Telescopes

1st High Energy Astrophysics Observatory ( HEAO 1. GSFC. NASA )
The first of NASA's three High Energy Astronomy Observatories, HEAO 1 was launched aboard an Atlas Centaur rocket on 12 August 1977 and operated until 9 January 1979. During that time, it scanned the X-ray sky almost three times over 0.2 keV - 10 MeV, provided nearly constant monitoring of X-ray sources near the ecliptic poles, as well as more detailed studies of a number of objects through pointed observations.
2nd High Energy Astrophysics Observatory ( HEAO 2, renamed Einstein. GSFC. NASA )
The second High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO-B) was launched into an approximate 100-min low Earth orbit on 13 November 1978. Renamed the Einstein Observatory, it operated (with one significant interruption) until April 1981 and made over 5,000 targeted observations.
ABRIXAS
ABRIXAS is a small satellite mission which will observe the X-ray sky in the energy band 0.5-10 keV. To be launched in February 1999 ABRIXAS will continuously scan the sky for three years with an imaging telescope, resulting in an all-sky survey.
Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers ( AMPTE )
ADS Einstein Archive Service ( Einstein )
This service provides query and retrieval capability for the Einstein X-ray Observatory's processed data archive. The archive includes about 5000 X-ray observations (in astronomical standard FITS format) taken between 1978 and 1981.
Advanced Camera for Surveys ( ACS )
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) will be installed in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during a Space Shuttle mission in 1999. ACS will increase the discovery efficiency of the HST by a factor of ten. ACS will consist of three electronic cameras and a complement of filters and dispersers that detect light from the ultraviolet at 1200 angstroms to the near infrared at 10,000 angstroms.
Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics ( ASCA ASTRO-D )
ASCA (formerly named Astro-D) is Japan's fourth cosmic X-ray astronomy mission, and the second for which the United States is providing part of the scientific payload. The satellite was successfully launched February 20, 1993.
Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility ( AXAF. Harvard University )
AXAF, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, is the U.S. follow-on to the Einstein Observatory. Originally three instruments and a high-resolution mirror carried in one spacecraft, the project was reworked in 1992 and 1993. The AXAF spacecraft will carry a high resolution mirror, two imaging detectors, and two sets of transmission gratings
Air Force Maui Optical Station ( AMOS )
Information about the Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS), located on Maui, Hawaii. This is a dual-use facility, supporting both US government agencies as well as the civilian community. Assets include visible and IR sensors, and a 3.67 meter telescope under construction.
All About The Center for EUV Astrophysics
All About the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer
All-sky Low Energy Gamma Ray Observatory ( ALEGRO )
ALLEGRO is a proposed MidEx class instrument providing all-sky monitoring of low-energy gamma-rays at unprecedented sensitivity. Unlike previous hard X-ray experiments, there is no time-averaging, data-selection, or triggering on-board: ALLEGRO transmits all events, time-tagged to 1/8th ms and with full energy information. This produces a database of uniformly high resolution in both energy and time, permitting non-triggered, unbiased detection of transient and pulsed events.
Anglo-Australian Telescope / Schmidt Telescope Unit ( AAT / STU )
Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array ( AMANDA )
Anti-matter Research Through the Earth Moon Ion Spectrometer ( ARTEMIS )
The search for anti-matter in the TeV cosmic rays may be addressed by the means of the Atmospheric Cerenkov Techniques. The shadow of the Moon on the cosmic rays must be split by the Earth magnetic field between an eastward shadow for matter and a westward one for anti-matter. ARTEMIS is a project to observe this effect, carried-on with the 10 m telescope of the Whipple Observatory.
Apache Point Observatory
APO is privately owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC), consisting of the University of Chicago, Institute for Advanced Study, Johns Hopkins University, New Mexico State University, Princeton University, University of Washington, and Washington State University. The observatory consists of a 3.5-meter telescope and three future telescopes which are under construction.
Arecibo Observatory - National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center ( NAIC )
Armagh Observatory ( Ireland )
Information on research programme and staff. Access to some Armagh Preprints and historical documentation.
Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors ( ALEXIS )
ALEXIS' X-ray telescopes feature curved mirrors whose multilayer coatings reflect and focus low-energy X-rays or extreme ultraviolet light the way optical telescopes focus visible light. The satellite and payloads were funded by the Department of Energy and built by Los Alamos National Laboratory in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory and the University of California-Space Sciences Lab. The Launch was provided by the Air Force Space Test Program on a Pegasus Booster on April 25, 1993. The mission is entirely controlled from a small groundstation at LANL.
Asiago Observatory ( Padova )
Astro Imaging Home Page ( Astro-Photographs and Astronomy Research Links. )
Astro Imaging provides astro-photographs, virtual research library, and weather information for astronomers.
Astro-2 ( Astro-2. MSFC. NASA )
Astro-2 is a high-tech observatory flying for 16 days in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-67 mission. The Astro-2 instruments allow astronomers to view stars, galaxies, planets and quasars in ultraviolet light, which is invisible to our eye
ATNF - Australia Telescope Compact Array ( ATCA, Narrabri )
The Paul Wild Observatory, near Narrabri, is part of the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), and operated by the CSIRO; the Officer-in-Charge is Dr Graham Nelson. The Narrabri site contains the Australia Telescope Compact Array, which consists of five antennas located along a 3-km railtrack, and a 6th antenna 3 km further to the west.
ATNF - Mopra Antenna ( ATNF Mopra )
The Mopra 22-m antenna is part of the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), operated by the CSIRO. It is intended for use in conjunction with other AT antennas (the six 22-m dishes at Narrabri, and the 64-m Parkes dish) to form the Long Baseline Array. Like the Parkes antenna, it is also used for single-dish operation; mm-wavelength receivers are to be installed soon.
ATNF - Parkes Observatory ( ATNF Parkes )
The CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility operates a group of radio telescopes collectively known as the Australia Telescope. The ATNF Parkes Observatory consists of a 64m telescope which is used as an independent instrument, and networked with other Australian and international radio telescopes for VLBI.
Australia Telescope National Facility ( ATNF )
CSIRO's Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) is an organisation that supports and undertakes research in radio astronomy. It operates the Australia Telescope, the collective name for a set of radio telescopes in New South Wales. These telescopes are used, individually or together, to study objects in the Universe ranging from the remains of dead stars to entire galaxies.
Automated Telescopes
Links to Automated telescopes on the Internet.
BeppoSAX Mission ( SAX )
The X-ray astronomy satellite BeppoSAX (Satellite per Astronomia X "Beppo" in honor of Giuseppe Occhialini) is a project of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) with participation of the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs (NIVR).
In the framework of past and future X-ray missions BeppoSAX stands out for its wide spectral coverage, ranging from 0.1 to over 200 keV. The sensitivity of the scientific payload allows the detailed study over the entire energy band of sources as weak as about 1/20 of 3C273. This opens new perspectives in the study of broad band X-ray spectra and variability of cosmic sources.
Berkeley Illinois Maryland Association ( BIMA - Hat Creek )
BIMA is a consortium consisting of the The University of California at Berkeley, The University of Illinois at Urbana and The University of Maryland at College Park which operates and maintains a millimeter-wave radio interferometer at Hat Creek, California.
Big Bear Solar Observatory ( BBSO )
This site contains daily images from our solar optical telescope at Big Bear, California. Fulldisk images for the current month. H-alpha, white light, and Ca-II K-line images are generally available for every observing day; Ca-II K-line fulldisk archive; H-alpha fulldisk archive; White light fulldisk archive; Current high-resolution region images; Programs to read FITS images on IBM PCs and Macintoshes.
Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network ( BiSON )
The current status of the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network - a global network for helioseismology. Additionally some recent results and publications are available.
Broad Band X-ray Telescope ( BBXRT. GSFC. NASA )
The Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT) was flown on the space shuttle Columbia (STS-35) on 1990 December 2-December 11, as part of the ASTRO-1 payload. The flight of BBXRT marked the first opportunity for performing X-ray observations over a broad energy range (0.3-12 keV) with a moderate energy resolution (typically 90 eV and 150 eV at 1 and 6 keV, respectively).
Brown University - Observatories
Bucknell University Observatory
Cagliari Astronomical Observatory ( International Latitude Station )
The Cagliari Astronomical Observatory was established as International Latitude Astronomical Station of Carloforte in 1899, a small town of the sardinian island of S. Pietro. It has been, for about 80 years, one of the five international stations devoted to study the Earth rotation and polar motion. Observations with the zenital telescope were carried out, except in the period of the second world's war. Starting from 1978, the headquarters were moved to Punta Sa Menta, a site 15 km far from Cagliari which has the same latitude of the Carloforte station. (Satellite Laser Ranging, Astrophysics, Planetary Dynamics, Time Laboratory, Data Processing)
Calar Alto Observatory - Schedules for all telescopes
Current schedules for telescopes at the Calar Alto Observatory of the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie
Calar Alto Observatory ( Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman )
The German-Spanish Astronomical Center at Calar Alto is located in the Sierra de Los Filabres in Southern Spain. It operates four telescopes with apertures from 1.2m to 3.5m as well as a Schmidt reflector. A 1.5m-telescope is operated under the control of the Observatory of Madrid.
Caltech Millimeter Array
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory ( CSO )
The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is a cutting-edge facility for astronomical research and instrumentation development. It consists of a 10.4-meter diameter Leighton radio dish situated in a compact dome near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
The following resources are similar (same sort-key, different text):
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory ( CSO )
A single-dish submillimeter telescope on Mauna Kea Hawaii operated by Caltech for the astronomy community under contract from the NSF
Cambridge LFST
Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope ( COAST )
Cambridge Ryle Telescope
Canada France Hawaii Telescope (ftp) ( CFHT )
Canada France Hawaii Telescope (WWW) ( CFHT )
CFHT is a joint facility of the National Research Council of Canada, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii. The CFH observatory hosts a world-class, 3.6 meter optical/infrared telescope. The observatory is located atop the summit of Mauna Kea, a 4200 meter, dormant volcano located on the island of Hawaii. The CFH Telescope became operational in 1979.
There is a Mirror copy of the Web site at CDS.
A CFHT page at CADC has information about the CFHT archive, CCDs, proposal template and manuals.
Carnegie Institution Observatories ( OCIW )
Catania Astrophysical Observatory ( OAC )
Daily solar images (chromosphere and photosphere)
CEA/EUVE Science Resources
Cecil and Ida Green Piñon Flat Observatory ( PFO )
Center for Astronomical Observing Quality ( CAOQ )
Resource for characterization and forecasting of astronomical observing quality at major observatory sites
Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astrophysics ( CEA /EUVE )
The EUVE Guest Observer Center provides information, software, and data to EUVE Guest Observers. The EUVE Public Archive is creating a set of CD-ROMs of EUVE observations. There is also an AnonFTP server which contains the publicly available documents from the EUVE GO Center, the IRAF/EUV software, and the publicly available archive data from EUVE. - README
Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory ( CTIO )
Waveform Def. Language; Arcon images of 30 Dor; Argus documentation; PhotRed; Curtis Schmidt data; Schmidt + thin prism data - README
CFH List of Astronomical Observatories
CFHT Bulletins
CHARA Array
The CHARA Array will consist of five 1-m aperture telescopes (with an eventual goal of seven) in a Y-shaped array contained within a 400m diameter circle. This configuration will provide high resolution interferometry in the visible spectral region as well as the K spectral band (2.2 micron), with a limiting resolution of 0.2 milliarcsec in the visible.
Cherenkov Array at Themis ( CAT )
Homepage of the CAT (Cherenkov Array at Themis) imager. This is an atmospheric Cherenkov imaging telescope for detection of high-energy gamma rays (>200 GeV), sited in the French Pyrenees.
Chicago Air Shower Array
The Chicago Air Shower Array (CASA) is a very large array of scintillation counters located in Utah, fifty miles southwest of Salt Lake City. CASA has been operating since 1992 in coincidence with a second array, the Michigan Anti (MIA), is made of 2500 square meters of buried muon detectors. CASA is the most sensitive experiment built to date in the study of gamma-ray and cosmic ray interactions at energies above 100 TeV (10^14 electron-Volts). Research topics on data from this experiment cover a wide variety of physics issues, including the search for gamma-rays from extragalactic sources (quasars and gamma-ray bursts), the study of diffuse gamma-ray emission from the Galactic plane, and a measurement of the cosmic ray composition in the poorly understood region from 100 to 100,000 TeV.
CHORUS
Climenhaga Observatory
COBRAS/SAMBA
COBRAS/SAMBA is an ESA project designed to image the anisotropies of the Cosmic Background Radiation Field over the whole sky, with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. COBRAS/SAMBA will provide a major source of information relevant to several cosmological and astrophysical issues, such as testing theories of the early universe and the origin of cosmic structure.
Collaboration between Australia and Nippon for a Gamma Ray Observatory in the Outback ( CANGAROO )
The project uses two gamma ray telescopes at a dark site 15 km from Woomera, a small town 500 km north of Adelaide.
Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito ( CASLEO )
The Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito is an astronomical facility operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina and the Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan.
Its main telescope is a 2.15 meter reflector, equipped with direct CCD camera, spectrographs, a photopolarimeter and other instruments. It is located at 2552 meters above the sea level, in a high quality astronomical site in the mountains of Calingasta, 240 km away from the city of San Juan (Argentina).
The use of this facility is open to the national and international astronomical community.
Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory ( CGRO. GSFC. NASA )
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is the second of NASA's Great Observatories. Compton, at 17 tons, the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown, was launched on April 5, 1991 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. Compton has four instruments that cover an unprecedented six decades of the electromagnetic spectrum, from 30 keV to 30 GeV
Compton Observatory Science Support Center ( COSSC. GSFC. NASA )
The COSSC data archive contains information and data related to the following experiments
Compton/GRO FTP Directories
Compton/GRO Observatory Science Support Center/Guest Observer ( Facility )
Query the Library Database; Archive Data Selector; Archive Data Selector Demonstrator; Trouble Report Generator; Access the GRONEWS Bulletin Board
COSB
Overview of the COS-B mission. The COS-B event files are available for world wide access within the EXOSAT Database
COsmic Background Explorer ( COBE )
Cracow - Solar radio emission in dm wavelength
Continuous observations of solar radio emission in decimeter wavelength have been maintained in Cracow since 1957. Beginning from January 1995 we provide the reduced data on-line. The new instrument for solar radio observations is under construction. It is to start its operation in May, 1995.
Curtis Schmidt Telescope
The Curtis Schmidt telescope is a 0.61/.91 meter diameter Schmidt telescope located at the Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory, about 500 km north of Santiago, Chile. This telescope was originally installed at the University of Michigan's Portage Lake Observatory in 1950, and moved to the much clearer skies of north central Chile in 1966. Two thirds of the time on this telescope is available to US and Chilean astronomers, with the remaining one third reserved for astronomers from the Dept. of Astronomy at the University of Michigan.
Danish telescopes around the world
Darwin ( Space IR Interferometry Mission )
Darwin is a proposal for a European infrared interferometer in space. Its first aim is to detect Earth-like planets around nearby stars, and then to search for a signature of life, ozone in an atmosphere. It could also be used as a general-purpose infrared observatory.
Darwin was proposed to the European Space Agency (ESA) for a Cornerstone Mission in its Horizon 2000 Plus plan. In October 1995, ESA decided to study such an infrared interferometer as an option for its Interferometer Cornerstone. The Darwin and Edison teams have combined to promote the selection by ESA of this option. The Darwin advocacy team members are also members of the International Working Group on Space Interferometry , a pressure group for this type of mission. Final selection on cost, science and technology grounds will be made around 2000, for a launch in the period 2009 - 2017.
Deep Space Network - Goldstone Deep Space Station
Deep Undersea Muon and Neutrino Detection ( DUMAND )
Directory tree of information about the DUMAND project, designed to serve the needs of the experimenters, as well as to make information about DUMAND progress available to the broader scientific public.
Effelsberg Radio Telescope ( MPIfR )
The Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) operates the world's largest movable radio telescope, a 100-m single-dish near Effelsberg, 40 km south of Bonn, Germany.
Einstein Observatory
ESA - Villafranca Satellite Tracking Station ( ESA - VILSPA: IUE, ISO )
General information on the ESA Satellite Tracking Station and on the projects supported at Villafranca: IUE, Marecs and ISO (in the near future). The service includes links to other ESA Establishments.
Estación de Observación Solar / Solar Observational Station ( EOS )
The Astronomy Area of CIF-US (Center for Research on Physics/Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico), operates EOS (Estacion de Observacion Solar/Solar Observational Station), one of the two solar observatories in the country with an observational program of active regions at the continuum, and H-Alpha and Calcium lines, through a two-heliostat system and a 15 cm refractor telescope.
European Southern Observatory ( ESO )
ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is a multinational organisation of eight European member states. It operates astronomical observatories in Chile and has its headquarters in Munich, Germany.
European X-ray Observatory Satellite Data Center ( EXOSAT at ESTEC. ESA )
Payload description
European X-ray Observatory ( EXOSAT at GSFC. NASA )
The European Space Agency's X-ray Observatory, EXOSAT, was operational from May 1983 to April 1986. During that time, EXOSAT made 1780 observations of a wide variety of objects, including active galactic nuclei, stellar coronae, cataclysmic variables, white dwarfs, X-ray binaries, clusters of galaxies, and supernova remnants.
EUVE Archive
Evansville Astronomical Society Online ( EASOnline )
EAS Online is the web home of the Evansville Astronomical Society. Meetings are held monthly at the Wahsiedler Observatory in Lynnville Park, Lynnville Indiana. The Observatory houses a 14" SCT and a 9" refractor.
Exploration of Neighboring Planetary Systems ( ExNPS )
NASA's plan for the Exploration of Neighboring Planetary Systems (ExNPS) consists of a long term program of continuous scientific discovery and technological development leading ultimately to the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets around nearby stars.
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer ( FUSE )
Information on the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, a satellite astronomy project based at The Johns Hopkins University
FAST Mission ( NASA Small Explorer Program )
The NASA Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) Satellite is designed to investigate the plasma physics of the auroral phenomena which occur around both poles of the earth.
Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory ( FCRAO )
The FCRAO was founded in 1969 by the University of Massachusetts, together with Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College. The original low frequency telescope was superseded in 1976 by a 14-m diameter radome-enclosed antenna for use at high radio frequencies (mm wavelengths), built primarily to study the physics and chemistry of interstellar clouds, circumstellar envelopes, planetary atmospheres, and comets.
Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory ( OFXB )
The François-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory, located above the village of St-Luc in the Swiss Alps, stands at an altitude of 2200 metres. It is intended not only for the experienced amateur wishing to produce work of a quasi-professional quality, but also for the use of schools and for simple visitors. curious.
Equipped with numerous instruments (60 cm reflecting telescope with CCD camera, 20 cm refracting telescope, coelostat, 16 cm coronagraph) it may be used day or night.
Fred Lawrence Whipple Gamma-Ray Telescopes ( Tucson, Ariz )
Gamma-Ray Astronomy with COMPTEL ( MPE Garching )
Local project documentation and utilities as well as collaboration-wide information sources are maintained by the MPE COMPTEL people for: COMPTEL Data Reduction Group work: documents, scientific results and utilities used by the data analysts, the processing team and the scientists. COMPASS software system work : technical and management documents, used and maintained by the MPE software team. the local computing environment : documents on system configuration, maintained by the MPE/RZG software team. MPE - COMPTEL People Matters: the weekly activity list individual 'home pages'
Gemini 8m Telescopes Project (GOPHER) ( Gemini )
Gemini 8m Telescopes Project ( Gemini )
The Gemini 8m Telescopes Project is an international project to build two infrared-optimized telescopes. One telescope will be located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii; the other will be on Cerro Pachon, Chile.
Gemini/Pachon/ArCon
Gloabal Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics ( GAIA )
GAIA is a preliminary concept for a second space astrometry mission (after HIPPARCOS), recently recommended within the context of ESA's Horizon 2000 Plus long-term scientific programme. It is aimed at the broadest possible astrophysical exploitation of optical interferometry using a modest baseline length.
Global Oscillation Network Group ( GONG )
Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation Definition Team ( GHRS-IDT )
The GHRS is one of four axial instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope and is designed to obtain UV spectra over a wide range of resolutions. This page was set up as a reference source for team members and other users of the instrument.
Green Bank
Ground-based Solar and Astrophysical Observatory Guide ( by Gordon Johnston )
Grove Creek Observatory, Australia ( GCO )
Grove Creek Observatory in NSW Australia, specializes in CCD imaging and research. Accomodation available for visiting amateur astronomers. Has Mirror Site in USA.
Guillermo Haro Observatory ( Cananea, Mexico )
Haleakala Observatories ( Hawaii )
Hard Labor Creek Observatory ( HLCO )
Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory ( HartRAO )
Hat Creek Radio Observatory ( UMD )
Haystack Observatory
High Altitude Observatory ( HAO )
The following resources are similar (same sort-key, different text):
High Altitude Observatory ( HAO )
Today's Observatory program includes numerical simulation of convection, radiation transport, and large-scale dynamics in both the solar and terrestrial atmospheres, plus observational programs to measure the Sun's output of magnetized plasma and radiation over the 11 year sunspot cycle of the Sun.
High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy experiment ( HEGRA )
The HEGRA experiment was constructed for investigations of cosmic rays (seen as extended air showers) at energies too high to be detectable by small satellite experiments. The HEGRA detector is sensitive in the energy range from 0.5-10.000 TeV and was designed with special emphasis on the detection of Gamma Rays. HEGRA is located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma.
High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment ( HEXTE )
The High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment is one of 3 common-user instruments on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) which was launched on 1995 December 30. The HEXTE is sensitive to X-rays from 15 to 250 keV and is able to time-tag photons in this energy range to 8 microseconds.
High Resolution Fly's Eye Cosmic Ray Detector ( HiRes )
The HiRes detector - an atmospheric fluorescence detector: HiRes currently consists of two sites on top of two mountains seperated by 13km in western Utah. At present it consists of a 14 mirror prototype at the first site and a 4 mirror site at the second site. Construction is under way to built two full eyes which should be finnished by the end of 1996
High-Energy Antimatter Telescope ( HEAT )
A description of the HEAT (High-Energy, Antimatter Telescope) instrument, a high-altitude-balloon-borne detector of antimatter, flown by NASA's NSBF (National Scientific Balloon Facility) branch.
High-Throughput X-Ray Spectroscopy Mission ( XMM. ESTEC. ESA )
XMM is an X-ray astrophysics observatory under development by the European Space Agency for operation around the turn of the century. This facility-class observatory, with an anticipated lifetime of over ten years, will enable astronomers to conduct sensitive X-ray spectroscopic observations of a wide variety of cosmic sources
Hipparcos
Hipparcos is a space experiment dedicated to the precise measurement of the positions, parallaxes and proper motions of the stars. The intended goal was to measure the five astrometric parameters of some 120 000 primary programme stars to a precision of some 2 to 4 milli-arcsec, over a planned mission lifetime of 2.5 years, and the astrometric and two-colour photometric properties of some 400 000 additional stars (the Tycho experiment) to a somewhat lower astrometric precision. The project was accepted within the ESA scientific programme in 1980. The satellite was launched by Ariane, in August 1989, and after collecting more than three years of extremely high-quality scientific data, communications were terminated with the satellite in August 1993. All of the mission goals have been achieved, and in most cases significantly exceeded. The first results are expected to be available to Principal Investigators during 1996, and widely distributed early in 1997.
Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope ( HUT )
Astronomers at the Johns Hopkins University designed the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) to explore the far- and extreme-ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. HUT has a 36-inch primary mirror which collects ultraviolet light for a prime-focus spectrograph. The spectrograph disperses light in the 825 to 1850 Angstrom wavelength range with a resolution of 3 Angstroms
Hubble Space Telescope ( HST - from CADC )
Also, there is a page from ST-ECF .
IAC / Observatorio del Teide
IAC / Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos
Indiana University Automated Photometric Telescope
Infra-Red Telescope Facility ( IRTF )
The IRTF is a 3.0 meter telescope optimized for use in the infrared. It was first built to support the Voyager missions to Jupiter. It is now the National facility for infrared astronomy providing continued support to planetary and deep space applications. Also contains a FTP site.
Anonymous ftp (Manuals, Forms, Instrument information, Software tools)
Infrared and Optical Telescope Array ( IOTA )
Infrared Space Observatory - 1 ( ISO )
Coordinated information on ISO is available at:
Infrared Space Observatory U.S. Support Center ( ISO )
U.S. science support center for observers using the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), a fully approved and funded project of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique ( IRAM )
IRAM is an international institute for research in millimeter astronomy, cofunded by the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France), the MPG (Max Planck Gesellschaft, Germany), and since September 1990 the IGN (Instituto Geografico Nacional, Spain). The three IRAM sites are:
Institute of Astronomy, Bulgaria ( IABG )
Institute of Astronomy, Bulgaria (IABG) and National Astronomical Observatory "Rozhen".
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica. Astrophysics Department ( INAOE, Mexico )
Information on the Large Millimeter Telescope an about the Cananea observatory
Interferometry Center of Excellence ( ICE, JPL )
The Interferometry Center of Excellence (ICE), at JPL, has been established to ensure the development and maintenance of a leading edge capability in optical and near-infrared interferometric astrometry and imaging.
International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory ( INTEGRAL. ESTEC. ESA )
Technical status of Integral. The mission utilises the service module (bus) under development for the ESA XMM project. Integral will be launched in 2001. The mission is conceived as an observatory led by ESA with contributions from Russia and NASA
International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite ( IUE )
International Ultraviolet Explorer ( IUE )
The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite was launched on the 26th of January 1978 by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Kennedy and transferred into a geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. Information on the project is available at:
Iowa Robotic Observatory
A Consortium consisting of faculty from the Regents Universities of the State of Iowa (University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa) have begun construction of a fully robotic Observatory for undergraduate teaching and research in astronomy and related fields. The Iowa Robotic Observatory (IRO) will consist of a fully computerized telescope and enclosure, a large format imaging CCD camera and photometric filters.
The Winer Mobile Observatory is providing a site in southeastern Arizona to maintain and operate the telescopes.
IPS Radio & Space Services ( IPS )
IPS is a unit of the Australian Government Department of Administrative Services and provides the Australian radio propagation and space environment services. Includes: Sydney Regional Warning Centre; Culgoora Solar Observatory; Learmonth Solar Observatory; Prediction Services; Consultancy Services
IRAM Newsletter
The IRAM Newsletter, edited every odd month, carries information on the status and results of the IRAM telescopes: the 30m telescope at Pico Veleta (Spain) and the Interferometer on Plateau de Bure (France) IRAM (http://iram.fr/) is an international institute for research in millimeter astronomy, cofunded by the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France), the MPG (Max Planck Gesellschaft, Germany), and the IGN (Instituto Geografico Nacional, Spain).
Isaac Newton Group La Palma Information
The Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) consists of the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope, the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope and the 1-m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope. They are situated at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.
IUE Data Analysis Center ( IUEDAC )
The International Ultraviolet Explorer Regional Data Analysis Facilities (RDAF) were established in 1982 to assist users in the interpretation and analysis of IUE data. Programs written using the Interactive Data Language (IDL) have allowed users to reduce and analyze IUE spectral data, display images, perform various database searches and convert IUE data sets into various formats such as FITS, ASCII text, etc. In 1993, the Colorado RDAF was closed, and the RDAF at GSFC was renamed the IUE Data Analysis Center (IUEDAC).
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope ( JCMT )
The 15-m JCMT is situated close to the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and is the largest submillmetre facility in the world. It is owned and operated by the UK, Canada (see HIA JCMT pages) and the Netherlands on behalf of astronomers worldwide. Its home page contains information about the site, the antenna and the instrumentation, as well as a description of the JCMT-CSO interferometer, and details of the various time allocation processes.
Jicamarca Radio Observatory ( Peru )
Joint Astronomy Centre ( Hilo, Hawaii )
The Joint Astronomy Centre incorporates the 15m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and the 3.8m United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) on the 4200m summit of Mauna Kea along with the Centre's Hawaii headquarters in Hilo. The facility is operated by the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh on behalf of the Science and Engineering Research Council of the United Kingdom, the Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek and the National Research Council of Canada.
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe / European VLBI Network ( JIVE / EVN )
The European VLBI Network (EVN) was formed in 1980 by a consortium of five of the major radio astronomy institutes in Europe (the European Consortium for VLBI). Since 1980, the EVN and the Consortium has grown to include 9 institutes with 12 telescopes in 8 western European countries as well as associated institutes with telescopes in Poland, Russia, Ukraine and China. Proposals for additional telescopes in Spain and Italy are under consideration, and furthermore, the EVN can be linked to the 7-element Jodrell Bank MERLIN interferometer in the UK and to the US Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to create a " global network" . In 1993 the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) was created, with the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy (Dwingeloo) acting as the host institute. It will provide both scientific user support and a correlator facility. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) achieves ultra-high angular resolution and is a multi-disciplinary technique e.g. imaging of extragalactic radio sources, geodesy and astrometry. See EVN-TWG Meeting . There is also an EVN anonFTP directory at JB .
JPL Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry Project ( VSOP )
This project supports the VSOP (VLBI Space Observatory Programme) mission led by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Japan, and the RadioAstron mission led by the Astro Space Center of the Lebedev Physical Institute in Russia. VSOP is scheduled for launch in September 1996, while RadioAstron is scheduled for launch in 1997. Each mission involves an orbiting 8-10 meter radio telescope dedicated to astronomical radio interferometry experiments using baselines formed between the spacecraft and a number of ground radio telescopes. A variety of information is now on line, describing the JPL Project, each of the space missions, and the science goals of the missions.
Keck Observatory ( CalTech )
Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik ( KIS )
The Kiepenheuer-Institut is a research institution of the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, dedicated to the study of the Sun. It is located in Freiburg, Germany, and operates solar observing facilities at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain.
Kirkwood Observatory
Kitt Peak National Observatory (FTP) ( KPNO )
Kitt Peak National Observatory ( KPNO )
There is also an anonymous ftp
Kuiper Airborne Observatory ( KAO )
La Palma - Isaac Newton Group (gopher) ( ING )
Telnet
La Palma - Isaac Newton Group (WWW) ( ING )
The Issac Newton Group consists of three telescopes, the 4.2 metre William Herschel Telescope, the 2.5 metre Isaac Newton Telescope, and the 1.0 metre Jacobus Kapteyn Telscope. They are situated at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma in the Canary Islands, and are operated by the Royal Observatories of the UK. This resource contains documentation for many of the major instruments, details of how to apply for time, brief descriptions of the telescopes, details and status of the service programme, current telescope schedules, daylight and moonlight diagrams from the Nautical Almanac Office of the RGO, reports on recent instrument commissioning, and pointers to weather information for La Palma and to the home pages of other institutions which share the site.
La Palma - Italian National Telescope Galileo ( TNG )
The TNG (Galileo National Telescope) is a Project of the Italian Astronomical community. TNG headquarters (TNG Project Scientist is Cesare Barbieri ) is housed in the Padova Observatory.
La Palma - Nordic Optical Telescope ( NOT )
La Silla - All Telescopes
La Silla - ESO Facilities
Lake Afton Public Observatory
Large Binocular Telescope ( LBT )
Large Millimeter and Submillimeter Array Project ( LMSA Project )
Large Millimeter Wavelength Telescope ( LMT, Mexico )
also see Large Millimeter Wavelength Telescope (LMT, Massachusetts)
Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics ( LLNL )
The focus of the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is the development of integrated adaptive optics (AO) and sodium-layer laser guide star (LGS) systems for use on large astronomical telescopes.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory ( LIGO )
LBT Telescope
The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is a collaboration between the University of Arizona, the Italian astronomical community, which is represented by the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory in Florence, and the Research Corporation in Tucson. The goal of the LBT project is to construct a binocular telescope consisting of two 8.4-meter mirrors on a common mount. This telescope will be equivalent in light-gathering power to a single 11.8-meter instrument. Because of its binocular arrangement, the telescope will have a resolving power (ultimate image sharpness) corresponding to a 23-meter telescope.
Le Very Large Telescope ( VLT )
Présentation du VLT "Very Large Telescope" et de ses 4 miroirs géants de 8 m de diamètre.
Limber Observatory
Limber Observatory is a private observatory and residence in the Texas Hill Country near San Antonio, specializing in optical polarimetry of early emission line stars.
Liquid Mirrors at Université Laval ( LM )
Liquid Mirror (LM) technology is being developed at Université Laval. A f/1.2, 2.5 meter diameter, mercury mirror is being extensively tested in our testing tower. We are also exploring the use of gallium eutectics as reflecting liquids. The design of novel optical correctors to increase the accessible field of view of liquid mirrors up to 45 degrees is also addressed.
Lund Observatory
Local information, re- and preprints, images from the Nordic Optical Telescope
Magellan Mission to Venus
NASA's Magellan spacecraft made a dramatic conclusion to its highly successful mission at Venus when it is commanded to plunge into the planet's dense atmosphere Tuesday, October 11, 1994. During its four years in orbit around Earth's sister planet, the spacecraft has radar-mapped 98 percent of the surface and collected high-resolution gravity data of Venus. The purpose of the crash landing is to gain data on the planet's atmosphere and on the performance of the spacecraft as it descends. Up-to-date status reports will be available from this WWW page, which also offers Venus images and other highlights from the mission.
MAP Introduction to Cosmology Page
This page aims to introduce a general audience to the basic concepts of cosmology. It also describes the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) and its scientific goals
Martz Observatory & Martz Astronomical Assn., Inc.
The Web Site for the Martz Observatory & Astronomical Association. The Martz Observatory has served western New York state since 1965. The Martz Astronomical Association, Inc. (501c3) conducts public education programming at the observatory and other locations that give over 15,000 people access to the stars every year.
Mauna Kea Observatories
Mauritius Radio Telescope ( MRT Mauritius Radio Telescope )
MRT is a southern sky survey telescope, which is making a complimentary survey to 6C (southern sky) and observing selected southern sky pulsars. UK and original MRT pages.
Max-Planck-Institut fr Astronomie ( MPIA, Heidelberg )
The MPIA operates the Calar Alto Observatory as well as conducting research in different areas of astronomy and astrophysics including star formation, extragalactic objects, astrophysical theory, and instrumentation development.
MDM Observatory ( MDM Observatory )
MDM Observatory was founded by the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Current operating partners include Michigan, Dartmouth, MIT, Ohio State University, and Columbia University. The Observatory is located on the southwest ridge of the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, AZ. It operates two telescopes: the 2.4-m Hiltner telescope and the 1.3-m McGraw-Hill telescope.
Mees Solar Observatory ( MSO, Hawaii )
Metsahovi Radio Research Station
The Metsähovi Radio Research Station, a separate research institute of the Helsinki University of Technology since May 1988, operates a 14 m diameter radome enclosed radio telescope at Metsähovi, 40 km west of Helsinki, Finland. The Cassegrain telescope system can be used at frequencies 10 - 230 GHz (wavelengths 3 cm - 1.8 mm).
Michigan State's Telescope Initative
Outreach efforts to merge astronomy research and non-science education
Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( MAP )
NASA has selected MAP has one of the next MIDEX missions. It will map the microwave background fluctuations over the whole sky and provide insights into the formation of galaxies and the basic parameters of cosmology.
Millimeter Array project ( MMA )
Millstone Hill Observatory ( MHO, Haystack )
The Millstone Hill Observatory, located in Westford Massachusetts, is a broad-based atmospheric sciences research facility owned and operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Atmospheric Sciences Group, which staffs and manages the observatory, is a part of M.I.T's Haystack Observatory, a basic research organization whose focus is radio wave and radar science, instrumentation and techniques. The following resources may be of interest. EISCAT is a particularly good source of data and useful information. See, for example, incoherent scatter radar and magnetosphere Millstone Hill Observatory: Information, data, etc., including real-time radar status and data when the radar is operating. EISCAT: European Incoherent Scatter Association. NCAR: National Center for Atmospheric Research. NSF: National Science Foundation Gopher server. NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NGDC: National Geophysical Data Center.
Mississippi State University - Howell Observatory
Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope ( MOST )
The MOST consists of two cylindrical paraboloids, 778m x 12m, separated by 15m and aligned East-West. A line feed system of 7744 circular dipoles collects the signal and feeds 176 preamplifiers and 88 IF amplifiers. The telescope is steered by mechanical rotation of the cylindrical paraboloids about their long axis, and by phasing the feed elements along the arms. The resulting `alt-alt' system can follow a field for +/- 6 hours (necessary for a complete synthesis with an East-West array) only if the field is south of declination -30 degrees. For fields near this limit the signal-to-noise ratio is considerably lower for the first and last hour or so due to the lower gain of the system at large `meridian distance' angles.
MOnitoring X-ray Experiment ( MOXE )
The MOnitoring X-ray Experiment (MOXE) is an X-ray all-sky monitor to be launched on the Russian Spectrum-X-Gamma satellite in 1996. It will monitor several hundred X-ray sources on a daily basis, and will be the first instrument to monitor the complete X-ray sky simultaneously. MOXE is built by Los Alamos Nat Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center and Space Research Institute (Moscow).
MONOPTEC's Fixed Shutter Dome ( FSD )
MONOPTEC licenses the Fixed Shutter Dome, an enabling technology in observatory enclosures and satellite laser ranging systems. Four FSD's now reside in Tokyo, Japan, as part of the Keystone Project.
Mount Laguna Observatory
Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory ( Tasmania )
Mount Wilson Observatory
The mountain is host to several ongoing observing projects using the onsite facilities. The observatory has two primary nighttime telescopes: the 60-inch telescope, built in 1908 is home to the HK Project and the Atmospheric Compensation Experiment; and the 100-inch (Hooker) telescope, built in 1917, which is available to the scientific community. Two solar observatories, the 60-foot tower telescope (operated by USC), and the 150-foot tower telescope (operated by UCLA) maintain long-term exploration of the magnetic activity behavior of the Sun. There are also two interferometers onsite: the Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI, operated by U.C. Berkeley), and the NRL Optical Interferometer. The Telescopes in Education (TIE) Project operates a 24" telescope, as well as the Snow Solar Telescope (built in 1904). Finally, a fully-robotic 32-inch Automatic Photoeletric Telescope (APT) is operated by Tennessee State University. New service of MWO Online Stargazer Map
Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN - Jodrell Bank )
Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory (1) ( MMTO )
Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory (2) ( MMTO )
Nation River Observatory
National Astronomical Observatory of Spain ( OAN )
OAN is a 200 year old institution devoted to research in astronomy that operates several observatories. The Yebes Observatory is the site of a mm-wave 14m telescope devoted to spectroscopy and VLBI. A 1.5m optical telescope is located at the Calar Alto Observatory. The OAN is also the Spanish partner of IRAM, which runs a 30m mm-wave telescope and a 5x15m mm-wave interferometer.
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics ( NCRA )
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics is the leading centre in India for reseach in radio astronomy. It operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope(GMRT), one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world for radio astronomy at metre wavelengths.
National Laboratory for Astrophysics ( LNA, Brazil )
LNA is an Institute of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). At present, LNA supports 3 telescopes: the 1.6-m Ritchey-Chretien and coudé, the 0.6-m Cassegrain and the 0.6-m telescope of the University of São Paulo.
National Solar Observatory ( NSO )
Synoptic Solar Magnetograms
National Undergraduate Research Observatory ( NURO )
The National Undergraduate Research Observatory (NURO) at Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University is a 0.8m telescope located on Anderson Mesa south of Flagstaff, Arizona. NURO is a consortium of Universities and small colleges to provide a research grade telescope for undergraduate research and education.
Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking ( NEAT )
NEAT is an autonomous celestial observatory located at the USAF/Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) site on Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii. It is designed to complete a comprehensive search of the sky for near-Earth asteroids and comets.
Neutrino Oscillation MAgnetic Detector ( NOMAD )
Nomad (Neutrino Oscillation MAgnetic Detector) is CERN experiment WA96. The experiment searches for the oscillation nu_mu -> nu_tau in the CERN wide-band neutrino beam. It aims at detecting tau-neutrino charged-current interactions by observing the production of the tau lepton through its various decay modes by means of kinematical criteria.
Next Generation Space Telescope ( NGST )
The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) is a critical component of NASA's Origins Program. It will be a telescope of aperture greater than 4m, radiatively cooled to 30 - 60 deg.K, permitting extremely deep exposures at near infrared wavelengths with a 10 year life. A key requirement is to break the HST cost paradigm through the use of new technology and management methods. This site is designed to serve as the starting point for finding online NGST Study documentation.
There is also a public home page at NASA, and a European site at ST-ECF.
NICMOS UofA ( NICMOS )
The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) is a second-generation instrument to be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the February 13, 1997 on-orbit servicing mission. NICMOS will provide infrared imaging and spectroscopic observations of astronomical targets between 0.8-2.5 microns.
Nobeyama Radio Observatory, NAOJ ( NRO )
Information regarding the 45-m Telescope, the Millimeter Array(NMA), the Large Millimeter and Submillimeter Array (LMSA) project, and much more.
Nordic Optical Telescope, Image/Photo Gallery ( NOTIPG )
Astronomical images and pictures of the site and staff of the Nordic Optical Telescope
Noto VLBI Station
NRAO 12m
Oak Ridge Observatory
Observatório Nacional, Brazil ( Rio de Janeiro )
Observatoire de Haute-Provence ( OHP )
The Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP) is an optical observatory in southeast France offering small and medium-sized observing facilities to astronomers in France, Europe and abroad. Includes information about instruments and user manuals.
Observatoire du Mont Mégantic ( OMM )
Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees ( OMP )
The Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP) is an observatory of the Earth and Space Sciences Institute (INSU), of the French National Science Agency (CNRS). Laboratories are located on the Rangueuil campus of Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse (UPS), in Bagnères, Lannemezan and on the summit of Pic du Midi de Bigorre.
Observatorio Astronómico Nacional
The Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (OAN) operates 3 telescopes (2.1m, 1.5m, and 0.84m) up in the mountains of the Sierra San Pedro Martir of Baja California. The observatory offices and workshops are located in Ensenada, B.C. overlooking the Pacific ocean. OAN is a part of the Instituto de Astronomía of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Observatorium Hoher List ( Bonn )
Observing with EUVE
Ohio State University ( Big Ear )
Big Ear is a Kraus-type radio telescope which covers an area larger than three football fields. The telescope is famous for discovering some of the most distant known objects in the universe, and the longest-running SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) project.
Onsala Space Observatory ( OSO )
OSO is the Swedish National Facility for Radio Astronomy.
Optical Correctors for Fixed Telescopes
One of the often cited limitations of liquid mirror telescopes pertains to the small region of sky which they can observe. Because the aberrations of a parabola increase rapidly with field angle, classical corrector designs cannot yield subarcsecond images for angles significantly greater than one degree. To access larger fields, innovative corrector designs must be explored.
In these pages we discuss the Optical Design and Testing of a family of two-mirror correctors to compensate the aberrations of a fixed parabolic mirror observing at a large angle from the zenith.
Orbiting Very Long Baseline Interferometry ( OVLBI )
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri ( Firenze )
English Version (not as current as Italian version)
Osservatorio Astronomico Collurania di Teramo ( OACT )
Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna
Includes history, research activities, photos, preprints and a visit to the Astronomical Museum to view items from the collection.
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera/Merate
Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo " Giuseppe S. Vaiana"
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma - Sede di Monte Porzio
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma ( OAR )
Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino ( OATo )
Owens Valley Radio Observatory ( OVRO )
Palomar Observatory ( CalTech )
Perugia University Astronomical Observatory
Articles, data, researches, and new developments at Perugia University Astronomical Observatory.
Physics and Space Technology Directorate ( LLNL )
Polar Observatory Stratospheric Telescope ( POST )
POST is an ultralight 4m diameter telescope suspended at an altitude of 12km (40,000ft) from a 90m aerostat above a base near Fairbanks, Alaska. The large mirror (the Hubble Space Telescope mirror is only 2.5m in diameter) when operated in the cold, thin, dry polar stratosphere will provide images whose resolution rivals that of HST, and exceeds that of any ground-based telescope including Keck. The intensity of the images is ten times stronger than HST. In the infrared, POST will detect galaxies in the early universe which are 10 times fainter than those that can be detected with any present or planned space or ground telescope. POST will take images and data in the infrared beyond 2 microns where HST is ineffective and in spectral windows which are closed to ground-based telescopes.
Puckett Observatory
Pushchino Radioastronomy Observatory (PRAO) ( PRAO )
Pushchino Radioastronomy Observatory of Astro Space Center of P.N.Lebedev Physical Institute (PRAO ASC LPI).
Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment ( RICE )
A prototype ultra-high energy neutrino detector/obervatory located at the South Pole. RICE consists of an array of radio antennas buried deep in the ice which detect coherent Cherenkov emission from electromagnetic cascades produced as a by product of ultra-high energy neutrino interactions.
Radio télescope millimetrique POM2 [French]
ROBERTSON, Jeff W. ( Indiana University )
Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment ( ROTSE )
ROTSE is an experimental program to search for astrophysical optical transients on time scales of a fraction of a second to a few hours. This is an area of astronomical science that has been relatively unexplored until now. The primary incentive for this research is to find the optical counterparts of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Two sets of instruments are now under construction: ROTSE-I, a 4-fold camera array using telephoto lenses to cover a 16 degree by 16 degree field of view and ROTSE-II, a pair of 0.45 meter aperture telescopes to cover a 2 degree by 2 degree field of view. The expected sensitivities of these two systems is expected to be m_v ~ 15 and 18 respectively.
ROentgen SATellite ( ROSAT at GSFC. NASA )
ROSAT, the ROentgen SATellite, is an X-ray observatory developed through a cooperative program between the Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The satellite was designed and is operated by Germany, and was launched by the United States on June 1, 1990.
ROSAT
Roentgen Satellite (X-ray satellite) operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Garching, Germany
Rothney Astrophysical Observatory ( RAO )
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh ( ROE )
This site offers information about the extensive activities of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, a PPARC establishment responsible for building common-user IR and sub-mm instrumentation and managing telescope sites and data archive resources, as well as the UK Schmidt Telescope and the SuperCOSMOS measuring machine. The ROE site also has links to, or acts as the home page for: and much more information besides.
Sacramento Peak Observatory ( SPO, part of NSO )
Anonymous ftp
SAtellite for Measurement of cosmological Background Anisotropies ( SAMBA )
SAMBA will use bolometers to survey the sky in the 0.3-6mm wavelength range. The project has been selected by ESA for a merging with the COBRAS proposal, which gives the COBRAS/SAMBA mission.
Satellites with High Energy Astrophysics Instrumentation ( HEASARC. GSFC. NASA )
Comprehensive list of satellites with high energy astrophysics instrumentation. Includes images from these missions
SciAstro -- General Astronomy Chat
SciAstro is an Undernet IRC Chat Channel that is devoted to discussion of astronomy. Open 24 hours, visit our web page for information about forums and other special events, information about getting on irc, and our online newsletter.
SciTech Astronomical Research ( STAR Research Telescopes )
Design and manufacture specialized and general purpose telescopes and instrumentation for research and education.
Sejong Observatory
Small Explorers ( SMEX )
NASA's Small Explorer (SMEX) program provides frequent flight opportunities for highly focused and relatively inexpensive science missions.
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory ( SOHO )
SOHO will be launched on 1995 October 31. The SOHO spacecraft is being built in Europe by an industry team led by Matra, and instruments are being provided by European and American scientists. Large radio dishes around the world which form NASA's DSN will be used to track the spacecraft beyond the Earth's orbit. Mission control will be based at GSFC in Maryland.
Solar Extreme-ultraviolet Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph ( SERTS )
The Solar Extreme-ultraviolet Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) instrument obtains spatially resolved spectra and spectroheliograms over a wide range of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths characteristic of temperatures between 5x10^4-3x10^7K, providing information about the Sun's corona and upper transition region. Wavelength coverage is 170-450A with spectral resolution near 10000, spatial resolution as good as 5arcsec, and relative photometric accuracy within +/- 20% over most of its range. This page contains links to information about the instrument, a solar EUV line list between 170 and 450 A from the SERTS-89 flight, and a list of SERTS-related publications. Soon to be added is information about upcoming launches. Also included are links to other WWW servers relevant to solar astronomers.
Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment ( STACEE )
STACEE is a new experiment for detecting gamma-rays with energies from 20 to 300 GeV, corresponding to the last unopened window in the electromagnetic spectrum. STACEE will use a the heliostats available at a large solar power facility to collect Cherenkov light that results from gamma-ray air showers. STACEE is currently under development and should be operational sometime in 1997 or 1998.
South African Astronomical Observatory ( SAAO )
This is the SAAO home page. It gives a brief introduction to the work done at SAAO, how to submit observing requests, lists of preprints (with abstracts) of SAAO staff members, facilities manual and pictures.
Southern Columbia Millimeter Telescope ( 1.2 Meter )
Space Infrared Telescope Facility ( SIRTF )
The Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF), currently under design by NASA, is planned to be a cryogenically cooled observatory to conduct infrared astronomy from space following its launch early next decade. SIRTF will consist of a 0.85-meter diameter telescope and three scientific instruments capable of performing imaging and spectroscopy in the 3-180 micron wavelength regime. Incorporating the latest in large-format infrared detector array technology, SIRTF will offer orders-of-magnitude improvements in sensitivity over previous IR missions. SIRTF is presently planning for launch in 2002, and is expected to have a 2.5-year lifetime
Space Interferometry Mission ( SIM )
SIM will be NASA's first space interferometer designed specifically for measuring the position of stars. SIM will utilize multiple telescopes placed along a 10-meter (33-foot) structure.
Spectrum UV
SPECTRUM UV is planned as a general purpose ultraviolet observatory. Phase A study activities are supported by the Space Agencies of Russia, Ukraine, Italy and Germany. Spectrum UV is planned to be launched round the turn of the century.
Spectrum-X-Gamma Coordination facility ( SXG. University of Harvard )
Spectrum-X-Gamma (SXG) is an international high-energy astrophysics observatory which is being built under the leadership of the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI). The US SXG CF supports the US astronomical community in obtaining information about SXG, proposing for and making SXG observations, and performing archival research using the SXG archive
Stardial:an autonomous astronomical camera on the World Wide Web ( Stardial )
Stardial delivers images of the night sky nearly in real-time to the world wide web. It is used primarily for educational purposes. Its archive consists of images taken at 15 minute (sidereal) intervals since July 1996. The survey covers from 0 to -8 degrees declination to 12th magnitude. Highlights and possible classroom assignments are described.
Stardust
A space mission that will fly close to a comet and, for the first time ever, bring cometary material back to Earth
Steward Observatory (FTP)
Steward Observatory (WWW)
The Steward Observatory Home Page provides information on the academic and research activities of the University of Arizona Department of Astronomy as well as information on the facilities of Steward Observatory.
Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy ( SOFIA )
The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) will be a 2.5 meter, optical/infrared/sub-millimeter telescope mounted in a Boeing 747, to be used for many basic astronomical observations performed at stratospheric altitudes. The Facility will accommodate installation of different focal plane instruments, with in-flight accessibility, provided by investigators selected from the international science community. The Facility objective is to have an operational lifetime in excess of 20 years.
Submillimeter Array ( SMA )
Submillimeter astronomy from space - 1 ( ODIN at NRC, Canada )
Odin is a combined astronomy/aeronomy mission first conceived and developed by Sweden. Canada, France, and Finland are international partners in the mission. Canada has a 20% share in both aspects of the mission. Launch is anticipated in 1997. The duration of the mission is expected to be about 2 years
Submillimeter astronomy from space - 2 ( ODIN at University of Calgary )
Odin is a combined astronomy/aeronomy mission first conceived and developed by Sweden. Canada, France, and Finland are international partners in the mission. Canada has a 20% share in both aspects of the mission. Launch is anticipated in 1997. The duration of the mission is expected to be about 2 years
Submillimeter Telescope Observatory ( SMTO )
Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satell ( SWAS )
SWAS, the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite, is a pathfinding mission for studying the chemical composition of interstellar galactic clouds to help determine the process of star formation.
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory ( SNO at Queen's University )
SNO is an astronomical neutrino observatory that is being built below ground in the deepest section of INCO Limited's Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario. SNO is an international collaboration of scientists from Canada, USA and UK. Information services are available at
Super-Kamiokande
Super-Kamiokande is a joint Japan-US collaboration to construct the world's largest underground neutrino observatory.
Superconducting Tunnel Junction Detector Research ( STJ )
Such devices promise to yield the near-ideal astronomical photon-counting detector in which not just the location, but also the energy of each photon is recorded at extremely high efficiency. STJ detectors have previously been considered mainly for X-ray astronomy applications, but recent theoretical and laboratory research in the division has led to a dramatic breakthrough in extending the technique to visible and UV wavelengths where energy discrimination up until now has had to rely on filters or low efficiency dispersive optics.
Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope ( SEST )
The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope, acronym SEST, is a 15m diameter radio telescope, which operates in the frequency range 70 - 365 GHz. It was built in 1987 on the ESO site of La Silla.
Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory ( TRAO )
Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory (TRAO) is part of the Korea Astronomy Observatory, which is operated under a cooperative agreement with the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Tartu Observatory
Telescope Array
The Automatic Radio Linked Telescope at NFO
The ARLT is an observatory associated with Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM
The AXAF Science Center Public Info Server
This site provides current information on the "hot" field of X-ray astronomy and the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics (AXAF) mission, NASA's next Great Observatory. Once AXAF is launched aboard the Space Shuttle in September 1998, it will detect X-rays from cosmic sources such as black holes, and exploding stars and galaxies.
The Cosmic Anisotropy Telescope
The CAT is a three-element interferometer for cosmic microwave background observations at 13 to 17 GHz.
The European VLBI Network ( EVN )
The European VLBI network (EVN) home page includes general information on the EVN, including contact adresses around the network, Call for Proposals, the EVN PC page, EVN and global VLBI scheduling, VLBINFO account, EVN experiment feedback facility, Network monitoring reports and other technical documents, the EVN Newsletter archive and a description of the type of science that can be investigated with the EVN array.
The Loiano Telescopes - Bologna
The Radio Astronomy Low Frequency Meeting in Mauritius
On October the 23rd to the 25th we are having a meeting on Radio Astronomy at Low Frequencies . It is to be held in the tropical island of Mauritius, where we put our telescope.
The Whole Earth Telescope ( W.E.T. )
In 1986, astronomers from the University of Texas established a world--wide network of cooperating astronomical observatories to obtain uninterrupted time--series measurements of variable stars. The technological goal was to resolve the multi-periodic oscillations observed in these objects into their individual components; the scientific goal was to construct accurate theoretical models of the target objects, constrained by their observed behavior, from which their fundamental astrophysical parameters could be derived. This approach has been extremely successful, and has placed the fledgling science of stellar seismology at the forefront of stellar astrophysics.
Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg ( TLS )
The observatory is running a 2m telescope which can be used in three different optical configurations: Schmidt telescope Cassegrain telescope Coude telescope
Timisoara Astronomical Observatory, Romania ( O.A.T. )
The Astronomical Institute of Romania, Astronomical Observatory Timisoara. Take a look at the 11 Aug 1999 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE in Timisoara, Romania.
Torun Radio Astronomy Observatory ( TRAO )
Torun Radio Astronomy Observatory (TRAO) is an educational and research facility to study the Universe by means of radio waves. The Observatory is a part of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy of Nicolaus Copernicus University.
UCO/Lick: Keck Telescope
UCO/Lick: Mount Hamilton
Uhuru Satellite ( GSFC. NASA )
Uhuru was the first earth-orbiting mission dedicated entirely to celestial X-ray astronomy. It was launched on 12 December 1970 into an orbit of about 560 km apogee, 520 km perigee, 3 degrees inclination, with a period of 96 minutes. The mission ended in March 1973.
UK Infra-Red Telescope ( UKIRT )
UK Schmidt Telescope ( UKST )
The initial task of the UKST was to construct a photographic survey of the entire southern sky. The telescope still takes some 700 plates a year - about half for current surveys and the remainder taken at the request of research astronomers around the world. To date the UKST has taken over 17,000 plates, the plates are stored in the Plate Library at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh (ROE) and represent a huge source of data for the astronomical community. Some 300 active research programmes make use of UKST plate material. Many plates are copied in the ROE Photolabs and sold as Sky Atlases or Teaching Packages. In addition to its photographic role the UKST also has a multi-object fibre spectroscopy system known as FLAIR. e-mail ukstu@roe.ac.uk
UKIRT Data Archive ( ROE )
The UKIRT data archive contains all the astronomical images and spectra obtained by the UK Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea since January 1992. It is accessed by a sophisticated WWW search form.
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope ( UIT. GSFC. NASA )
The UIT is a 38-cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope equipped for ultraviolet filter and grating imagery over a 40 arcminute field of view. It contains two detector systems: one in the far UV and one in the near UV. The UIT flew onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia as part of the Astro 1 payload. The UIT's second flight will take place in 1995 onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor as part of the Astro 2 payload.
Ulysses Mission ( JPL )
The Ulysses Mission is the first spacecraft to explore interplanetary space at high solar latitudes. Ulysses is a joint endeavor of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the USA. Instruments include: Magnetometer (VHM/FGM), Solar Wind Plasma Experiment (SWOOPS), Solar Wind Ion Composition Instrument (SWICS), Unified Radio and Plasma Wave Instrument (URAP), Energetic Particle Instrument (EPAC), Low-Energy Ion and Electron Experiment (HISCALE), Cosmic Ray and Solar Particle Instrument (COSPIN), Solar X-ray and Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst Instrument (GRB)
University of Bradford - Robotic Telescope
University of California Observatories - Lick Observatory (WWW) ( UCO/Lick )
Lick Observatory Anonymous ftp
University of Denver Astronomy
Mt.Evans Meyer-Womble Observatory located at 14,124 feet above sea level, on Mt.Evans in the Front Range of Colorado, used for infrared astronomy research.
University of Hawaii IfA: 2.2m Telescope
University of Iowa - Automated Telescope Facility
University of Louisville - Moore Observatory
Moore Observatory is located in the Horner Wildlife Sanctuary near Louisville, KY. A computer-controlled 0.5 meter telescope, fiber optically coupled spectrograph, and wide field spectral imaging camera are used there to investigate physical processes in comets and low surface brightness emission nebulae. This resource describes the observatory and its environs, and provides a link to astrophysics research at the University of Louisville.
University of New Hampshire - High Energy Astrophysics Group
COMPTEL Project
University of Oregon - Pine Mountain Observatory
University of Tasmania - Radioastronomy Group
University of Texas, Austin - Department of Astronomy / McDonald Observatory
University of Toronto - David Dunlap Observatory ( DDO )
University of Toronto Southern Observatory ( UTSO )
UTSO operates the 60cm Helen Sawyer Hogg Telescope located on Cerro Las Campanas in north-central Chile. This homepage provides information useful to potential users and others interested in our facility.
Uppsala Astronomical Observatory
The WWW-server contains information about research activities etc, at the astronomical observatory at Uppsala University.
Van Vleck Observatory ( VVO )
Van Vleck Observatory is the home to the Wesleyan University Astronomy Department.
Ventspils International Radioastronomy Centre ( VIRC )
The Ventspils 32-m antenna is the biggest in the Baltics.
Very Large Array ( VLA )
Very Large Telescope Project ( VLT )
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is curently constructing the 16-metre equivalent Very Large Telescope (VLT). This major scientific and technological project aims at installing the world's largest optical telescope in the form of four interconnected telescopes with 8.2-metre mirrors on the Paranal mountain in the Chilean Atacama desert. It continues to be on schedule as it heads towards its completion, just after the year 2000.
Very Long Baseline Array ( VLBA )
Virgo Interferometer ( VIRGO )
The purpose of the Virgo interferometer is to detect arrival of gravitational waves on earth from astronomical sources.
VLBI Antenna at Fortaleza, Brazil
Warren Rupp Observatory Home Page ( wro )
Astronomical Research, Digital Imaging, Comet Search, Planetary observation, Deep sky photography, Education. 31" F7 Telescope with computer drive in 35ft dome. Lots of nice facilities. CCD stuff, Chemical photography. Free access to qualified student, university, profesionals and amateurs.
Warsaw University - Astronomical Observatory
Contains general information about our Observatory and the most up-to-date information on the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) -- a long-term, large scale photometric search for dark matter in our Galaxy using microlensing phenomena.
Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope ( WSRT - NFRA )
The Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope is a linear 3 kilometer array located near the village of Westerbork in the North-East of the Netherlands. The WSRT consists of fourteen 25m dishes along a perfect east-west line. By combining these fourteen elements one can synthesize a radio telescope with a diameter of 3 kilometers.
Whately Telescope
Whipple Observatory
Wide Field Infrared Explorer ( WIRE )
The Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) is a mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that will survey from earth orbit starburst galaxies, galaxies where star formation is taking place at a high rate. It is part of the space agency's Small Explorer Program (launch: 1998).
Wilcox Solar Observatory (Stanford Univ.) ( WSO )
Contains a solar physics database, currently only holds information from Wilcox observatory, but will soon become site of a National Solar Database and will hold much more data from many different sites. - README
WIYN - KPNO (FTP)
WIYN, from Indiana University
Wyoming Infrared Observatory ( WIRO )
X-Ray Astronomy Satellite ( SAX. ESTEC. ESA )
SAX is devoted to systematic, integrated and comprehensive studies of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources in the energy band 0.1 - 200 keV; the observational goal to be addressed is to continue and expand upon previous spectral and timing observations of celestial sources in those areas for which the existing information is missing or inadequate and will remain uncovered in the foreseable future. Sax will be launched by an Atlas G-Centaur directly into a 600 km orbit at 3 degrees inclination at the end of 1995
X-Ray Timing Explorer ( XTE. GSFC.NASA )
The X-ray Timing Explorer, a Goddard mission scheduled for launch in August 1995, is designed to facilitate the study of time variability in the emission of X-ray sources with moderate spectral resolution. Time scales from microseconds to months are covered in an instantaneous spectral range from 2 to 250 keV. It is designed for a required life time of two years, a goal of five years.
YAHOO: List of Observatories
Yerkes Observatory ( University of Chicago )
Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay Wisconsin hosts the 40" refractor, a 41" reflector, a 24" Boller & Chivens reflector, a 10" educational telescope, and support facilities. The 41" telescope is used for research including adaptive optics studies.
Yohkoh Satellite. ISAS, Japan ( description at LMSAL, USA )
Yohkoh (" Sunbeam" in Japanese) is a satellite of the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) dedicated to high-energy observations of the Sun, specifically of flares and other coronal disturbances
Zurich Solar Radio Spectrometer
The Radio Astronomy Group (RAG) of ETH in Zurich, Switzerland recorded solar radio spectrograms with an analog spectrometer called Daedalus(1974-1993) in the range of 100-1000 MHz. Its observation list can be accessed directly. Two digital spectrometers, IKARUS (1978--1985) and PHOENIX (1988 to the present), cover a range from 100--1000 MHz and 0.1--3 GHz, respectively. Their observation list contains references to frequency programs indicating what frequency was observed. More information can be obtained from a RAG member.
Updated on 97/10/19 6:37 GMT by Sergio Paoli spaoli@fcaglp.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar