VENUS TO PASS IN FRONT OF THE SUN ON JUNE 5
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Optical Observatories
The PARI Optical Observatories are located on a mountain ridge (the PARI Optical Ridge) 500 meters from the main campus. All telescopes and instruments are solar powered and connected to our local area network. Some can be controlled remotely while others automatically download their data to a web page.
Several of the telescopes at PARI are dedicated to specific purposes, while others are available to the astronomical community. UNC-Chapel Hill and PARI are collaborating on a 0.4m telescope for robotic use as part of the gamma-ray burst network known as PROMPT. Furman University and PARI are collaborating on the South Observatory 35cm telescope and camera for remote use by undergraduate students. PARI astronomers are using a telescope to study variations in the light from Polaris (the North Star). Polaris varies from maximum to minimum brightness over a three-day period. Recently, the amplitude of the variation has begun to change and PARI is monitoring Polaris to help understand the reason for the variation.
PARI also operates two optical solar telescopes – one images sunspots, the other images solar flares. The images are automatically downloaded to the PARI web site.
Telescopes permanently mounted on the PARI Optical Ridge:
• 40cm PARI/PARSEC telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel camera and UBVRI filter set, and a 17cm Questar telescope on the same mount
• 35cm Furman/PARI telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel CCD camera
• 12cm OVIEW Sunspot Telescope with a network camera
• 6cm OVIEW Coronado Solar Flare Telescope with a network camera
• 6cm wide field Polaris Telescope with SBIG ST7 camera
Telescopes used for public star parties:
• 15cm Newtonian Telescope with eyepieces
• 9cm Questar with eyepieces
• Two 20cm Celestrons with eyepieces
• 20cm Meade with eyepieces
Future telescopes for the PARI Optical Ridge:
• 1.1 meter f/4.4 and 15cm flat field prime focus focal plane when completed
• 1.8 meter adaptive optics mirror in mirror cell
• Two 0.5m Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes with rectangular 5cm x 250cm flat field focal planes
Several of the telescopes at PARI are dedicated to specific purposes, while others are available to the astronomical community. UNC-Chapel Hill and PARI are collaborating on a 0.4m telescope for robotic use as part of the gamma-ray burst network known as PROMPT. Furman University and PARI are collaborating on the South Observatory 35cm telescope and camera for remote use by undergraduate students. PARI astronomers are using a telescope to study variations in the light from Polaris (the North Star). Polaris varies from maximum to minimum brightness over a three-day period. Recently, the amplitude of the variation has begun to change and PARI is monitoring Polaris to help understand the reason for the variation.
PARI also operates two optical solar telescopes – one images sunspots, the other images solar flares. The images are automatically downloaded to the PARI web site.
Telescopes permanently mounted on the PARI Optical Ridge:
• 40cm PARI/PARSEC telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel camera and UBVRI filter set, and a 17cm Questar telescope on the same mount
• 35cm Furman/PARI telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel CCD camera
• 12cm OVIEW Sunspot Telescope with a network camera
• 6cm OVIEW Coronado Solar Flare Telescope with a network camera
• 6cm wide field Polaris Telescope with SBIG ST7 camera
Telescopes used for public star parties:
• 15cm Newtonian Telescope with eyepieces
• 9cm Questar with eyepieces
• Two 20cm Celestrons with eyepieces
• 20cm Meade with eyepieces
Future telescopes for the PARI Optical Ridge:
• 1.1 meter f/4.4 and 15cm flat field prime focus focal plane when completed
• 1.8 meter adaptive optics mirror in mirror cell
• Two 0.5m Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes with rectangular 5cm x 250cm flat field focal planes