Public Observatory Research Articles

The Robotic MAAO 0.7 m Telescope System: Performance and Standard Photometric System

We introduce a 0.7 m telescope system at the Miryang Arirang Astronomical Observatory (MAAO), a public observatory in Miryang, Korea. System integration and a scheduling program enable the 0.7 m telescope system to operate completely robotically during nighttime, eliminating the need for human intervention. Using the 0.7 m telescope system, we obtain atmospheric extinction coefficients and the zero-point magnitudes by observing standard stars. As a result, we find that atmospheric extinctions are moderate but they can sometimes increase depending on the weather conditions. The measured 5σ limiting magnitudes reach down to BVRI = 19.4–19.6 AB mag for a point source with a total integrated time of 10 minutes under clear weather conditions, demonstrating comparable performance with other observational facilities operating under similar specifications and sky conditions. We expect that the newly established MAAO 0.7 m telescope system will contribute significantly to the observational studies of astronomy. Particularly, with its capability for robotic observations, this system, although its primary duty is for public viewing, can be extensively used for the time-series observation of transients.

태양광발전시스템의 발전량 추정을 위한 역거리 가중 보간(IDW) 기술 기반의 다중회귀 모형 개발

Meteorological data measured at the location of the system is commonly used to improve the accuracy of predicting the power output of a solar power system. If there is no observation or data is missing, public data such as an automated synoptic observing system (ASOS) and automatic weather station (AWS) can be used. However, since the public observatories are far from the PV system, the uncertainty of the prediction due to the distance difference is expected to increase. To solve this problem, we propose a multiple regression analysis technique that predicts power output based on inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation. This spatial statistics technique can estimate the value of a location where data is not observed. The proposed method was demonstrated through a case study, and the prediction accuracy of solar power output was reviewed. The prediction accuracy varies depending on the case, but the accuracy of the case, which is within 15 km from the public observatory, was good because the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the prediction of power output was less than 4.2%.

Lake Afton Public Observatory

Lake Afton Public Observatory

Twenty years of the Gunma Astronomical Observatory, experimental trials of how to use a 1.5-m telescope at a public observatory

Gunma Astronomical Observatory (GAO) is regarded as a pioneer of the public observatories equipped with a large telescope of far beyond one meter class. It was established in 1999 by Gunma prefecture local government. Its main telescope is a 150-cm reflector which has an eyepiece system for the star gazing by public people in addition to advanced measuring instruments such as a very powerful high resolution spectrograph for the scientific research. Using this telescope we have carried out a number of activities and studies in the fields of scientific research, education and public outreach. Many of them were kinds of experimental trials of how to use such a telescope at a public observatory. We present some examples of our experiences in these two decades.

Eight years after IYA2009: a successful project of Outreach and Astronomy Education on selected countryside towns in Mexico

We present the main results of a multidisciplinary project on education and outreach in Guanajuato (Mexico). This collaboration was initiated in the International Year of Astronomy (IYA09, IAU-UNESCO, 2009) and is led by a team including astronomers, sociologists and environment biologists. The Astronomy activities had their origin at the Public Observatory of Universidad de Guanajuato, where an outreach program was dedicated to young students, teachers and the general public. Thanks to the many activities linked to IYA09, the astronomers joined with a group of sociologists working on the development of rural zones of the Mexican State of Guanajuato. This region undergoes a high rate of migration towards the USA. Working together, our goals were enlarged, having important results on different aspects like social development, environment recovering and education. Astronomy plays a central role within this project, mainly through activities like stargazing, science games for young public, Astronomy courses for teachers, and talks for a wide audience.

Amateur public observatory I: The observatory and hardware integration system

Abstract Public observatory is playing more and more important role in astronomy education, citizen science and scientific research. It is developing rapidly and has made some progress through a variety of approaches. As relative small number and high operating costs of professional observatories, it leads that only just a few students benefit. As a result, amateur astronomers begin to build their own remote observatories, but they also face great challenge, especially in hardware technology experience and construction funds. Their self-designed hardware connection and control system often breaks down, and then a stable hardware integration system becomes very critical. According to requirement investigation to dozens of the amateur, we propose an amateur public observatory model, and a hardware integration system as a bridge between observatory equipment and observation software. It not only can satisfy hardware requirement for multiple control modes, but also saves cost. It has great significance in promoting citizen science and astronomy education.

Griffith observatory: Hollywood’s celestial theater

Hollywood has always been about seeing and being seen and Griffith Observatory, perched on Mount Hollywood overlooking the Los Angeles metropolis, is the perfect stage set for a cosmic drama. In this article, the authors show how the Observatory’s form and function are uniquely Southern California productions. Since Griffith J. Griffith bequeathed funds for a public observatory in 1919, the astronomical community at the California Institute of Technology and the Mount Wilson Observatory have informed the selection of instrumentation, programming, and exhibitions at Griffith Observatory. Meanwhile, thanks to the Observatory’s studio connections, it has always been able to call upon the skills of some of Hollywood’s best artists, model makers, and scriptwriters to translate the latest astronomical discoveries into spectacular audiovisual experiences. In turn, the Observatory has featured prominently in hundreds of programs on radio, television, and film, becoming a celebrity in its own right. Aerospace contractors have kept the Observatory connected to the practical applications of astronomy. Displaying artifacts from Lockheed, Rocketdyne, and NASA, no other planetarium offered a better front row seat on the space race. The union of the astronomy, Hollywood, and aerospace communities under the vision of strong Observatory leadership continues to bring Los Angelenos and visitors from around the world closer to the heavens.

“Solar Spot Mania”: The Origins and Early Years of Solar Research at Kew Observatory, 1852–1860

The building of the photographic solar telescope or “photoheliograph” at Kew Observatory near London in the 1850s and the successful programme of solar photography carried out with it have generally been taken as a direct response to Sir John Herschel’s well-publicised 1854 call for collaborative studies of sunspots. This paper uses archival evidence to show that the story of the photoheliograph’s origins and how it came to Kew in the first place is much more complex than has hitherto been acknowledged and that it was really the work of several individuals. I also argue that the photoheliograph and the work carried out with it were largely directed and financed by the wealthy Warren De La Rue and that so as far as the photoheliograph was concerned, Kew was not a public observatory, as has been asserted.

Really Reaching the Public, Face‐to‐Face

This past summer I was able to provide a young couple with their first view of Saturn through a telescope, and afterward they told me what a profound experience this look into space had been for them. It wasn't the first time I'd seen such an emotional response since I opened the East Point Solar Observatory, a small public observatory in Nahant, Mass., in 1995. But listening to them reminded me how lucky we scientists are to pursue a career that brings out such warm feelings in our neighbors. It also made me wonder whether the effectiveness of our national approach to public outreach might be increased by more face‐to‐face contact between scientists and the public.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Popularization of Astronomy: From Models of the Cosmos to Stargazing

“Raritaten- und Wunderkammern” of the Baroque period were a microscopic image of the macroscopic world, in which astronomical instruments, orreries and celestial globes played an important role. The Gottorf globe in the ducal castle in Schleswig (1664) and, much later, the Atwood sphere in Chicago (1913) allowed demonstration of star rising and setting for several people sitting inside. An improved version of this idea, a more sophisticated device, was the projection planetarium, invented by Zeiss of Jena and inaugurated in 1925 in Munich. The “Urania” had already opened in Berlin in 1888, showing the real sky from a public observatory, as well as giving theatrical performances about the origin and evolution of the universe. And, since 1909, visitors to Berlin’s Archenhold Observatory have enjoyed stargazing with its impressive “20-m-long” refractor. All these models and instruments were successfully used for the public understanding of science and astronomy, and always created a strong attraction.

The Role of Science Centres and Planetaria

The school curriculum in many countries includes astronomical topics such as the seasons, phases of the moon, planets and stars. Yet most teachers at all school levels do not know any astronomy and have difficulty teaching that part of the curriculum. Even if they have some knowledge of the subject they may not have the resources to illustrate it and enthuse their students. One solution is to take them to a place specializing in astronomy education – a suitable science center or museum or planetarium or public observatory.

Teaching Astronomy at Sydney Observatory

Sydney Observatory is a museum of astronomy and a public observatory. It is Australia's oldest existing observatory and is now a branch of the Powerhouse Museum, the largest museum in the southern hemisphere. With 65,000 visitors each year, the observatory is popular with the public. Visitors can come during the day to see exhibits and audiovisuals and in the evenings on telescope viewing sessions. They can also take part in school holiday workshops, adult education courses or a telescope-making course. In addition, many school groups come along during the school terms to extend the astronomical knowledge of their students. Other professional services provided by the observatory include an annual guidebook with up-to-date information for the sky as seen from Sydney and an astronomical information service for the public and the media.

The New Teaching and Public Access Observatory at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean

AbstractA grant from the Department of Employment, Education and Training and matching funding from the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, has allowed the construction of a teaching and public access observatory on the University’s Werrington North campus. The observatory consists of a lecture theatre for about 50 students, an office for administration and project/souvenir sales, and an enclosed office for research activities. The 6·5 m dome will house a fork-mounted 0·6 m (24 inch) Ritchey-Chrétien telescope working at f/10. There will also be two outside observation areas for tripod-mounted telescopes. The expected completion date for the entire project is mid-1994.

The Mills Public Observatory in Dundee

The only full-time public observatory in Britain is the Mills Observatory in Dundee, Scotland. John Mills was a successful businessman in Victorian Dundee with an interest in astronomy. He bequeathed his money to build a public astronomical observatory in the city, for studying “the wonder and beauty of the works of God in creation.” The Mills Observatory was eventually opened in 1935.Dundee is situated on the northern shore of the River Tay, in central Scotland. The Observatory stands on a wooded hill (an extinct volcano) near the center of the city. The trees shelter it from virtually all direct city light, while leaving an uninterrupted view south across the Firth of Tay. There is some scattered light, but in clear weather the sky can be surprisingly dark, and the Milky Way distinctly visible.

The Bruno-H.-Bürgel Observatory

The observatory is both a school and public observatory. Lectures are arranged for pupils at various levels as well as courses for teachers. Since 1959 astronomy has been a compulsory subject in schools in the D.D.R. (one of only four countries in the world in which this is the case). The observatory also participates in scientific work, particularly in the field of variable stars, where it has always had very close links with Sonneberg Observatory.

The atmospheric activity of the planet Jupiter

Abstract The photometric study of the photographic observations of Jupiter at the Public Observatory in Munich (Bayerische Volkssternwarte Munchen) during the years 1964–1968 is discussed with particular regard to the publication “Photometric Study of the Atmospheric Activity on the Planet Jupiter and Peculiar Activity in its Equatorial Area,” by J. H. Focas and C. J. Banos. Data on the intensity of the total activity and the peculiar activity in the equatorial area of the planet in the period 1964–1968 are given. Additional graphs show the evolution of the activity during the years 1952–1968 and 1904–1968.