Herschel SPIRE FTS telescope model correction

Emission from the Herschel telescope is the dominant source of radiation for the majority of SPIRE Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) observations, despite the exceptionally low emissivity of the primary and secondary mirrors. Accurate modelling and removal of the telescope contribution is, therefore, an important and challenging aspect of FTS calibration and data reduction pipeline. A dust-contaminated telescope model with time invariant mirror emissivity was adopted before the Herschel launch. However, measured FTS spectra show a clear evolution of the telescope contribution over the mission and strong need for a correction to the standard telescope model in order to reduce residual background (of up to 7 Jy) in the final data products. Systematic changes in observations of dark sky, taken over the course of the mission, provide a measure of the evolution between observed telescope emission and the telescope model. These dark sky observations have been used to derive a time dependent correction to the telescope emissivity that reduces the systematic error in the continuum of the final FTS spectra to ～0.35 Jy.     

First Observations from the Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST) Narrow-Band Imager

The Multi-Application Solar Telescope is a 50 cm off-axis Gregorian telescope recently installed at the Udaipur Solar Observatory, India. In order to obtain near-simultaneous observations at photospheric and chromospheric heights, an imager optimized for two or more wavelengths is being integrated with the telescope. Two voltage-tuneable lithium-niobate Fabry–Perot etalons along with a set of interference blocking filters have been used for developing the imager. Both of the etalons are used in tandem for photospheric observations in Fe i 6173 Å and chromospheric observation in H\(\alpha\) 6563 Å spectral lines, whereas only one of the etalons is used for the chromospheric Ca II line at 8542 Å. The imager is also being used for spectropolarimetric observations. We discuss the characterization of the etalons at the above wavelengths, detail the integration of the imager with the telescope, and present a few sets of observations taken with the imager set-up.     

AKARI: space infrared cooled telescope

AKARI, formerly known as ASTRO-F, is the second Japanese space mission to perform infrared astronomical observations. AKARI was launched on 21 February 2006 (UT) and brought into a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 700 km by a JAXA M-V rocket. AKARI has a telescope with a primary-mirror aperture size of 685 mm together with two focal-plane instruments on board: the Infrared Camera (IRC), which covers the spectral range 2–26 μm and the Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS), which operates in the range 50–180 μm. The telescope mirrors are made of sandwich-type silicon carbide, specially developed for AKARI. The focal-plane instruments and the telescope are cooled by a unique cryogenic system that kept the telescope at 6K for 550 days with 180 l super-fluid liquid Helium (LHe) with the help of mechanical coolers on board. Despite the small telescope size, the cold environment and the state-of-the-art detectors enable very sensitive observations at infrared wavelengths. To take advantage of the characteristics of the sun-synchronous polar orbit, AKARI performed an all-sky survey during the LHe holding period in four far-infrared bands with FIS and two mid-infrared bands with IRC, which surpasses the IRAS survey made in 1983 in sensitivity, spatial resolution, and spectral coverage. AKARI also made over 5,000 pointing observations at given targets in the sky for approximately 10 min each, for deep imaging and spectroscopy from 2 to 180 μm during the LHe holding period. The LHe ran out on 26 August 2007, since which date the telescope and instrument are still kept around 40K by the mechanical cooler on board, and near-infrared imaging and spectroscopic observations with IRC are now being continued in pointing mode.     

Installation of solar chromospheric telescope at the Indian Astronomical Observatory,Merak

We report the observations of the solar chromosphere from a newly commissioned solar telescope at the incursion site near Pangong Tso lake in Merak (Leh/Ladakh). This new \(\hbox {H}_{\alpha }\) telescope at the Merak site is identical to the Kodaikanal \(\hbox {H}_{\alpha }\) telescope. The telescope was installed in the month of August 2017 at the Merak site. The telescope consists of a 20-cm doublet lens with additional re-imaging optics. A Lyot filter with 0.5 Å passband isolates the Balmer line of the hydrogen spectra to make the observations of the solar chromosphere. The observations made in \(\hbox {H}_{\alpha }\) wavelength delineates the magnetic field directions at the sunspot and the quiet regions. A CCD detector records the images of the chromosphere with a pixel resolution of 0.27\(^{\prime \prime }\) and covers 9.2\(^{\prime }\) field-of-view. This telescope has a good guiding system that keeps the FoV in the intended position. We report the development of control software for tuning the filter unit, control detector system, observations and calibration of the data to make it useful for the scientific community. Some preliminary results obtained from the Merak \(\hbox {H}_{\alpha }\) telescope are also presented. This high altitude facility is a timely addition to regularly obtain \(\hbox {H}_{\alpha }\) images around the globe.     

A CCD OBSERVATIONAL METHOD TO DETERMINE PRECISELY THE BARYCENTRICPOSITIONS OF THE OUTER PLANETS(SATURN-NEPTUNE)

This paper presents a new method to determine precisely the barycentric positions of the outer planets(Saturn - Neptune)by optical observations. It requires the CCD observations from a long focal distance telescope which is used to observe a planet and its satellites and ones from a meridian circle when it works in a CCD drift scanning manner. The key part of the method is tested by the observations with 1 meter telescope of Yunnan Observatory. The result shows that the new method is feasible to carry out.     

COCHISE: the first light of the Italian millimetre telescope at Concordia (Dome C, Antarctica)

COCHISE (Cosmological Observations at Concordia with High-sensitivity Instrument for Source Extraction) is a 2.6 m telescope located on the high Antarctic Plateau near the Italian–French Concordia Base. The telescope is mainly devoted to Cosmological observations, able to operate between 200 μm and 3 mm of wavelength. In this paper we describe the main characteristics of the instrument. We also report on the first light, obtained during summer 2010–2011: this result marks the beginning of millimetre astrophysical observations at Concordia. Responsivity, noise equivalent temperature and field of view of the instrument are reported. At present COCHISE is the largest telescope located at Concordia. Beside the scientific expectations, the use of this kind of instrument in the Antarctic environment poses technological aspects of relevant interest: thus COCHISE can be considered as a pathfinder for future Antarctic telescopes.     

Hα profile variabilities in the spectrum of the star WW Vul in 2006–2010

We present the results of our studies of the Hα line in the spectrum of a UX Ori star (WW Vul) based on our spectroscopic observations performed with the 2-m telescope at the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory, the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, in 2006–2010. We have detected variability in all the measured parameters of the Hα profile both during each observing season and from season to season. A comparative analysis of our data and published studies has led to the conclusion that the regime of outflow with a variable power in the star WW Vul, on the whole, is preserved for almost 40 years (1972–2010) and the accretion of gas from the circumstellar disk onto the stellar surface is occasionally observed. Changes in the regime of variability in the behavior of the Hα emission line have been revealed in the 2006–2010 observing seasons. In four cases (for July 8, 2006, August 17, 2008, June 13, 2010, and August 2, 2010), we have detected a second emission component in the blue wing of the Hα emission line.     

Observations of Solar EUV Radiation with the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT and SOHO/EIT Instruments

The SPIRIT complex onboard the CORONAS-F satellite has routinely imaged the Sun in the 171, 175, 195, 284, and 304 Å spectral bands since August 2001. The complex incorporates two telescopes. The Ritchey-Chretien telescope operates in the 171, 195, 284, and 304 Å bands and has an objective similar to that of the SOHO/EIT instrument. The Herschel telescope obtains solar images synchronously in the 175 and 304 Å bands with two multilayer-coated parabolic mirrors. The SPIRIT program includes synoptic observations, studies of the dynamics of various structures on the solar disk and in the corona up to 5 solar radii, and coordinated observations with other spaceborne and ground-based telescopes. In particular, in the period 2002–2003, synoptic observations with the SPIRIT Ritchey-Chretien telescope were coordinated with regular 6-hour SOHO/EIT observations. Since June 2003, when EIT data were temporarily absent (SOHO keyholes), the SPIRIT telescope has performed synoptic observations at a wavelength of 175 A. These data were used by the Solar Influence Data Analysis Center (SIDC) at the Royal Observatory of Belgium for an early space weather forecast. We analyze the photometric and spectral parameters of the SPIRIT and EIT instruments and compare the integrated (over the solar disk) EUV fluxes using solar images obtained with these instruments during the CORONAS-F flight from August 2001 through December 2003.     

Whipple telescope observations of LS I +61 303: 2004–2006

In this paper we present the results of the past two years observations on the galactic microquasar LS I +61 303 with the Whipple 10 m gamma-ray telescope. The recent MAGIC detection of the source between 200 GeV and 4 TeV suggests that the source is periodic with very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission linked to its orbital cycle. The entire 50-hour data set obtained with Whipple from 2004 to 2006 was analyzed with no reliable detection resulting. The upper limits obtained in the 2005–2006 season covered several of the same epochs as the MAGIC Telescope detections, albeit with lower sensitivity. Upper limits are placed on emission during the orbital phases of 0→0.1 and 0.8→1, phases which are not included in the MAGIC data set.      

High-Resolution Near-Infrared Observations of NGC 1068

We present near-infrared observations of NGC 1068 obtained with the SHARP camera at the ESO 3.5 m telescope, and with SHARP II attached to the COME-ON+ adaptive optics system at the ESO 3.6 m telescope. From the SHARP observations we obtain a K band image of the stellar bar with 0.″4 resolution, and an upper limit to the size of the nuclear K band source of 0.″05 (3.5 pc). The adaptive optics observations are used to determine the position of the infrared nucleus with respect to the visible continuum. The centroid of the 5000 to 9000 Å continuum is displaced 0.″23 ± 0.″10 to the east and 0.″41 ± 0.″10 to the north of the K bank peak.     

A new spectroscopic facility at millimetre wavelengths

A new millimeter-wave facility is in operation at the Bordeaux Observatory for spectroscopic observations of interstellar and stratospheric molecules. A cooled receiver has been installed on a 2·5m radio telescope. The overall system temperature is in the range 400 to 600 K (single side band) in the operating frequency range 75 to 115 GHz. The relatively broad beam of the telescope (∼ 5 arcmin) combined with a sensitive receiver will permit studies of extended molecular cloud complexes.     

Multicolor photoelectric and photographic observations of the long-period variable Y Ori

Results of observations of the long-period variable Y Ori are presented. The photoelectric observations in UBVR were made at the 60-cm telescope of the high-altitude Maydanak station of the Tashkent Astronomical Institute during the autumn of 1989. The UBVR lightcurves as well as the variations in the color indices U-B, B-V, and V-R are presented. The photographic observations were made at the 40 Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Observatory and at the 70-cm Maksutov telescope of the Abastumani Observatory. A nebulosity was discovered around Y Ori in red light near the brightness maximum. Such a formation is observed for the first time, not only for Y Ori but also for long-period variables in general. The obtained results are discussed in this work.Translated fromAstrofizika, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 5–15, January–March, 1995.     

Investigating the efficiency of the Beijing Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera(BFOSC) of the Xinglong 2.16-m reflector

The Beijing Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera(BFOSC) is one of the most important instruments operating in conjunction with the 2.16-m telescope at Xinglong Observatory. Every year there are~20 SCI-papers published based on observational data acquired with this telescope. In this work,we have systemically measured the total efficiency of the BFOSC that operates as part of the 2.16-m reflector, based on observations of two ESO flux standard stars. We have obtained the total efficiencies of the BFOSC instrument of different grisms with various slit widths in almost all ranges, and analyzed factors which effect the efficiency of this telescope and spectrograph. For astronomical observers, the result will be useful for them to select a suitable slit width, depending on their scientific goals and weather conditions during observations. For technicians, the result will help them to systemically identify the real efficiency of the telescope and spectrograph, and to further improve the total efficiency and observing capacity of the telescope technically.     

Maximum-likelihood astrometric geometry calibration of interferometric telescopes: application to the Very Small Array

Interferometers require accurate determination of the array configuration in order to produce reliable observations. A method is presented for finding the maximum-likelihood estimate of the telescope geometry, and of other instrumental parameters, astrometrically from the visibility timelines obtained from observations of celestial calibrator sources. The method copes systematically with complicated and unconventional antenna and array geometries, with electronic bandpasses that are different for each antenna radiometer, and with low signal-to-noise ratios for the calibrators. The technique automatically focuses on the geometry errors that are most significant for astronomical observation. We apply this method to observations made with the Very Small Array and constrain some 450 telescope parameters, such as the antenna positions, effective observing frequencies and correlator amplitudes and phaseshifts; this requires only ∼1 h of CPU time on a typical workstation.     

The Ground-based Experiment of the Prototype of Planetary (& Lunar) Rotation Monitor Telescope

The scientific objective of the Planetary (& Lunar) Rotation Monitor (PRM) telescope is to study the terrestrial planet's (the Moon's) rotation and its interior structure and physics by in-situ observation. In order to verify the brand new principle of observations and the data processing method, the prototype of the telescope is designed and manufactured. The prototype's optical system consists of a commercial telescope and trihedron mirror set placed at the entrance of its light path to realize the capability of observing three fields of view (FOVs) simultaneously. The ground-based validation observation began in 2017, and the images containing the stars from three FOVs were achieved. Star images from different FOVs are initially mixed together, but they can be classified into the three FOVs respectively by calculating the displacement of star images on the CCD plate between two adjacent exposures, to make the observational effect be identical with three independent observations of the three FOVs respectively. After image processing, from the orientation variation of the three FOVs simultaneously in space due to the Earth's rotation, the direction of the rotation axis of the Earth in space can be derived. Its deviation from the theoretical value is about 1${}^{″}$ in average, indicating that the working principle and data processing method are effective. The main errors in observations are discussed, including the atmospheric refraction, the thermal deformation of the commercial telescope tube, the low optical resolution caused by the short focal length, the optical aberration in the multi-FOV observation, etc. It is indicated that the spatial resolution of the telescope can be enhanced with a longer focal length, and the observational reliability can be improved by optimizing the thermal deformation control. Improving the optical design in the simultaneous observation of multiple FOVs will also be helpful to the accuracy enhancement.     

用50m射电望远镜作脉冲星观测与研究

国家天文台正在研制的50m射电望远镜将投入脉冲星观测与研究，推动我国的脉冲星工作。本文回顾了自第1颗脉冲星发现后35年来脉冲星观测取得的成果，和理论研究获得的重大进展，并讨论我国脉冲星工作可能开展的观测与研究。当今世界脉冲星观测与研究虽然还有许多遗留问题，但是作为中子星基本观测事实已被确认。脉冲星的应用也已经走上了历史舞台。如果利用50m射电望远镜对脉冲星的特殊活动现象进行观测与研究，可能获得突破性的进展。     

The Brightness Temperature of the Quiet Solar Chromosphere at 2.6 mm

The absolute brightness temperature of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths is an important diagnostic of the solar chromosphere. Because the Sun is so bright, measurement of this property usually involves the operation of telescopes under extreme conditions and requires a rigorous performance assessment of the telescope. In this study, we establish solar observation and calibration techniques at 2.6 mm wavelength for the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and accurately derive the absolute solar brightness temperature. We tune the superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) receiver by inducing different bias voltages onto the SIS mixer to prevent saturation. Then, we examine the linearity of the receiver system by comparing outputs derived from different tuning conditions. Furthermore, we measure the lunar filled beam efficiency of the telescope using the New Moon, and then derive the absolute brightness temperature of the Sun. The derived solar brightness temperature is \(7700 \pm 310~\mbox{K}\) at 115 GHz. The telescope beam pattern is modeled as a summation of three Gaussian functions and derived using the solar limb. The real shape of the Sun is determined via deconvolution of the beam pattern from the observed map. Such well-calibrated single-dish observations are important for high-resolution chromospheric studies because they provide the absolute temperature scale that is lacking from interferometer observations.     

History of the 13-inch photographic telescope and its use since the discovery of Pluto

Immediately after the discovery of Neptune, the possibility of a more distant planet became a valid field of interest. Stimulated by numerous unsuccessful approaches by others, Percival Lowell became interested in the problem. The background that led to the development of several observational programs based on his early theoretical study of all the observed comet orbits in Galle's catalog is outlined. From these experiences, Lowell's successors specified and constructed the 13-inch photographic search telescope. The use of the telescope for comet and minor planet work following the discovery of Pluto by Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930 is described, followed by a summary of a 20-year program of proper motion studies by H. L. Giclas, utilizing the early planet search plates as first-epoch observations. Ancillary equipment developed to facilitate observations and reductions of measurement is described.     

A Method for Determining Precisely the Barycentric Position of Uranus Observed with CCD Systems

A method for determining precisely the barycentric position of Uranus by CCD systems is presented in this present article. It is required according to the method that the CCD observations obtained both with a long-focus telescope which is used to observe the major satellites of Uranus and with a meridian circle which works in a CCD drift scanning manner when it is used to observe some faint stars. The key part of the method is tested by the observations obtained with the 1-meter telescope at the Yunnan Observatory. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.