of Physics & Astronomy. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- doi:10.1086/131237.
External links
- Rothney Astrophysical Observatory homepage
- Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Clear Sky Chart Forecasts of observing conditions.
