An Astronomical Observatory at the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve

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An Astronomical Observatoryat theGalbreath
Wildlands Preserve

• SST School Meeting
• January 2006

Gordon G. Spear
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Light Pollution and Dark Skies

• GWP has some of the darkest skies in Northern
  California
• SSUO (suburban sky, BC 5)
• GORT (rural-suburban transition, BC 4.5)
• GWP (typical truly dark site, BC 2)

Light pollution map of the Bay Area region
centered on GWP
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Vision

• A 1-meter world-class research telescope
• Completely remotely operable using the internet
• Completely energy self sufficient
• An environmentally green facility
• Minimal impact on the environment and ecosystems
• Support instruction in astronomy (plus science
  and math education in general) for K-12,
  undergraduate, and graduate students

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Telescope

• Why is bigger better?
• Fainter objects
• More objects
• More distant objects
• More example objects of a given type
• Higher attainable precision (more photons)
• More detail recordable
• Some pictures

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DFM 1-meter
Red Buttes Observatory
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ACE 1-meter Tarleton State University Observatory
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Looking at the TSU Observatory 1-meter telescope
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Observatory Building Structures

• Instrument building (the observatory!)
• Control room, work room, storage
• Energy generation
• Separate buildings are preferred
• Mechanical and thermal isolation
• Some pictures

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Red Buttes Observatory, Wyoming
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TSU Observatory, Texas
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Dark Sky Observatory, North Carolina
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RAVEN Observatory, Hawaii
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Research (some examples)

• Active galaxy surveillance (especially the
  blazars!)
• Gamma Ray Burst follow-up
• Close binary systems
• Emission-line object surveillance
• Near Earth Object follow-up and analysis
• Discovery of extrasolar planetary systems

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Short Term Goals and Plans

• Fund raising
• Site evaluation
• Clear horizon
• Highest possible elevation
• Easy access from road
• Environmental monitoring
• Atmospheric optical stability monitoring
• Site selection
• Architectural designs
• Begin construction

View from a high elevation location at the
Galbreath Preserve
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http//yorty.sonoma.edu/gordon/gwpo