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Old 22-09-2010, 04:46 AM
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iceman (Mike)
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Remote Control Observatories in Southern Hemisphere - Exchange Program

I received this via email last night - passing it on the benefit of those in the Southern Hemisphere with remote control observatories who may wish to participate in this proposed exchange program.

-------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sirs,
We are CAV, Circolo Astrofili Veronesi, an Amateur Astronomers Association based near to Verona Italy.
We run the OMB, an Observatory located on a mountain near to Verona
Longitude10°51'32"
Latitude 45°41'52"
Elevation 1208 m asl, ~ 3800 ft
IAU Code A99
IMO Code14260
-------------------------------
Main Instruments: Ritchey-Chretien 16' Telescope, manufactured by Marcon, Italy
10Micron GM400 Mount
FingerLake research grade 1024x1024 Imaging Camera, SBIG DSS7 spectrometer, Robofocus, filter wheel (actual 5, prospected 13),etc
Various secondary optics and instruments
Full collection of professional software for workflow control, imaging, data reduction.
The whole package is set for remote control,and is presently remotely operated by some entitled fellows.
------------------------------
This Observatory is integrated in a Research Program headed by University of Padova, Departement of Astronomy, Coordinator Prof Ulisse Munari, and by INAF, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, with following mission:
monitoring a defined group of Symbiotics (photometry and spectrometry),
monitoring of novae as primary target of opportunity
Besides the observatory follow some NEO obyects as they appear on Neo Confirmation page at Minor Planet Center.
We're also prospecting a search of extragalactic Supernovae.

We are presently looking (in Southern Emisphere) for an Observatory similar to ours as to Hardware/Software equipment, fully equipped for remote control, available for a no charge exchange of scope time, on a parity base. In other words, we give time of our OMB Observatory free of charge in daytime Australia Time, your Observatory gives time free of charge in daytime Europe Time.
Benefits: both Observatories would be able to extend their monitoring schedules virtually to a 24 hours shift, at no additional cost and have access to portion of skyes usually behind the horiziont.
We would give access to the Telescope and Dome server, as well as to the the workflow managment proprietary software; same we would expect from our partner.
Your cooperation and help in this search would be greatly appreciated
We are looking for hearing from you and/or some of your associates, and hope to find a satisfactory way to cooperate.
very truely yours
Fernando Marziali on behalf of OMV, Osservatorio Astronomico Monte Baldo

-----------------------------------------------------

Their website is here: http://lnx.astrofiliveronesi.it/
and you can contact them through their site, or let me know if you'd like their email address.

Cheers
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Old 22-09-2010, 11:28 AM
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higginsdj
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Ummmmmm .... Maybe I am missing something here but they can only operate a SH observatory during our night - their day and vice versa! Given that each observatory can only work during it's respective nights, how on earth can they suggest that such an option (benefit) will extend the observing for each party to 24hrs? For 24hrs operation, one party will have to fully give up their scope time. I can't see what the benefits are here....

Cheers
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Old 23-09-2010, 09:31 AM
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OzRob (Rob)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by higginsdj View Post
Ummmmmm .... Maybe I am missing something here but they can only operate a SH observatory during our night - their day and vice versa! Given that each observatory can only work during it's respective nights, how on earth can they suggest that such an option (benefit) will extend the observing for each party to 24hrs? For 24hrs operation, one party will have to fully give up their scope time. I can't see what the benefits are here....

Cheers
I think what they are trying to get at is that due to the time difference it would be possible to operate the other obsevatory during daylight hours in your part of the world. IMO the real advantage would be getting access to a different part of the sky.
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Old 23-09-2010, 11:16 AM
noswonky (Peter)
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Can we assume that the scope is 16 inch - not 16 foot (16') as it says in the specs?
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Old 23-09-2010, 06:08 PM
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higginsdj
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OzRob View Post
I think what they are trying to get at is that due to the time difference it would be possible to operate the other obsevatory during daylight hours in your part of the world. IMO the real advantage would be getting access to a different part of the sky.
Sure, as long as they don't want to use their own scope at the same time!
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Old 23-09-2010, 06:37 PM
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Bassnut (Fred)
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From experience, youd want to have your gear pretty smickly set up for this kind of remote operation, it aint easy.
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Old 23-09-2010, 06:57 PM
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GrampianStars (Rob)
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give up my pristine sky as if
why would I want to access severe polluted NH sky
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Old 23-09-2010, 08:15 PM
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ACP internet version can handle it. When its online, the observatory is open, and opening can still be a manual process.
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  #9  
Old 08-10-2010, 06:54 PM
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A few additional highlighs

Hi everybody, my name is Fernando Marziali, I'm the originator of the
request for time exchange posted by Mike.
Thank you Mike for postin and thank you all for comments.
My feeling is that I was not completely clear as to the scopes of the operation.

If I can improve the picture, it will be easy for you to find observers
in the same range of interest and pinpoint candidates to the exchange.

The best way to cast light on the whole thing is describing the usual job
we do every clear night.

The 16 inch (not 16'..) RC shoots a number of symbiotics, say 5 to 10, in
the Johnson&Cousin filters (UBVRI band), 5 to 10 times. So 25 to 50
quadruplets are generated, for a total 100 to 200 Mb. A professional
Photometry Software stacks and calibrates and performs local to std
conversion for the single quadruplets. Last step: data reduction and
sending the complete package to AAVSO. The final result is a dot in a
magnitude plot for every quadruplet. The dots of a single star build up
the star light curve for that night.

The ovarall error of the scope+software chain is about 4 thousands of
magnitude (in our highly polluted sky), well below the 1/100 mag
necessary to unambiguously detect outbursts outset and details.
By the same technique we can follow extrasolar planets eclipsing their
mother star.
Many stars we are taking care of, are low or negative delta. This severely
limits the hours we can follow them and impacts badly on precision and
consistency, due to thick layers of atmosphere.These same stars are
high above on your sky during our daylight. This is the advantage for us,
and symmetrically the same advantage is for your observers-obviously on different stars.
Another symmetrical advantage:
both OMB and Australian observers could exten research to opposite emisphere stars.
From all above it appears that our proposal can be of no interest to photographers, of high interest to Variabilists
Thanks for you patience - Fernando - OMB Osservatorio Monte Baldo
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