Hungry Galaxies

[astroron]

How cool is this :cool::cool2:, see the size of the scopes used to do the research:eyepop:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11220783

[CraigS]

Says one of the observatories is in Australia.
Perhaps a GRAS 'scope ?

Nice photo at the end of the Milky Way taken from the Paranal observatory in Chile !

Cheers

[renormalised]

You'd be surprised at just how much research can be done by scopes in the 8" to 20" size bracket. I can foresee much more professional work being done in the future on such small scopes, simply because of their cost efficiencies over large scopes and their ready availability. They won't be used for all types of observation, some will still require big mirrors, but there are many application where they easily surpass big scopes. Asteroid tracking, nova/supernova/variable hunting, exoplanet detection etc etc.

[CraigS]

I've been watching Heian's (Mark) spectroscope readings for Cool Carbon stars in the Radio Astronomy and Spectroscopy Forum. I'm unclear of the setup he's using, but this would seem to be pretty sophisticated observing. Great to see Amateurs into this side of it all !
(There are clearly others doing this as well - keep it up guys !).

Fascinating stuff !

Cheers

[renormalised]

This is what they're using Craig....StarAnalyser (http://www.patonhawksley.co.uk/staranalyser.html) and VSpec (http://astrosurf.com/vdesnoux/index.html). Those and a simple CCD camera:):)

Here's some more, if you're interested....Spectroscopy, CCD's and Astronomy (http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/), Shelyak Instruments (http://www.shelyak.com/?lang=2)

[CraigS]

StarAnalyser £91 ... VSpec (free software) !!!

I am amazed !! :eyepop:

Dirt Cheap for the 'behind-the-scenes' perspective it yields (compared with visual astrophotography) !!
:)
Very cool !