FUNDRAISER AT YERKES OBSERVATORY February 19, 2012
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy, Observatory.Tags: ARI, Astronomy, Eastern Illinois University, EIU, Observatory, Yerkes Observatory
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30" RC Astroscope
Yerkes Skynet Night Registration
You are invited…
YERKES OBSERVATORY
Skynet Night
Yerkes Observatory event Friday Feb. 24th – 7:00 PM
In 2012, Yerkes will be engaged in a series of fund-raising events to support the restoration and upgrades of Yerkes telescopes and support funding for Yerkes Education Outreach programs. On Friday evening February 24th, Yerkes will host the first of these events.
Supporting SKYNET and Yerkes telescopes
Funds from this first event will be used specifically to upgrade the mirror coating and operation of the Yerkes 41″ reflector, and to support the redesign of the optics of the reclaimed Hands-On Universe 30” telescope by Robert Holmes of the Astronomical Research Institute. Both of these telescopes are operable through SKYNET (http://skynet.unc.edu/), a world-wide network of telescopes, used by scientists, and teachers and students associated with our Yerkes Education Programs and our Collaborators, including Hands-On Universe (HOU) and International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC).
Limited participation, register now!
Participation will be limited to 100 guests; cost $50 per person. There will be several scientists, engineers, educators and students attending to mingle with the guests to discuss SKYNET, our participation in SKYNET and the plans we have to restore Yerkes telescopes. If weather permits, guests will also be invited to do some stargazing through the Yerkes great refractor. Wear warm clothes (domes are not heated) and shoes appropriate for climbing narrow stairs; flashlights are suggested as well.
It is our hope to find benefactors among the guests who will be interested in a contribution beyond the initial $50.
Name___________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ City______________________________ State _____________ Zip__________ YES, _____________ Person(s) will attend @ $50 per person
Check enclosed for $_________________
Checks payable to: University of Chicago, Yerkes Observatory
Send checks to Yerkes Observatory, 373 W. Geneva Street, Williams Bay, WI 53191 Additional information, phone: 262-245-5555, fax: 262-245-9805
You may also register online at http://astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/yo_feb24/index.html
SKY & TELESCOPE Article on Local Observatory November 4, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Asteroids, Astronomers, Observatory, telescopes.Tags: ARI, Asteroid, Eastern Illinois University, EIU, NEO, physics, Sky & Telscope
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December 2011 Issue
The December Issue of Sky & Telescope has hit the newsstand this week. The feature article is on Bob Holmes, an adjunct professor in the Physics Department here at EIU. Bob is director of the Astronomical Research Institute (ARI), a private research observatory about 15 miles away from Charleston. He is one of NASA’s principle people who does orbital measurements of Near Earth Object (NEOs). These are potentially hazardous asteroids that intersect near the Earth’s orbit. All done with telescopes that he BUILT! I’ll tell you next week about the his new 50″ telescope, with picture of the mount installation, that will be fully installed next year. It make ARI the largest privately owned observatory in the world.
New NEO Discovered From ARI, Charleston, IL. March 6, 2011
Posted by jcconwell in Asteroids.Tags: 2011 EB7, ARI, Asteroid, Astronomical Research Institute, Eastern Illinois University, NEO
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2011 EB7 Credit JPL and J Conwell
NEO 2011 EB7 discovered on March 2, by Astronomical Research Institute (ARI), in Charleston Illinois, is an AMOR Near Earth Object (NEO). AMOR’s are Earth-approaching NEAs with orbits exterior to Earth’s, but interior to Mars’ orbit, named after asteroid Amor 1221.Robert Holmes, director of ARI, is an adjunct professor in the physics department at Eastern Illinois university.
2011 EB7 is currently 0.5 AU away from Earth. It also has a predicted orbital period of 2.42 years. The closest point of 2011 EB7 orbit is 0.16AU to Earth’s orbit. For more detailed information go to the JPL site:
Telescope News from ARI and EIU November 7, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Observatory, telescopes.Tags: ARI, Eastern Illinois University, EIU, Observatory, telescope
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Astronomical Research Institute(ARI), Eastern Illinois University and Hands-on Universe in cooperation with the University of Chicago Yerkes Observatory and Argonne National Laboratory just commissioning the 30 inch (0.76m) AutoScope that will be used for education and research. EIU and ARI refurbished this RC optics telescope after it had been stuck by lightning in New Mexico. New photos show it on site at the opening nite celebration.
30" RC Astroscope
We also got to see the progress on the ARI’s 50″ telescope which will hopefully see first light in the summer of 22011. You can see the progress on the massive fork mount that will hold the optical tube.
Dr. Steve Daniels, ARI's Bob Holmes and Prof. Dave Linton looking at the massive folk mount for the 50" telescope
After a new coat of epoxy primer and weighing in at 1990 lbs the fork mount stands ready for the rest of the telescope to be completed.
Fork for the 50" telescope
FIRST LIGHT FROM THE 30″ TELESCOPE! September 5, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Observatory, telescopes.Tags: ARI, Eastern Illinois University, EIU, Observatory, telescope
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First light images on the 30″ Scope taken August 28.These were both about 20 second exposures. To give you an idea of brightness, the center white dwarf star in the ring nebula is about 15th magnitude.
M57 the Ring Nebula
Great Globular Cluster in Hercule, M13
Now the work begins to calibrate the telescope, but we have a starting point now. The RC optics are a bit picky to get aligned after reassembly. We now also can do a full polar alignment of the mount. These
30″ TELESCOPE IS IN!: Summer Update 1 August 31, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy, Observatory, telescopes.Tags: ARI, Eastern Illinois University, EIU, Observatory, telescope
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John Pratte and Bob Holme installing the 30" mirror cell
August 17th was a big day for the EIU Physics department and the Astronomical Research Institute (ARI). We assembled the refurbished 30″ diameter Ritchey–Chrétien telescope. Bob Holmes, director of ARI, and an adjunct faculty member of the EIU Physics department, the Physics students at EIU, John Pratt, and your’s truly have worked for about nine months for this day. If you look at some of the past articles in this blog and at ARI’s site you’ll see some of the history behind this project.
30" Primary Mirror in it cell
First the triangular base was installed; then the rotating cradle that is the Right Ascension Axis, and holds the primary mirror cell, was mounted on motors in the base. Next we used a engine hoist to lift in the steel mirror cell into the cradle so it can pivot on the Declination axis . Finally we install the 30″ mirror in its cell. Now most of the heavy lifting is done, but the cage, or tower, that hold the secondary mirror must still be installed.
Jim Conwell and Bob Holmes
Now comes the part where we put a camera on and see if all the optics and mount are well aligned.
But more on that next time…along with first light photos!
Astronomy Club tonight …7:30PM March 24, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Observatory.Tags: ARI, EIU
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Come early time tonight come to room 2153 Physical Science Building, 7:30 PM. We will then take a trip out to the Astronomical Research Institutes new home for a tour. Also nominations of officers fro next year.
Snug in its new home, just add optics and start tracking asteroids
50″ Mirror out of the Kiln! March 11, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy, Observatory, telescopes.Tags: ARI, EIU, Observatory
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50" Mirror blank, with yardstick resting on the top (Photo: ARI)
Progress on the 1.3-m mirror blank
The 1.3m telescope mirror blank has been completed by Peter Wangsness and is now out of the furnace and will be shipped to JP Astrocraft in Charleston for generating the f/4.0 curve. After generating the it will be shipped to Lockwood Optics in Champaign, for grinding, polishing and figuring.
Mike Lockwood and his mirror grinding machine ( Photo: Mike Lockwood)
More good news; the EIU Physics students are done with refurbishing the mount for the 30″ roboscope. Next week we hope to put some new motors on and test it out…more photos to come!
Hunting for Killer Asteroids at EIU March 1, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Asteroids.Tags: ARI, Asteroid, EIU
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This weekend at Eastern Illinois University, was the WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) Teacher Education Workshop, Presented by Vivian Hoette of Yerkes Observatory and Robert Holmes of the Astronomical Research Institute (ARI) and EIU.
The teachers and EIU students who attended the WISE astrometric and photometric workshop
The workshop was held in one of the Physics department’s Computer Lab where we spent the day learning how to use the program Astrometrica to search for asteroids. On Friday and Saturday night we went to ARI, to learn how the 24″ and 32″ telescopes gather the nightly photos that we use to hunt for NEO’s (Near earth Objects) that could potentially be on a collision course for Earth.
Hunting down the confirmation of WISE NEO W008g5g = 2010 CG18
On the afternoon break we saw the 30″ telescope that the students at EIU are helping to refurbish
During a break, Dr. Conwell is showing the EIU student work on the 30" telescope
Jim, Peggy, Tyler, Hannah and Josh figuring out the mechanics of measuring NEO targets
For more pictures of the workshop go to the ARI Site
Robert Holmes Confirms the first WISE Space Telescope Comet Discovery February 9, 2010
Posted by jcconwell in Astronomy, Comets, Observatory.Tags: ARI, comet, EIU, WISE
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Animation of WISE Comet discovery W007s0z
Robert Holmes used the first ground based telescope, the ARO 0.81-m to confirm the first WISE space telescope comet discovery now known as COMET P/2010 B2 (WISE). Many large observatories attempted to confirm this discovery more than 7 days earlier including the Faulkes 2.0m telescope in Hawaii as well as the 0.81m telescope at ARO without success. However due to poor weather, ARO had to wait 7 more days to make their second attempt at the WISE discovery on 2010 02 07. Holmes and Harlan Devore located the target in ARO images at nearly the same time separated by about 800 miles. Two other telescopes also confirmed the WISE comet discovery including the 3.6-m telescope at Mauna Kea operated by A. Draginda and D.J. Tholen and the Spacewatch 1.8-m telescope at Kitt Peak operated by J.V. Scotti.
For an animation of this discovery confirmation and the MPEC, see
http://killerasteroidproject.org/wise_obs_page.htm
