丁香园AV

Telescope

The telescope is the CDK700 Observation System from .  It boasts a 0.7m aperture, and at f/6.5, has a comparatively wide field of view, after visual optics, of about 0.5 degrees, which matches the apparent angular diameter of the Full Moon.

The telescope has a 鈥渞obust and innovative鈥� alt-azimuth direct-drive mount and two observation ports.  One port has an integrated Rotating Focuser, and attached to it is an Perseus Instrument Selector connecting two (2) astronomical imaging cameras, and two (2) astronomical spectroscopes.  The other port is used for visual observations via a custom 鈥減eriscope鈥� or optical relay, conceived by famed amateur astronomer .  This design made the Trottier Observatory the first wheelchair-accessible Observatory in the world (to our knowledge).

Cameras

Our primary camera, intended for deep-sky imaging (galaxies, star clusters, nebulae), is the 461PH Camera, with a 102MP Mono CMOS chip having 3.76micron pixels.  The image scale is 0.17 arcseconds/pixel, and the camera field of view of 33.48x25.17 arcseconds.  For this camera, we have an externally-mounted filter wheel, from , with a complete set of broad- and narrow-band filters. 

Our secondary camera is a high frame-rate 16MP ASI071 MC-COOL planetary colour camera, that is also suitable for Deep Sky Object (DSO) imaging and streaming to the internet via our .

May2015 marked the first full colour image from the observatory, Messier101 鈥� Pinwheel Galaxy, taken using a preceding FLI Proline16803 Camera, and was published by the Editor of SkyNews, Canada鈥檚 magazine of popular astronomy.

DSO imaging produced a research article published in The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; Cephid Variable Stars in the Andromeda Galaxy (April2020), and provides extensive reporting.

Spectroscopes

The observatory has two spectroscopes in operation, both from .  

High Luminosity Spectroscope

The LISA spectroscope is a high-luminosity spectroscope dedicated to the study of faint objects such as faint variable stars, distant galaxies or quasars.  Its custom-made optics permits for a resolving power of R = 1,000 using a 23 碌m slit, and possesses a spectral range between 400 and 700 nm. It also has an on-system calibration module, enabling easy calibration using an Argon/neon lamp providing many emission lines, and a tungsten lamp for flats.  For this spectroscope we chose to utilize a ZWO ASI 174MM as the guide camera, and an ATIK Series4 camera to capture the diffraction pattern.

High Resolution Spectroscope

The eShel II high-resolution spectroscope works over a wide spectral range (390 to 700nm) at a high resolution (R = 10,000).  鈥淭his is made possible using multiple orders of an Echelle spectrum which reads 鈥渓ike a book鈥�: the end of one order is found at the beginning of the next,鈥� says the manufacturer, Shelyak.  The eShel utilizes a fiber-optic solution to increase the accuracy of radial velocity measurements.  For this spectroscope we chose to utilize a ZWO ASI 174MC as the guide camera, and an ATIK Series4 as the spectral camera.

The eShel spectroscope has produced a research article published in The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; The Detection of an Exoplanet (August 2017), and provides extensive reporting.

Periscope 鈥� Visual Observations

The periscope / optical relay is comprised of two (2) NP101is telescope joined 鈥渘ose to nose.鈥�  In this orientation we preserve the magnification and quality of observations.  When visually observing, there are three (2) different Tele Vue Nagler eyepieces to choose from providing a range of effective magnifications.

In addition to the eyepieces, the periscope has a night vision attachment. The night-vision device provides users with breathtaking visuals of the night sky, not previously seen due to skyglow and ambient lighting.

Sky Camera

The Observatory is equipped with an 8C All Sky Camera to provide real-time assessments of the conditions of the entire sky, both during the day and at night.

Moreover, the system excels at capturing and recording a wide range of celestial phenomena, ranging from fast events like meteors and fireballs to slower occurrences such as satellites, rockets, noctilucent clouds, zodiacal light, auroras, and airglow.

As a result, the Alcor OMEA All Sky Cameras provide a valuable tool for astronomers, researchers, and enthusiasts to not only monitor and assess the real-time condition of the night sky but also to document and study various celestial events with unparalleled image quality and precision. Whether capturing the fleeting brilliance of meteors or the mesmerizing dance of auroras, these cameras stand as reliable instruments for advancing our understanding of the dynamic and ever-changing celestial landscape.

Software

The observatory has a program called , by Software Bisque, which has a powerful 鈥減lanetarium鈥� interface and is a full-service software that integrates controls of the telescope, and of the dome.

The deep-sky observation imaging camera is controlled by a sophisticated program MaxIm DL Pro, by a Canadian company called , which also integrates telescope and dome control, and limited post-processing.