Manastash Ridge Observatory Home Page

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Дата изменения: Wed Jun 28 21:59:59 2006
Дата индексирования: Sun Apr 10 05:29:41 2016
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Quick Links

MRO Users Manual

Observers Checklist

Telescope Time Request Form

Observing Calendar

Contact Info

Getting to MRO

MRO Webcams

MRO Home

General Information
The Manastash Ridge Observatory (MRO) is located approximately 9 miles West-Southwest of Ellensburg, WA. The observatory is at an altitude of 3930' (1198 m), a longitude of 120.7278 degrees West, and a latitude of +46.9528 degrees. MRO is operated by the Astronomy Department of the University of Washington for the training of graduate and undergraduate students as well as for astronomical research. Some support for the observatory is also given by Central Washington University which is located in Ellensburg. Outside views of the observatory taken from the North, East , and West are shown here. The observatory houses a computer controlled 30" Boller and Chivens telescope with high quality Ritchey-Chretian type optics. Here is an alternate view of the telescope from the west. Instrumentation at the observatory includes focal reducing optics which give the telescope an unusually wide field of view for a telescope of this size (12 arcminutes), several sets of standard filters for astronomical photometry, and a state-of-the-art electronic 1024 x 1024 pixel Charged Coupled Device (CCD) in a Thermo-Electrically cooled camera housing which allows observers to take low-light images of astronomical objects. The telescope tracking and pointing is under computer control and the observatory has available a CCD offset guider for taking long exposures. A computer controlled filter slide capable of holding 6, 2" square filters at a time is available to aid users in CCD photometry. Undergraduate students from the University of Washington are the primary users of the observatory. Two UW students are shown here at the controls of the telescope during a typical night. Students who use the observatory must learn the basics of astronomical observing as well as the care and operation of the instrumentation. The observatory was built in 1972 at the initiative of George Wallerstein, a professor of Astronomy at the UW. Its construction was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation as well as by funds from the state of Washington. The location of the site was carefully chosen to allow Seattle students reasonable access to dry and dark sky conditions which are available on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Owing to its remote location, the observatory includes a kitchen, a living room, three bedrooms , and two bath rooms on-site which allow students and faculty the opportunity for multiple-night observing programs with a minimum of travel. The observatory is normally open between the months of April and November with August and September being the busiest and most productive months of observation. Snowfall usually closes the road to the facility during the winter months.
Activities at MRO
Observing Programs Light curves of cataclysmic variables-Paula Szkody FM Radio Experiment-John Sahr, EE Dept Lightcurve measurements of RR Lyrae variable stars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-Kevin Krisciunas, Chris Schaber, Dawn Erb, and Chelsey Logan. This work has been continued more recently with help from Brandon Lawton and Bridget Kaeding. Some of their results can be seen here. Publications based on MRO Data Both graduate students and undergraduates have actively participated in the publication of astronomical papers using data which they obtained at MRO. A list of these publications has recently been compiled by Oliver Fraser. Note that many of the papers listed here are completely the work of students. There are many examples of collaborations between faculty and undergraduates and of collaborations between graduate students and undergraduates. Engineering Activities Note: The use of MRO is undergoing major changes as we install a new computer and updated software for physically driving the telescope and operating the filter slide and focus motors. This will dramatically change the user interface (for the better!), and so the existing Users Manual and Observer Checklist will be in a high state of flux through August, 2006. Please contact Chris Laws at laws@astro.washington.edu, or call (206) 529-0910 for the very latest information on the status of MRO's instrumentation and documentation.
Additional Links
MRO Users Manual -- Note that much of the information in this may be out of date as we're upgrading our telescope control system. A new version of the Users Manual is expected to be available in August, 2006. MRO Observers Checklist -- A quick summary of the important procedures involved in using MRO. MRO Telescope Time Request Form -- Dowload, fill out, and return this document to request observing time at MRO! Note that requests for observing time in September and October of 2006 are due on August 22nd, 2006. MRO Observing Calendar. How to contact the people in charge at MRO. How to get to MRO. Guide charts preformatted with MRO Autoguider offsets. MRO Weather Data for the last 36 hours. Local Ellensburg, WA weather information. Additional Satellite images and loops. Tools for astronomers from the UW website, including links to SIMBAD, NED, and Vizier Catalogue queries can be found here.