Using Robotic Telescopes in College Undergraduate and Secondary School Education Environments

R. L. MutelProfessor of Astronomy

University of Iowa

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Outline of Talk Web-based Robotic Telescope Systems available for

Middle and High School Students Summary of operating robotic telescopes for education Examples of High School Student Astronomy Projects for

Robotic Telescopes Robotic Telescopes for Undergraduate Education

Astronomy Laboratory Projects Student Research Projects Advanced research example: Small Comet Search

Curriculum Issues Virtual Astronomy: Is it really astronomy? Organizations and Web Resources

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Robotic Telescopes in Education Primarily Middle and High School Level

Hands-on Universe (U.C. Berkeley Hall of Science) Telescopes in Education (Mt. Wilson) Micro-Observatory (Harvard CfA) Examples of Student Projects

Primarily College and University Level Nassau Station (CWRU) Iowa Robotic Observatory (Univ. Iowa) Student Projects Advanced Research Projects: Small Comets Example

Project Rigel: A Complete Turn-key Robotic Observatory Is Virtual/Robotic Astronomy really Astronomy?

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Hands-on Universe

Started in 1994

100+ High Schools Enrolled

Uses existing manual and automated telescopes

Complete curriculum available

Teacher training summer courses

http://hou.lbl.gov/

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HOU: Kuiper Belt Object Discovered by High School Students

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Telescopes in Education (Mt. Wilson)

Started in 1995

380 High Schools Enrolled

Uses existing 6 in and 24 in telescopes on Mt. Wilson (S. California)

Complete users guide available on-line

Image acquisition and analysis uses ‘The Sky’ software (PC)

http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov/tie/

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Started in 1996 at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics

380 High Schools Enrolled

Uses weatherproof 6 inch telescopes in Massachusetts, Arizona, Hawaii, Australia)

Complete users guide available on-line

Image acquisition and analysis uses ‘The Sky’ software (PC)

http://mo-www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatory

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Micro-Observatory Sample Project: Orbit of the Moon from Angular Size

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Micro-Observatory Weather & Observing Queue

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Micro-Observatory: Web-based Observing request

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HOU Middle School Sample Curriculum: The Moon

Our Closest Neighbor: the Moon

A. The Image Processor (COMPUTER LAB) -- Students learn how to use the HOU Image Processing software while exploring characteristics of craters on the Moon. Image Processor functions: Open, Zoom, Pixels, Coordinates, Brightness (TERC/LHS)

B. Crater Game (CLASSROOM) -- In this game, student get practice using their Image Processing software to determine diameters of craters.

C. Moon Measure (COMPUTER LAB) -- Students measure the diameter of a crater and its circumference using Image Processing tools.

D. Model Craters (CLASSROOM) To really see more of how craters appear, students make model Moon craters and see how the pattern of shadows associated with craters is affected by the angle of sunlight shining on them. Optional: Cratering Experiments. Students toss meteoroids (pebbles) into basins of flour to simulate crater formation.

E. Moon Phases (CLASSROOM) With the Moon being a white polystyrene ball and the Sun being a bright light at the center of the room . Each students¹ head is the Earth. Students can also observe and record the real phases of the Moon over a period of a couple of weeks.

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Telescopes in Education High School Curriculum Sample Project: Near-Earth Objects

Based on published information in various magazines, journals, and other publications, students and interested amateurs will observe and image selected Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).

A catalog of the selected NEOs will be created and updated. Catalog information will include object history, classification, orbital elements, photometric data, estimated size and mass, and other available data.

Any changes in NEO magnitude, expected position, orbital characteristics, coma size, shape, etc. will become clear as catalog data are accumulated over repeated observations.

The NEOs will be observed and imaged as frequently as possible. As the catalog is compiled, recorded data will be of interest to various professionals and organizations involved in NEO research, such as the Minor Planet Center (MPC). Proper data submission formats are provided by the various organizations.

Observers will be informed how to alert the MPC to substantive or scientifically interesting short-term changes, such as "disconnection events," in a given NEO's characteristics.

 

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Undergraduate Robotic Facilities: Nassau Station (CWRU)

• Located near Cleveland, Ohio

• Not fully operational (expected late 2001)

• Will support imaging, spectroscopy

• Web-based queue submission

http://www.astr.cwru.edu/nassau.html

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Iowa Robotic Observatory (Arizona)

• 0.5 m Reflector, fully robotic

• Located near Sonoita, Arizona

• Operational in late 1998

• Generates 10,000+ images per year

• Web-based queue submission

• Used by 600+ undergraduates, more than 200 web-registered users

• Occasionally use for MS thesis, other research

http://denali.physics.uiowa.edu/irohttp://denali.physics.uiowa.edu/iro

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Critical List Asteroid 1978 SB8

V=17.8V=17.8

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“Collision” of Two Asteroids!

1147 Stratovos arrives from left, 2099 Opik moves in from North

Note: There is a very faint third asteroid in these frames: can you find it?

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Asteroid Rotation Curves

Although there are 150,000+ catalogued asteroids, only ~1,500 have known rotational periods

Observations of rotational period are important for determination of distribution of angular momentum in the solar system

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Asteroid Rotation Curves: Observations

Period 5.5 hrsPeriod 5.5 hrs

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Monitoring Variable Stars (Dwarf Nova Cataclysmic Variable WZ Sge)

V = 8.4V = 8.4

AAVSO Observers

(40 days)

AAVSO Observers

(40 days)

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Monitoring Variable Star and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)

AGN OJ287: Light curve obtained by Poyner (British amateur astronomer

Image of OJ287 with

10 in LX200

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Light Curves of Short-Period Eclipsing Binaries: AB Andromeda

AB And (V =11.0)

P = 8.33 hrs

IRO Observations

AB And (V =11.0)

P = 8.33 hrs

IRO Observations

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Optical Counterparts to Gamma Ray Bursts

GRB 990123 detected by

ROTSE

(Jan 23, 1999)

V=10 !V=10 !

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ROTSE: Optical Detection of GRB990123

Telescope: 4” telephoto lens

Camera: AP10 (2Kx2K)

Jemez Mountains, New Mexico.

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Amateur Astronomers detect a GRB afterglow!

Frank Chalupka, Dennis Hohman and Tom Bakowski, Aquino (Buffalo NY Astronomy Club) -- pointed the club's 12-inch reflecting telescope at the nominal coordinates of the burst and accumulated data for two hours. Later when the images were calibrated and summed, there it was, a 20th-magnitude fireball just 7 arc seconds from a much brighter 17th-magnitude foreground star.

V = 20V = 20

Gamma-ray detectors on the NEAR and Ulysses spacecraft first recorded the burst, labeled GRB000301C, on March 1, 2000

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Detection of New Supernovae (M88)

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Detection of Extra-Solar Planets: Doppler Effect

HD89744 (F7V)

P 256 days

Mass 7MJ

HD89744 (F7V)

P 256 days

Mass 7MJ

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Detection of Extra-Solar Planets: Occultations

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Detection of Extra-Solar Planets: Occultation of HD 209458 (V = 7.6)

First detection by Henry et al. 2001 (0.8 m, Fairborn

Observatory, Tennessee State Univ.)

Occultation is 0.017 mag = 1. 58%

STARE Light Curve)

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Detection of Extra-Solar Planets: STARE Telescope (currently in Canary Islands)

The current STARE telescope, as of July, 1999, is a field-flattened Schmidt working aperture of 4 in, (f/2.9). The telescope is coupled to a Pixelvision

2K x 2K CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) camera to obtain images with a scale of 10.8 arcseconds per pixel

over a field of view 6.1 degrees square. Broad-band color filters (B, V, and R) that approximate the Johnson bands are slid between the telescope and camera. By taking exposures with

different colored filters, the colors of stars in the field can be determined.

This is necessary for accurate photometry.

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Software for Astronomical Research

Maxim DL (v. 3.0) Excellent for astrometry, photometry, image calibration, manipulation. Highly Recomended

MIRA 6.1. Very good, not as user-friendly. Recommended

CCDSoft. Newest version not tested. Pinpoint 2.1 Outstanding for astrometry.

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Recommended Image Processing Software: Maxim DL (Beta version 3.0) Tools for Astrometry, Photometry

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Sample faculty-student research project: “A Search for Small Comets using the IRO”

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Small Comet Detection PapersSmall Comet Detection Papers

DE-1 (April 1986) Polar (May 1997)

Small Comet Detection PapersSmall Comet Detection Papers

DE-1 (April 1986) Polar (May 1997)

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Small Comet ParametersSmall Comet Parameters(from Frank and Sigwarth 1993, Small comet Web site)

Mass: ~20,000 kg (steep mass spectrum -see next slide)

Density: ~0.1 x H20 (F&S 93)

Size: 8 -10 m (assuming density 0.1)

Number density: (3 ± 1) · 10-11 km-3 (M > 12,000 kg) Sigwarth 1989; FSC 90

Flux at Earth: 1 every 3 seconds (107 per yr. = > 200 Tg-yr-1)

Composition: Water ice with very dark carbonaceous mantle

Albedo low (~0.02, F&S 93)

Orbit: “Prograde, nearly parallel to ecliptic”, most q 0.9 AU (F&S 93)

Speed: V ~10 km-sec-1 at 1 AU, 20 km -sec-1 before impact

Origin: Hypothesized comet belt beyond Neptune

Small Comet ParametersSmall Comet Parameters(from Frank and Sigwarth 1993, Small comet Web site)

Mass: ~20,000 kg (steep mass spectrum -see next slide)

Density: ~0.1 x H20 (F&S 93)

Size: 8 -10 m (assuming density 0.1)

Number density: (3 ± 1) · 10-11 km-3 (M > 12,000 kg) Sigwarth 1989; FSC 90

Flux at Earth: 1 every 3 seconds (107 per yr. = > 200 Tg-yr-1)

Composition: Water ice with very dark carbonaceous mantle

Albedo low (~0.02, F&S 93)

Orbit: “Prograde, nearly parallel to ecliptic”, most q 0.9 AU (F&S 93)

Speed: V ~10 km-sec-1 at 1 AU, 20 km -sec-1 before impact

Origin: Hypothesized comet belt beyond Neptune

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IRO Small Comet Search: Observational SummaryThe observations were made using the 0.5 m f/8 reflector of the Iowa Robotic Observatory between 24 September 1998 and 11 June 1999.

Observations were scheduled every month within one week of new moon. A total of 6,148 images were obtained, of which 2,718 were classified as category A (visual detection magnitude 16.5 or brighter in a 100 pixel trail).

Seeing conditions varied from 2 - 5 arcsec (see histogram). For quality A images, seeing was < 3.5 arcsec.

All images were has thermal and bias corrections applied.

Images were recorded on CDROM and sent to the University of Iowa for analysis.

All images are available for independent analysis via anonymous ftp at node atf.physics.uiowa.edu.

IRO Small Comet Search: Observational SummaryThe observations were made using the 0.5 m f/8 reflector of the Iowa Robotic Observatory between 24 September 1998 and 11 June 1999.

Observations were scheduled every month within one week of new moon. A total of 6,148 images were obtained, of which 2,718 were classified as category A (visual detection magnitude 16.5 or brighter in a 100 pixel trail).

Seeing conditions varied from 2 - 5 arcsec (see histogram). For quality A images, seeing was < 3.5 arcsec.

All images were has thermal and bias corrections applied.

Images were recorded on CDROM and sent to the University of Iowa for analysis.

All images are available for independent analysis via anonymous ftp at node atf.physics.uiowa.edu.

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Search Geometry

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Using synthetic trails to calibrate visual inspection

Synthetic comet trails were added to 520 search images with randomly chosen magnitudes and trail lengths.

Three observers independently inspected all images

Result: Visual detection threshold is ~0.9 per pixel, with a suggestion that longer trails can be detected slightly fainter, perhaps 0.7 - 0.8 .

Synthetic comet trails were added to 520 search images with randomly chosen magnitudes and trail lengths.

Three observers independently inspected all images

Result: Visual detection threshold is ~0.9 per pixel, with a suggestion that longer trails can be detected slightly fainter, perhaps 0.7 - 0.8 .

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No detections: Mass-albedo constraints

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18cm refractor, HPC-1 CCD camera, located on campus in Iowa City. ($50K)

50cm reflector, AP-8 camera, located in Sonoita, AZ. ($160K)

37cm reflector, AP-8 camera, spectrometer, located in Sonoita, AZ.

( appx. $100K)

History of automated and robotic telescopes at the University of Iowa Project Goal: To provide a complete turn-key robotic Observatory for use in undergraduate astronomy teaching and research.

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Subsystem Specification Value

Mount Pointing error 30 arcsec RMS full sky

Tracking error < 0.01 arcsec per second

Optics Surface Error < 0.2 wave peak to valley< 0.06 RMS

Point Spread Function

> 88% of stellar photons within one pixel (24) at sensor edge

Imaging Field of View 16.4 x 16.4 arcmin

Pixel Resolution 0.96 arcsec

Sensitivity > 10:1 SNR 19th magnitude star with clear filter in 60 seconds

Spectroscopy Spectral Resolution 0.6 nm (0.3 nm pixels)

Total Spectrum Coverage

300 – 1000 nm continuous

Sensitivity >10:1 SNR on 6th magnitude star in 10 sec (1nm resolution)

Rigel Performance Rigel Performance SpecificationsSpecifications

M101

(16’ x 16’)

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Network ArchitectureNetwork Architecture

Schedulesimages TCS data weather

Shared Rigel Observatories

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Data RatesData Rates

Imaging per Imaging per telescopetelescope

4 MB per 30sec = 4 MB per 30sec = 133 kB/s133 kB/s

Control,weather, Control,weather, real-time TV real-time TV image, and image, and scheduling scheduling

10KB/s10KB/s

Spectroscopy Spectroscopy 0.1-1MB per min 0.1-1MB per min =2-20 kB/s=2-20 kB/s

TotalsTotals 160 KB/s per 160 KB/s per telescopetelescope

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OCAAS-compatible Remote Sites

Local Site

Astronomy Lab Room

                                                                   

LAN

Internet

Image storage Web server Application server

Image, schedule, monitor database transfer

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Telescope Control Panel (on-site, real time Telescope Control Panel (on-site, real time observing)observing)

Automatic focus tool

Automatic focus tool

Axis calibration

tool

Axis calibration

tool

Audio messages

Audio messages

Weather information and

alerts

Weather information and

alerts

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Gaussian fits with FWHM

Gaussian fits with FWHM

Differential photometry tool

Differential photometry tool

Automated WCS astrometric solution

Automated WCS astrometric solution

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Automatic asteroid ephemeris calculation

Automatic asteroid ephemeris calculation

Multiple image request with 1hr spacing

Multiple image request with 1hr spacing

Multiple filter with separate exposure times

Multiple filter with separate exposure times

Manual position entry with specified user epoch

Manual position entry with specified user epoch

Web-based Web-based schedule schedule entryentry

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Internet guest

observers

Internet guest

observers

Faculty, graduate student research projects

Faculty, graduate student research projects

Introductory Astronomy lab projects

Introductory Astronomy lab projects

Astrophysics laboratory observing projects

Astrophysics laboratory observing projects

Web-based Web-based schedule schedule status reportsstatus reports

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Date Project benchmark OK? 1 Feb 2000 NSF Funding approved 1 Jun 2000 Hardware, software design finalized

15 Nov 2000 Optical tube Assembly acceptance test 15 Feb 2001 Mount, telescope control, camera

acceptance test

15 May 2001 Subsystems acceptance test 15 July 2001 Delivery to Univ. of Iowa 15 Aug 2001 Acceptance test of all systems 1 Sep 2001 Transport to Arizona

Sep01 – Feb02 6 month rigorous test phase 2nd quarter

2002 Torus delivery of first commercial Rigel system

Date Project benchmark OK? 1 Feb 2000 NSF Funding approved 1 Jun 2000 Hardware, software design finalized

15 Nov 2000 Optical tube Assembly acceptance test 15 Feb 2001 Mount, telescope control, camera

acceptance test

15 May 2001 Subsystems acceptance test 15 July 2001 Delivery to Univ. of Iowa 15 Aug 2001 Acceptance test of all systems 1 Sep 2001 Transport to Arizona

Sep01 – Feb02 6 month rigorous test phase 2nd quarter

2002 Torus delivery of first commercial Rigel system

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Rigel Web site

http://denali.physics.uiowa.edu/rigel