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A Few Ways of Acquiring Telescope Time Telescope Committee Astronomical Society of New York October 23, 2009 Peter Wehinger Steward Observatory University of Arizona
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Not all discoveries are made with the largest telescopes: Collaborators: Sue Wyckoff & Peter Wehinger Titanium Isotopes in Mira – 2.1-m KPNO, 1973 Discovery of H 2 0 + in Comet Kohoutek, 1-m Wise, 1974 Crab Pulsar – A high velocity star, 1-m Wise, 1975 & 0.9-m Crossley (Lick), 1899 Carbon Isotopes C 12 /C 13 in Comets, 1.9-m MSO, 1986-1990 Quasar Host Galaxies – Images & Spectra, 2.3-m U Hawaii, 3.6-m ESO, 1977-83 This week by Geneva Obs Group – 32 Exoplanets discovered, 2009 – ESO 3.6-m with HARPS
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Wise Observatory, Tel-Aviv Univeristy
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Mt Stromlo Observatory, Canberra, April 1986 1.9-m with Coude/Echelle Bruce Peterson, PW, SW
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Observatory Partnerships Project Costs MDM (1.3-m, 2.3-m) – Kitt Peak –Michigan, Dartmouth, MIT, OSU, Columbia –Cost ~ $750K (1978), ~ $7M (1990) SDSS (2.5-m) – Apache Point –25 institutions –Cost ~ $95M (1998) ~ 60% software dev Magellan (2 – 6.5-m) – 50%, 20, 10, 10, 10, respectively -Carnegie, Harvard, MIT, Michigan, Arizona - Cost ~ $35M, $28M (2002) – Las Campanas San Pedro Martir (6.5-m) – Baja California –UNAM, INAOE, UCB, UCSC, Arizona –Cost ~ $45M for telescope, ~ $80M for IR Camera
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Telescope Corporations Bigger Projects – More $$$ LBT (2 x 8.4-m) – 25% Each – Mt Graham -Germany, Italy, Arizona, Ohio State, Research Corp. -Cost ~ $130M (2004) GMT (7 x 8.4-m) - ~ 10% each – Las Campanas - Carnegie, Texas/Austin, TAMU, Arizona, Harvard, Smithsonian, ANU, AAL, KASI, others (?) - Cost ~ $700M (2009) CCAT (25-m, sub-mm) – Cerro Chajnantor –Cornell, Caltech, Colorado, Canada, UK, Germany –Cost ~ $100M ? (2009) LSST (8.4-m) – Cerro Pachon –~ 25 members, funding private/public mixture –Cost ~ $450M (2007)
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Projects under consideration San Pedro Martir – Excellent site for large telescopes Was first choice for LSST Was one of three final sites for TMT Tokyo Atacama Obs (6.5-m) – Thermal IR Imaging & Spectra On summit of Cerro Chajnantor (5600 m) University of Tokyo, Institute of Astronomy Cost ~ $80-90M (2009) >> funding pending 1-m telescope on summit since March 2009 Install 2-m telescope to summit early 2010
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Possible Options for Access to Telescopes Near term – Buy time on existing telescopes, Examples of how others acquire telescope time – Palomar 5-m, Caltech sells ~ 20% to Cornell Arizona – sells time on suite of optical telescopes Arizona – sells time on 10 & 12-m radio telescopes SALT 10-m ~ AMNH, U Wisc, and others buy time GTC 10.4-m – UNAM, INAOE & U Florida buy time
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Telescope Time at Steward Observatory ~ $/Night Rates LBT (2 x 8.4 m)Mt Graham$90K MMT (6.5 m)Mt Hopkins 30K Magellan 1 (6.5 m)Las Campanas 35K Magellan 2 (6.5 m)Las Campanas 35K 90 inch Kitt Peak 3K 61 inchMt Lemmon 2K 12 m Kitt Peak 5K 10 m SMTMt Graham 7K Mt Lemmon Sky Center – For Undergrads 32 inch with CCD, 20 inch with CCD or IR Imager Lodging: $50 per night, two students per room
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Wise Observatory, Negev Desert, Israel
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Steward Observatory Mirror Lab Casting Bay 6.5-m 8.4-m
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