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RoboNet
RoboNet-1.0 was a prototype global network of UK-built 2-metre robotic telescopes, the largest of their kind in the world, comprising the Liverpool Telescope on La Palma (Canary Islands), the Faulkes Telescope North on Maui (Hawaii), and the Faulkes Telescope South in Australia, managed by a consortium of ten UK universities under the lead of Liverpool John Moores University. For the technological aims of integrating a global network to act effectively as a single instrument, and maximizing the scientific return by applying the newest developments in e-Science, RoboNet adopted the intelligent-agent architecture devised and maintained by the eSTAR project. With the flexible scheduling and short response time of robotic telescopes being ideal for time-domain astronomy, RoboNet-1.0 had two major science goals that critically depend on these requirements: the determination of origin and nature of gamma-ray bursts, and the detection of cool extra-solar planets by means of gravitational ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb (known sometimes as Hoth by NASA) is a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, a star from Earth near the center of the Milky Way, making it one of the most distant planets known. On January 25, 2006, Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork/ Robotic Telescope Network (PLANET/Robonet), Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE), and Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) made a joint announcement of the discovery. The planet does not appear to meet conditions presumed necessary to support life. Characteristics Mass, radius and temperature The planet is estimated to be about five times Earth's mass (5.5 ). Some astronomers have speculated that it may have a rocky core like Earth, with a thin atmosphere. Its distance from the star, and the star's relatively low temperature, means that the planet's likely surface temperature is around , making it one of the coldest known. If it is a rocky world, this temperature would make it likely that th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ESTAR Project
The eSTAR project was a multi-agent system that aimed to implement a heterogeneous network of robotic telescopes for automated observing, and ground-based follow-up to transient events. The project is a joint collaboration between the Astrophysics Group of the University of Exeter and the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University. The project was led by Alasdair Allan and Tim Naylor at the University of Exeter, and Iain Steele at Liverpool John Moores University. The eSTAR Project was affiliated with the RoboNet Consortium, and the global Heterogeneous Telescope Networks Consortium. Begun in 2001, the project was part of the virtual observatory. By 2006 the project was running autonomous software agent for observations of variable stars implementing the optimal sampling techniques of Saunders et al. (2006), and the prototype was successfully tested on the RoboNet network of telescopes which includes: the Liverpool Telescope, the Faulkes Telescope North ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gravitational Microlensing
Gravitational microlensing is an astronomical phenomenon due to the gravitational lens effect. It can be used to detect objects that range from the mass of a planet to the mass of a star, regardless of the light they emit. Typically, astronomers can only detect bright objects that emit much light (stars) or large objects that block background light (clouds of gas and dust). These objects make up only a minor portion of the mass of a galaxy. Microlensing allows the study of objects that emit little or no light. When a distant star or quasar gets sufficiently aligned with a massive compact foreground object, the bending of light due to its gravitational field, as discussed by Albert Einstein in 1915, leads to two distorted images (generally unresolved), resulting in an observable magnification. The time-scale of the transient brightening depends on the mass of the foreground object as well as on the relative proper motion between the background 'source' and the foreground 'lens' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robotic Telescope
A robotic telescope is an astronomical telescope and detector system that makes observations without the intervention of a human. In astronomical disciplines, a telescope qualifies as robotic if it makes those observations without being operated by a human, even if a human has to initiate the observations at the beginning of the night or end them in the morning. It may have software agents using artificial intelligence that assist in various ways such as automatic scheduling. A robotic telescope is distinct from a remote telescope, though an instrument can be both robotic and remote. By 2004, robotic observations accounted for an overwhelming percentage of the published scientific information on asteroid orbits and discoveries, variable star studies, supernova light curves and discoveries, comet orbits and gravitational microlensing observations. All early phase gamma ray burst observations were carried by robotic telescopes. Design Robotic telescopes are complex systems that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faulkes Telescope South
The Faulkes Telescope South is a clone of the Liverpool Telescope and is located at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. It is a Ritchey-Chrétien telescope. It was designed to be operated remotely with the aim of encouraging an interest in science by young people. It is supported by an altazimuth mount. The telescope is owned and operated by LCOGT. This telescope and its sister telescope Faulkes Telescope North are used by research and education groups across the globe. The Faulkes Telescope Project is one such group which provides observing time (awarded by LCOGT) for educational projects for UK schools. Funds were initially sourced by charitable donations from philanthropist Dr. Martin C. Faulkes. Faulkes Telescope South saw first light in 2004 with full operations occurring by 2006. Discoveries 2008 HJ is a small near-Earth asteroid which at the time of its discovery was the most rapidly rotating object in the solar system. Observations On the 4 M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Probing Lensing Anomalies Network
The Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork (PLANET) collaboration coordinates a network of telescopes to rapidly sample photometric measurements of the magnification of stars in the galactic bulge undergoing gravitational microlensing by intervening foreground stars (or other compact massive objects). This network consists of five 1m-class optical telescopes distributed in longitude around the southern hemisphere in order to perform quasi-continuous round-the-clock precision monitoring. On a target-of-opportunity basis, less frequent spectroscopic measurements complement the rapid photometry for selected prime targets. Since 2005, PLANET performs a common microlensing campaign with RoboNet-1.0, a network of UK-operated 2.0m robotic telescopes. In January 2009, PLANET has merged with the MicroFUN collaboration. Telescopes For the 2006 observing season, the telescopes involved were (apart from the RoboNet telescopes): * Danish 1.54m telescope at ESO, La Silla, Chil* 1.0 meter telescop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope
Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) is a network of astronomical observatories run by a non-profit private operating foundation directed by the technologist Wayne Rosing. Its offices are in Goleta, California. The telescopes are located at both northern and southern hemisphere sites distributed in longitude around the Earth. For some astronomical objects, the longitudinal spacing of telescopes allows continuous observations over 24 hours or longer. The operating network currently consists of two 2 meter telescopes, nine 1 meter telescopes, and seven 40 cm telescopes, placed at six astronomical observatories. The network operates as a single, integrated, observing facility, using a software scheduler that continuously optimizes the planned observing schedule of each individual telescope. History Rosing incorporated Las Cumbres Observatory in 1993 with the goal of aiding universities, observatories, and individuals in the acquisition and improvement of telescopes, op ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OGLE-2006-BLG-109L
OGLE-2006-BLG-109L (where 'L' stands for lens) is a dim magnitude 17 M0V galactic bulge star approximately 4,920 light-years away in the constellation of Scorpius. Planetary system In 2008, two extrasolar planets were discovered around the star using gravitational microlensing. The two planets are at a distance from their star that make them suspected analogs of Jupiter and Saturn. The star is surrounded by a planetary system consisting of at least two planets: b with a mass of 0.727 of Jupiter and c with the mass of approximately 0.271 of Jupiter. Their mass ratios, distance ratios, and equilibrium temperatures are similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn in the Solar System as well as the 47 UMa system. Both planets were discovered simultaneously by gravitational microlensing in a common effort by the Optical Gravitational Lensing ExperimentmicroFUN MOA, PLANET and RoboNet collaborations, as announced on 14 February 2008. This is the first planetary system whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Schools Observatory
The Liverpool Telescope (LT) is a two-metre-aperture robotic Ritchey–Chrétien telescope that observes autonomously (without human intervention). However professional astronomers, school groups and other credible registered users submit specifications to be considered by its robotic control system (RCS) at any time using an online graphical user interface. Each night the RCS decides among these choices, and among any notified or glimpsed transient events, what to observe, based on target visibility and weather conditions. The telescope had first light in 2003, and is the brainchild and property of Liverpool John Moores University. Description The RCS has a rapid-response capability where it will often automatically interrupt regular observations to slew (shift) to observe short-lived events with higher priority, such as gamma-ray bursts. The LT is one of the largest robotic telescopes in the world and was built by a subsidiary set up by Liverpool John Moores University ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liverpool Telescope
The Liverpool Telescope (LT) is a two-metre-aperture robotic Ritchey–Chrétien telescope that observes autonomously (without human intervention). However professional astronomers, school groups and other credible registered users submit specifications to be considered by its robotic control system (RCS) at any time using an online graphical user interface. Each night the RCS decides among these choices, and among any notified or glimpsed transient events, what to observe, based on target visibility and weather conditions. The telescope had first light in 2003, and is the brainchild and property of Liverpool John Moores University. Description The RCS has a rapid-response capability where it will often automatically interrupt regular observations to slew (shift) to observe short-lived events with higher priority, such as gamma-ray bursts. The LT is one of the largest robotic telescopes in the world and was built by a subsidiary set up by Liverpool John Moores Universit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MOA-2009-BLG-387L
MOA-2009-BLG-387L is a red dwarf in the Sagittarius constellation that is host to the planet MOA-2009-BLG-387Lb. The star is estimated to be nearly 20,000 light years away and approximately one fifth the mass of the Sun, although large confidence intervals exist, reflecting the uncertainties in both the mass and distance. The star drew the attention of astronomers when it became the lens of gravitational microlensing event MOA-2009-BLG-387L, in which it eclipsed a background star and created distorted caustics, an envelope of reflected or refracted light rays. Analysis of the caustic events and of follow-up observational data led to the planet's discovery, which was reported in February 2011. Observational history On July 24, 2009, the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics collaboration (MOA) detected the star MOA-2009-BLG-387L eclipsing a background star in a microlensing event that was named MOA-2009-BLG-387. In a process called gravitational microlensing, the st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
