ARGENTINA

* El Leoncito:

- far from city with no light pollution, 2400 m altitude

- made at Rademakers, Holland, 1964

• - double astrograph: blue and visual 51 cm Ross-type lenses, F = 3743 mm receiver : Visual: PixelVision 4k x 4k, 15 micron pixels (0.94 x 0.94 degrees) front-illuminated Loral CCD, Blue: Apogee 1k x 1k, 24 micron pixels (22 x 22 arcmin) back- illuminated
• Site CCD: V max: Visual: ~20, Blue: ~21

- Situated outside the city at about 2500 m (the nearest village is located at 40 km to the northwest)

- optic made by Perkin Elmer; mechanics by Rademakers, Rotterdam (1962)

Ross' objectives, f = 3.74m- Receiver: One CCD, a PixelVision 4096 x 4096, is located in the yellow camera

One CCD, an Apogee 1024 x 1024, is in the blue.

- V max: about 21.0 (under good seeing conditions) with the PixelVision CCD and 5 min exposure

- Reflector 0.76 m, equipped with an SpectraSource CCD (1024 x 1024)

• CASLEO - a 2.15 m telescope equipped with a 1024 x 1024 CCD

Thierry Pauwels, Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van Belgie, Brussel, Belgium

Telescope:

Schmidt telescope (reflector) within city

Constructed 1956, mounting from 1933

Made by Cox, Hargreaves & Thomson, mounting from Zeiss

85 cm real aperture (corrector plate), mirror diameter: 1.2 m; 2.116 m focal length

Limiting V magnitude: 20.5, weather depending (sometimes up to 21)

CCD camera, Princeton Instruments, chip Kodak 2048 x 3072 px, 9 microns x 9 microns, front illuminated, read-out @ 1 MHz, gain 5.

Scientific programs carried out with this instrumentation:

Main purpose: astrometry of minor planets.

Other observations until now: photometry of cataclysmic variables, photometry of the mutual phenomena of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter (PHEMU), stellar occultations by minor planets. Photometry of minor planets may be considered.

• Abrahao de Moraes Observatory (Valinhos Observatory), Sao Paulo University

* Askania-Zeiss meridian circle (1972), CCD micrometer (1995)

• The camera (-40C) operates in drift-scan mode with the telescope fixed in declination
• Telescope: achromatic doublet, Objective/Focus: 19/260 cm
• Detector: Thomson 7895M CCD 512x512 pixels (pixel size: 19 microns; ~1.5 arcsec)
• Field: declination: 13 arcmin; right ascension = arbitrary length (typically 40 min.)
• Exposure time: 51 s sec?
• V max ~16.0 mag.
• Precision in the best magnitude interval (9<V<14)Astrometric: 0"05; photometric: 0.05 mag.
• Filter GG495+BG38: spectral passband 5200Å-6800Å
• Images fitted by a two-dimensional gaussian
• Changement of the CCD by a mosaic with 4 CCDs and of the objective. This changement allows us to enlarge the observed field and to expand our limit in magnitude. May be it will be possible to observer in two colors.

- Extragalactic objects observation for the definition of the proper motion origin, for the highest accuracy possible in the linking between the extragalactic reference frame and star position and for photometrical variability. For the linking we also observe a list of radio stars from the Wendker catalog.

- Low absorption windows around the galactic center direction with the aim of getting an accurate description of the bulge kinematical properties and of detecting and classifying stellar variability, with an eye to the possibility of observing microlensing events.

- Solar System objects, Pluto and few asteroids, for dynamical goals.

- Proper motion of open cluster and young stars with the purpose to establish the possible connection between star formation and trajectories of molecular clouds across the galactic disk.

• To extend the HIPPARCOS/Tycho catalogs to the fainter objects (V<15) present in all observed fields.

Robotic instrument

Second telescope, robotic too, not yet installed (MEADE-40cm)

1. Potential observers

Rio de Janeiro

Astrolabe Danjon

Variations of the solar semi-diameter have been measured since the historical observations of Picard, and the established correlations with the Sunspot number variation, during the Maunder Minimum. Nowadays, the French satellite named after Picard is scheduled to a mission to detect milli-arcsecond level variations of the solar diameter and equivalent fluctuations on the solar irradiance.

The modeling and understanding of the photospheric solar diameter variations will provide important constraints for phenomena as the differential solar rotation, and the fluctuations of the solar irradiance, which is a driven factor for Earth’s climatology.

On ground the solar diameter has been measured since the pioneering experiments of F. Laclare at the CERGA/OCA, using a modified Danjon Astrolabe. Presently, several observatories all around the world dedicate to these measurements, using different versions of solar astrolabes. In particular, on October of 2002, the R2S3 (Réseau de Suivi au Sol du Rayon Solaire) was formally established, bringing together the works of the solar diameter stations of Antalya (Turkey), Tamanraset (Algery), Calern/CERGA (France) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

The common work is complementary in the heliolatitude sweeping, as well as it furnishes simultaneous observations at very different atmospheric conditions. As example of the results that can be achieved by the combined observations, we present the observations taken in the year of 2001 by the stations of Antalya, Calern and Rio de Janeiro.

Answer of Dr. Andrei to some questions:

- When PICARD will be launched?

# The satellite PICARD is projected for 2007, in coincidence with the start of 24^th cycle.

- What about the variation of long term of the solar diameter?

# The analyse of the measures done from 1977 prove a correlation with the solar activity, even a part of it is mixed with the atmospheric variations (which have, it is well known, some solar influence). Nevertheless, if we limit to consider the most recent data: Rio, Calern Antalya, Santiago and SOHO, we could remark that inside the last part of the 23^rd cycle a correlation between the variation of the diameter and the solar activity is significant, with an amplitude less that we expected, to about a few tenth of mas.

- Which could be the future of the solar diameter observations (before Picard and, possible, in parallel with the space mission)

# The activity before 2007 is very important. At Calern the replica of the instrument SODISM/PICARD (named PICARDSOL) will work in parallel with DORAYSOL (new generation of solar astrolabe) and MISOLFA (detector of seeing). The observation will continue at other sites (Rio de Janeiro, Antalya, Santiago, and hope San Fernando); it will allow to valid, independently the results (remember the different atmospheric, metheorologic and heliographic conditions).

During PICARD the ground based observations have to continue to obtain data of calibration, as the solar cycle is much longer as PICARD mission.

- Which is the main cause of the variation of the solar diameter registered until now?

# It is an open question. It seems without doubt the diameter variations could put constraints to the solar constant and, consequently, on the interaction with the climatic system of the Earth. There are elements to link the variations of the diameter with the solar rotation, even through convective mechanisms.
 
 

Sheshan station of Shanghai Observatory:

located outside Shanghai, about 30 km away from Shanghai observatory (inside Shanghai),

h = 80 m

* Special astrometric reflector with diameter 1.56 m.

- Focal length = 1560 cm

- F-ratio = 10

- Diameter of primary mirror = 156 cm

- Diameter of second mirror = 53 cm

- Field of view = 4' * 4'

- Size of pixel = 22 microns

- Size of CCD array = 1024 * 1024

- Angular extent per pixel = 0"25
 
 

NEW:

Some improvements of 1.56m reflector and supplements will be given as follows:

Wenjing Jin (last name Jin), Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Telescope: 1.56 m reflector

The characteristics of 1.56m reflector were described before. Recently the CCD 2046*2046 is installed and the field of view is 11'*11'

We try to install a spectroscope on the telescope but the results are not good.

Maybe the test will be continued.

Scientific programs carried out with this instrumentation:

Cooperation in ground-based astrometry:

The joint program "link between optical and extragalactic radio frame" is being implemented between Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory.

Suggestions which could be of interest to the members of the WG:

There are many small telescopes (the size of aperture is less than 1m) and limiting magnitude is 17 mag. We expect to observe faint objects (star or galaxy) down to 22mag or 23mag which belongs the part of project LAMOST (Large Area multi-objects fiber spectroscopic Telescope) in China. There are two way to do it. One is to use previous photographic plates as compiling USNO B1.0 and GSC 2.2. Another way is that we can use the astrometric results of SDSS directly but it only contains 10000 square degree.
 
 

Cerro Calan Observatory* Danjon astrolabe- Eastern outskirts of Santiago, at 900 m above sea level- Made by "Optique et Precision de Levallois" (195?)

- Objective/Focus: 100/1000 mm, visual

- It was modified in 1989 for visual solar observations at 30 and 60 degree. zenith distance with CER-VIT reflecting prisms and a solar filter made of transparent CER-VIT.

We are looking for the cooperation with other observatories to obtain the faint Objects in other sky areas about 10000 square degree.

A group of observing natural satellites headed by Prof. Kaixian Shen is interested in observing the mutual phenomena of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. He will contact with IMCCE.
 

Bordeaux, Floirac, 73 m

* Meridian

d = 20.2 cm, f = 237 cm (87"/mm)

CCD: mode TDI, TH7896M, 1024x1024 19?m

Vmax = 16.5 for ? = 0°Vmax = 17.3 for ? = 60°

Scientific programs:

• Meridian 2000, program of observations for the zone 11°-18° (corresponding to the Bordeaux zone during the international program Carte du Ciel, 1892-1937). It was finished in the autumn of 2000. Photographic plates preserved in the Bordeaux clichothèque. Comparisons between observations made at the beginning of the century with the present ones offer very good proper movements.
• Proper motions of T Tauri;
• Asteroids-Planets-Planetary satellites

- a precise reference catalogue (40 mas V<14), complete until V = 15.

- movement proper survey for galactic kinematics.

- saving and using the work done along one century.

* Telescope of 60 cm

Made: Manent monture, REOSC / 1940-1954

Objective: Cassegrain

Prime mirror of 60 cm diameter, second mirror of 18 cm, resultant focus 960 cm (23"/mm)

CCD: TH7863, 288x384 23 ?m

Vmax = 18.5

Scientific programs:

- Mutual phenomena of satellites of Saturn and Jupiter.

*Big equatorial

made by Gautier-Eichens (1880-1890)

Objective: Merz

d = 38 cm, f = 680 cm (30"/mm)

* Photographic equatorial

made by Gautier-Eichens (1880-1890)

d = 33 cm, f = 343 cm (60"/mm)
 
 

Meudon* Telescope of 1m (10% of time for astrometry; available for other programs- F = 20m, non-automatic guiding, V max = 16 mag.

Haute Provence

* Telescope of 120 cm (40% of time); nonavailable for other programs- F = 7 m, field 12', automate guiding, V max = 21 mag.

* Telescope de 80 cm (30% of time); available for other programs- F = 12 m, field 4', automate guiding, V max = 18 mag.

Pic du Midi

* Telescope de 1 m

* Telescope de 55 cm* Solar astrolabe of Francis Laclare is still going on. Observations by DORAYSOL (Definition et Observation du Rayon Solaire) instrument designed for CCD acquisitions with a variable prism and automation.

Calern site, 1370 m / modification of a classical Danjon Astrolabe with five motors for steering and a telescope, Calern workshop / 1999 for adjustment and first measurements. The true series started in year 2000 / Primary mirror 120 mm, focal distance 3.50 m / PULNIX Video Camera 512x512 /
 

Carlsberg Meridian Telescope on La Palma

El Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma (Canary Islands), well away from city lights

(long. = 17° 53' 7.8" W, lat. = 28° 45' 52.4" N, height = 2327.0 m

Made by Grubb Parsons (1952)

Refractor: objective of 17.8 cm diameter and f = 266 cm

Receiver: CCD (Kodak KAF-4202 Grade:C1) 2060 x 2048 pixelsr' max = 17 (equivalent to V max of 17.5)

Accuracy: r'<14.5 30-50 mas (for a single observation)

r'=16.0 100-150 mas

Efficiency: 30 million observations per year (85,000 lbs./night)(this efficiency value includes the effects of weather and technical problems)
 

ROMANIA

NEW:

Astronomical Institute of Romanian Academy
Instruments are situated just in the city, Bucharest, h = 80m;

Meridian Circle (not in work)
*Refractor
*Gauthier-Prin, Paris, 1914
*d = 19cm, f = 235cm
*V max = 10 mag.

Double Astrograph (in work)
*Prin-Merz, 1910
*d = 38 cm, f = 600 cm /2*2 degrees
*V max = 14 magn.
*HiSys 22 CCD Camera
*Photographic camera

Danjon Astrolabe (not in work)
Refractor, 1962, Sopelec, 10 cm, 3.5m, 6 mag., COHU video CCD camera.

We intend to improve the Double Astrograph.

Scientific programs:
Mutual phenomena of satellites, definition of the fundamental planes, astrometry.

Proposals:
Compiling zonal catalogues, observations of solar system bodies, campaigns dedicated observations.

Suggestions:
Astrometrical meetings.
 
 
 

Engelgardt Astronomical Observatory, Kazan State University

* AZT-14 A (reflecting)

- near city Kazan (20 km), 98 m

- made by Leningrad Optiko-mechanical factory (LOMO), 1965

Mirror D = 480 mm, f = 7700 mm (Cassegrain); the prime f = 2700 mm

Photomultiplier (lunar and planetary occultations) by f = 7700 mm

10 magnitude with photomultiplier

AZT-22 (reflecting)

Situated in Turkey at height about 2500 m in 50 km from Antalia city.

Made by Leningrad Optiko-mechanical factory (LOMO), 1997

1.5 m reflector of Ritchey-Chretien with Coudé system 1:3, 1:8, 1:16,1:17, 1:48

CCD, photomultiplier

NEW: ASTROMETRIC BINARIES

GMAB project - Ground-based Monitoring of Astrometric Binaries

(George Gontcharov)
 
 

* One meridian circle, the Circulo Meridiano Automático de San Fernando (CAMC).

- Aperture = 18 cm, F = 264 cm,

- Made in 1950, refurbished between 1987 and 1992

- 1991 new glass declination circle

- 1999, CCD camera working in drift scan mode

* The CMASF is installed since 1996 in Argentina in the Carlos U. Cesco Observatory.

This observatory is owned by the Observatorio Astronomico Felix Aguilar of the San Juan University and is placed in the Est slopes of the Andes at 2330 m of altitude and at 69º W and 31º S.- At present is observing a survey of stars until mag 16V from 0º to -60º. The expected means errors are 0".05-0".06.* Danjon astrolabe APP,- Situated in San Fernando city (6º W; 36º N), h - 25 m- Made by OPL in 1967- Aperture: 10 cm, F = 100 cm

- Receiver: CCD, COHU 4912

- V max: 2.5

* Carte du Ciel astrographe

- Situated in San Fernando city (6º W; 36º N), h - 28 m

- Made by Gautier in 1888

- Aperture = 33 cm, F = 346 cm

- Receiver: CCD ST6

1 m reflector for CCD astrography

situated 15 km outside Bern (small city), at 950 m altitude

made by TELAS/AMOS, 1995

1 m aperture, f/4 and f/8

receiver: CCD 1k x 1k (back side), 2k x 2k

Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory, within the city, lat = +460 58?, h = 52m.
- Axial Meridian Circle (AMC), D=180 mm, F=2480mm (1.33"/pix), stare and drift-scan modes, under computer control (refracting), constructed 1995 at Nikolaev astronomical observatory.
      Limiting V magnitude – 16m.
Instrumentation: CCD of NAO, ISD017P chip (1040x1160 pixels, 16x16 mkm^2), made by the "Electron-Optronic" Research & Production Company, St. Petersburg, stare and drift-scan modes.

- Multi-Channel Telescope (MCT), D=160mm, aperture diaphragm 120 mm, F=2046 mm (1.6"/pix);
Zone Astrograph constructed – 1925, upgraded - 2002.
      Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena Company, modernization: NAO.
Limiting V magnitude – 14
Instrumentation: CCD of NAO production, ISD017P chip (1040x1160 pixels, 16x16 mkm^2), made by the "Electron-Optronic" Research & Production Company, St. Petersburg, stare and drift-scan modes.

- Fast Robotic Telescope (FRT), D=300 mm, F=1500mm (2.2"/pix), under computer control (reflecting)
Constructed: 2003, at Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory.
Limiting V magnitude – 17.
Instrumentation: CCD of NAO production, ISD017P chip (1040x1160 pixels, 16x16 mkm2) made by the "Electron-Optronic" Research & Production Company, St. Petersburg, stare and drift-scan modes.

- G.Pinigin and A.Shulga: New robotic telescope with aperture D < 1000mm (in project), modernized existing telescope AZT-8 (D < 800mm).

Scientific programs:
Solar system dynamics: CCD observations of selected asteroids with the aim to improve their orbits and mass determination; observations of near-Earth asteroids; photometric observations of minor planets and satellites of the major planets, mutual phenomena of satellites of Saturn and Jupiter.
Stellar reference frames: extension of the HIPPARCOS/TYCHO catalogues to the faint stars in selected fields; precise positions determination of the optical counterparts of radio sources; research of the link between radio and optical reference frames; compilation of star catalogs in selected (standard, calibration) fields of the celestial sphere (equator and ecliptic zones, around of extragalactic radio sources); observation of selected stars (double, multiple) for astrometrical and photometrical survey of kinematical properties, stellar variability, open cluster structure etc.
Research of the near-Earth space: improvement of method for observations of near-Earth objects; geostationary satellite observations with the aim to improve their orbit elements and to compile their catalogues.
Information support of astronomical researches: development of software for observations and data processing; development of the system for remote access to telescopes via local network and the Internet; development of databases as part of virtual observatory.
Astronomical instrumentation: elaboration and construction of new instruments and telescopes on the basis of modern methods of data processing; equipment of operating telescopes with CCD-cameras of NAO production and automation of astronomical observations.
 
 
 
 

U. S. A.

USNO Washington
USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC) project was started in January 1998 and full sky coverage is planned by mid 2004 ( http://ad.usno.navy.mil/ucac/)

Telescope:
Double astrograph on Boller&Chivens mount (1970)
20 cm aperture, f/10, originally visual and blue
since 1990 "red lens" (replaces blue)
with 5 elements and 9 degree field of view, built by the University of Arizona Optical Lab.
dome, telescope motion, x, y-slide, guiding, camera: all under computer control, automatic observing with one observer standing by for focusing, quality control, problems currently operated at Cerro Tololo (Chile), move to NOFS in 2001.

Detector:
CCD camera, 4k by 4k pixels, 9 micrometer pixel size
0.9"/pixel, 61 arcmin field of view
used in 579-642 nm bandpass (integrated filter)
 

Speckle Interferometric project:
The primary telescope in use by the program of optical speckle interferometry is the 26-inch refractor, located at the U.S.N.O., Washington, D.C. An urban site, approximately 92 meters above sea level. The lens is by Alvan Clark & Sons (1873) on an 1893 mounting, by Warner & Swasey. The objective diameter is 6 inches and the focal length is 32 feet, 4 & 3/4 inches.The instrument used primarily on the telescope is an optical speckle camera. Built by Bill Robinson (Ga. Tech Research Institute), the camera has numerous mechanical, electronic, and computer upgrades since it was originally commissioned in 1990. The current detector is a Night Vision Systems model 9540/IIIc gated intensified CCD camera. We can reach a limiting magnitude of approximately V=13 despite an urban location (and the associated light pollution) and integration times of only 15 ms. The short integration time and the method of image reconstruction makes any wormgear irregularities inconsequential.

The 0.5m astrometric refractor is still in good working condition at the Van Vleck Observatory.
- on campus of Wesleyan University in a city where sky brightness at zenith is about 19th mag per square arcsec

0.5m lenses made by Alvan Clark Co., mounting by Warner and Swasey, completed in 1922 - objective: two lenses separated by 10 cm. crown and fling. They are photographic; color curve is near flat in yellow and red. f/16.5 (See Publications of Van Vleck Obs, Vol i, 1938, for Hartmann tests, color curve, Seidel aberrations, etc.)

Receiver: (See Upgren et al. in IAU Symp 167, p. 347 and 349, 1995 for updated color curve and discussion on photographic information and CCD feasibility study.
CCD is practical but was not installed because observatory director in 1995 opposed it, and ended the astrometric program. The decision of Kodak to stop plate manufacture was also a factor.

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
0.4-meter f/12 Cassegrain reflector used for astrometry of minor planets (and occasional other projects)
location (USA): coordinates: 84:46:28 W, 43:35: 15 N, 255 m.
Manufactured 1996 by DFM Engineering
16-inch = 0.4-meter f/12
Detector is Star-1 CCD (1 arcsec/pixel, 6 x 9 arcmin FOV)
(Photographic plate holder also available)
V max (for astrometry) about 18.

NEW:

Dr. Norbert Zacharias, Astrometry Department, US Naval Washington, DC

Telescopes:

a) 26-inch refractor for speckle observing, built before 1900

b) 24-inch Cassegrain for testing (1.5k CCD), built about 1960's

c) USNO Twin Astrograph (0.2 m aperture, 2 m focal length)

with 4k by 4k single chip CCD (0.9"/px) for UCAC project,

original: blue + visual lens (around 1970, Boller & Chivens mount),

1990 replacement of blue lens by 5-element red lens, 9 deg field

with current camera, limit mag about R = 16

d) several other telescopes at the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS), Arizona.

a) and b) are located within Washington DC, bright sky

c) is currently located at NOFS, Arizona, dark sky, 2100m altitude

Plan for a new dedicated astrometric 1-meter telescope:

i) de Vegt, C., Laux, U., Zacharias, N.~2003,

A dedicated 1-meter telescope for high precision astrometric sky mapping of faint stars, in "Small Telescopes in the New Millenium II. The Telescopes We Use." ed. T. Oswalt, Kluwer Acad.~Publ. p.255

ii) Zacharias, N. 2002

Astrometric survyes in support of large telescopes, in Proc. SPIE 4836, p.279, eds. T.A.Tyson & S.Wolff, Kona, Hawaii, 2002

iii) Plan to acquire a mid-size CMOS detector and camera for testing

Scientific programs carried out with this instrumentation:

a) multiple star observations -> ask Brian Mason or Bill Hartkopf (bdm@usno.navy.mil, wih@usno.navy.mil)

b) testing

c) all sky astrometric survey

Proposed cooperation in ground-based astrometry:

- newsletter, listing activities, merge common programs,

- see what activities are obsolete, what needs to be done,

- how / where to get money