PUBLIC INFORMATION

here are some technical details:

Camera: STL 6303E with shortest exposion 0.12s and 3072x 2048 pix (9 pmicron square)

Wide filters:STL, U,B,V,I

Narrow filters: OII,Halpha,SII

Upto 8 50mm filters can be mounted ready for use.

MISSION STATEMENT

• For students of astronomy - to obtain direct experience in the taking of images and other data, and in interpreting them, thus gaining affinity with technical issues.
• For high-school children - stimulating their interest in science generally, a goal which will be aided by co-operation with the University of Groningen. SciLynX unit.
• For master students of instrumentation - to provide a platform for the design, implementation, and testing of astronomical instrumentation and related equipment.
• For the general public - the task of nurturing the interest in, and support for, astronomy.

  INFORMATION FOR KAPTEYN STUDENTS AND LECTURERS

  • Reserve telescope time with the on-line booker on the Kapteyn Institute Intranet. Bookings can only be made by persons who have been trained
  • before booking, take account of the general and safety rules
  • there is no maximum amount of time one can book, but lecturers who need telescope time have priority over casual users.
  • owing to the logistics of school activities, it may be necessary to give priority to SciLynX reservations, but if lecturers announce their requirements to the coordinator at least two months ahead, no such reservations will be made.
  • in case of disputes or problems contact the coordinator
    • who is trained?
    • how do you become trained?
    • Near the dome is a darkroom with an optical bench. This can be used by lecturers, supervisors of work-experience students, and others, for projects beyond the standard functions of the telescope. There is a (very) limited amount of opto-mechanical equipment; if further equipment is needed, the coordinator may seek funds, especially if the purchace is of lasting value to the Institute. Please contact the coordinator.
    • Here is a simple, printable, checklist for an observing session.
    • Here is a description of the correct Handling of the telescope (day as well as night!)
    • Here is a short list of observational projects Projects

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    • PROJ.1 Distances using Cepheids (incl HST data)
    • PROJ.2 Age of a cluster (photometry)
    • PROJ.3 Measure the Parallax of 61 Cygni
    • PROJ.4 Distances via the Tonry method
    • PROJ.5 Finding Asteroids in archive images

    INFORMATION FOR SCILYNX AND OTHER UNIVERSITY PERSONNEL

    to arrange a day-time visit or an observing session please contact the coordinator. when planning visits involving school and other groups please take account of the general and safety rules the observatory recognises that visits from school groups involve advance planning and firm commitments; nevertheless there can still be circumstances (weather, technical problems) in which the observatory has to withdraw the agreed use of the telescope. The observatory will make all efforts to have back-up activities available for such circumstances.

    INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS

    • please contact the coordinator or the Director of Education to discuss your needs.

    INFORMATION ON OPEN DAYS

    We aim to have Open Days, in which which we offer for sky viewing if possible, on the first Friday of each month. Changes will be announced in "de Gezinsbode" and on the Kapteyn Institute home page
    

    SAFETY AND GENERAL RULES

    • To protect the telescope and other equipment, never leave the dome open and unattended, either during the day or night. An alarm system to signal imminent precipitation is planned, but this does not overrule the above.
    • When at the dome during the night time, even if not observing (e.g. giving a lecture) register your presence with the 24-hour security service (x5520). In case of emergency call 8050
    • Make sure you can always locate the torch. Carry the torch if you go out on the viewing platform and take care when moving about there.
    • Primary school children are not to be allowed out on the platform under any circumstances .
    • For structural reasons the number of persons allowed in the dome at one time is The same limit applies to persons on the platform outside the dome and, until further notice, to groups in the presentation area at the base of the spiral stairway.
    • in addition the limit of the total number of persons is, until further notice, 30. This to prevent the possibility of three groups accidentally being in the same place at the same time during transfer between levels 1,5, and the mezzanine.

    CONTACT INFORMATION

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    • Dr Nigel Douglas, coordinator
      050 363 4088
      ndouglas@astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • prof Thijs van der Hulst, Director, Kapteyn Institute
      050 363 4054
      vdhulst@astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • Telescope room (363)8641
    • prof Peter Barthel, Director of Education, Kapteyn Institute
      050 363 4064
      pdb@astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • Marc Verheijen
      050 363 4077
      verheyen@astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • Reynier Peletier, FIT students coordinator
      050 363 6647
      peletier? @astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • Martin Vogelaar
      050 363 4096
      vogelaar@astro.rug.nl
      
      
    • Ad Matthijs, AstroTechniek
      077 472 2310
      info@astrotechniek.net
      
      

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    WHO HAS BEEN TRAINED?

    For the safety of users and of the equipment, any visit to the Observatory (by day or night) must include someone who has been "trained" in the use of the Observatory . Training is informal, from one staff member to another. The trainee has to be able to declare that s/he
    • is aquainted with telescope, manual positioning, handset controls, etc,
    • can switch between eyepiece and camera,
    • is comfortable with the use of the camera and filters,
    • knows temperature-humidity-wind limits,
    • is practiced in rapid closure of the dome if required,
    • is practiced in both manual and powered closure of the dome,
    • knows optimal escape route in case of calamity,
    • is familiar with of the general and safety rules
    • has at least four nights experience.
    The coordinator will then add the person to the list of those who can book time.
    By the time that regular operation starts in September we intend that following persons will have been trained:
    • Verheijen
    • Peletier
    • Douglas
    • Bout
    Until then, contact Marc Verheijen

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    the following section will be in the intranet and/or distibuted to Directors etc, as needed INFORMATION FOR OPERATING THE OBSERVATORY
    • Description of the telescope and dome
    • Description of Astro Techniek mount and the German "FS2" control system, from "astro electronics" of Germany:
      mount and FS2
    • De handleiding ervan

      FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DIRECTORS

      • a document was submitted earlier in which yearly costs are estimated - these include depreciation of assets. Not included was the financial effect of a catastrophic event such as major damage to the SBIG camera or to the telescope itself. Directors might consider insurance, or an appropriate fund construction, to ameliorate such an event. The camera and telescope must be considered vulnerable, given the (desirable) fact that students will have access, not to mention FIT students and students of the Instrumentation Masters who will quite likely be working "hands on".
      • one should check carefully on the situation which would arise should the dome be damaged, lost, or require expensive repairs.
      • In addition please consider the cost of materials and tools,, which may be negligible for small items for running the Observatory, but considerable for FIT projects etc. This t should be discussed with the coordinator of the FIT activities. A sensible model is that if a project results in a lasting facility, project, or other improvement for the Institute, the Institute should cover costs, otherwise not.
      • A similar situation applies to further development, by students, of the spectrograph facility, except that most of the components are generic enough to be reused. For example, optical fibres, camera, and optics can be reused. New equipment which we deem to be permanently useful to the spectrograph facility, or to other future projects, should be funded by the Institute, in other cases the costs should be shared between the participating institutes.
      • In any case, the financial arrangements should be decided well before the start of the activities, in discussion with the lecturer or FIT coordinator. In this sense, the funding for extention or elaboration of the spectrograph is different from the costs of maintaining the Observatory, and should be kept out of the regular fund mentioned earlier. Instead, it is recommended that spectrograph costs be discussed ad-hoc with the coordinator.

        AGENDA