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Hello, all:
I haven't seen mention of this anywhere other than an ad in SEED
magazine. http://www.slooh.com/ It is kind of incredible in theory,
live images from a telescope on a mountain in the canary islands that
you, the end user, can control from a web browser. It is commercial,
with a 100/yr fee, but they are offering a week trial. I'm *so*
there, and will report back. In the mean time, I have posted their
FAQ below.
Again, I have no affiliation, etc.
Eric Siegel
Executive VP
Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
[log in to unmask]
718 699 0005 x 317
www.nyscience.org
"Most people will not get the chance to control Spirit, the robotic
rover on the surface of Mars. But a new web venture offers armchair
astronomers a consolation prize: the opportunity to control an
earthbound telescope to view Mars and other heavenly objects." - New
York Times
"Your computer screen will become an eyepiece, as distant galaxies,
planets and other celestial objects are viewed live in color
accompanied by audio segments providing history, mythology and other
related information." - Newsday
General Questions
Where does the term "SLOOH" come from?
When you move a telescope from one object to another, you are
slewing the scope. We changed the spelling because we put the "ooh!!"
in slew.
What is a SLOOH mission?
A SLOOH membership buys access to live space missions, broadcast
in real time to your computer from our telescopes in the Canary
Islands. Most missions are five to ten minutes in length. Using
LightMachine™, SLOOH's patent-pending instant imaging technology,
each mission presents a live view of that mission's designated space
object. This view improves in quality during the mission as our
telescopes gather more light. Our observatory aims multiple different
telescopes at the subject, which allows you to zoom from a huge
expanse of sky all the way to a close up view. Through our user
interface, you can capture photographs during the mission and save
them in your mission log book. During the mission, our SLOOH Audio
narrators will illuminate the history, mythology and context of the
mission target.
What objects will I see on the missions?
Our goal is to show you the best and brightest of outer space, at
the specific times that are the most ideal to view any particular
object. For example, Mars passes close to Earth about every 26 months
and when it does our editors emphasize missions to Mars. Every night
we visit popular objects like the Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter, as
well as the most beautiful galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters,
including the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Crab Nebula,
the Whirlpool Galaxy, the Pleiades and the Hercules cluster - to name
just a few.
I Want to Capture SLOOH Missions. Can I Take Pictures?
SLOOH members have captured hundreds of thousands of images of
spectacular space objects, and many are available for viewing in the
SLOOH Member Gallery. On our mission interface, there is a Camera
button that allows you to capture up to three images per mission.
These images show up in your Mission Log once the event is complete.
You can then print your photos, download them to your desktop or a
storage device, or add them to the Member Gallery. The SLOOH Camera
device also records the date, time and observing conditions for your
photo.
How do you decide where to point the telescope during a mission on
the SLOOH Editor channel?
The SLOOH Editor channel targets the most popular, brightest space
objects available in tonight's sky; we design and program a best-in-
show mission schedule, and members can always head to the Editor
Channel to find live programming that will boggle the collective
mind. During the SLOOH Member Channel missions, the destinations are
determined by SLOOH members; sign up, select the space object you
have in mind or enter the celestial coordinates, and when your
scheduled mission time arrives, lead the SLOOH community on your own
deep space journey!
How often does the telescope SLOOH to a new object?
Normally, we will SLOOH the telescope every 5 or 10 minutes,
depending on the object we are looking at. The telescope takes longer
to collect light from deep space objects such as galaxies or nebulae
than it does for objects in our own solar system such as Saturn or
the Moon. In general, objects very far from Earth, or objects that
are not comparatively bright, require a longer mission. During every
mission, you'll watch the object become clearer and clearer before
your eyes as the telescope collects more light.
What is a SLOOH Alert?
A SLOOH Alert is a highlight mission designed for members who are
not daily visitors but who want to catch a great mission every few
days. SLOOH Alerts offer a rock star destination and an expert audio
accompaniment, and arrive via the nifty SLOOH Alert Mechanism, a task
bar tool that subtly lets you know when a SLOOH Alert is on the
horizon. Download the SLOOH Alert tool and we will notify you about
upcoming, best-of-breed, hosted missions. When you get to the Launch
Pad, check out the SLOOH Classic channel to view some past SLOOH
Alert Missions and see us at our best.
Membership Questions
How much time on the telescope do I get for my SLOOH membership?
Commander Level members get unlimited access to the three SLOOH
channels (Editor channel, Member channel, Classic channel) as well as
priority access to commanding their own missions on the Member
channel. Explorer Level members receive 200 SLOOH Credits, enough to
witness most of the SLOOH Alert missions offered over the course of a
year-long membership. Observer Level members get enough SLOOH Credits
to partake in a few missions (we recommend following a SLOOH Alert)
and get a feel for what we have to offer.
What is the appropriate age group for SLOOH?
The SLOOH experience has been designed to introduce people of all
ages to astronomy. While rookie stargazers are sure to be awed by
their first rock star SLOOH Alert mission, we expect even the most
advanced users to appreciate being able to easily access a live view
through a powerful telescope situated at a renowned professional
observatory. Once we capture your imagination, we'll continue to add
new and advanced features to hold your burgeoning interest. SLOOH is
an active community, full of self-starters of every age, so once you
have made yourself familiar with the site, please join our forums to
tell us about features you'd like to see as we continue to refine the
site.
Astronomy
What is the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands?
Formed in 1979, it is a consortium of European governments under the
authority of Spain, and is the leading professional observatory in
Europe. There is astronomical equipment belonging to over 60 academic
and government institutions from 19 countries on two mountain peaks
in the Canary Islands, including one of the largest telescopes in the
world, the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias.
What equipment is housed in the observatory?
SLOOH's observatories high upon Mount Teide in the Canary Islands
are far more powerful than a backyard telescope, and SLOOH members
can access them from anywhere in the world. Each observatory is
enclosed in a motorized dome and has a motorized equatorial mount. On
each mount is a catadioptric telescope, which has a focuser, a filter
wheel and a CCD camera. Next to the catadioptric is a refractor
telescope with a focuser, a filter wheel and a CCD camera, which we
use for wide field imaging. Several computers housed within the domes
control the equipment and maintain a telecommunications connection to
our web site. Outside the domes is another CCD camera with an all-sky
lens.
What Telescopes Does SLOOH Use?
SLOOH has five telescopes in service right now: * A 14-inch
diameter Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, with a 3910mm focal length* An
85mm diameter APO refractor telescope, with a 480mm focal length* A
second 14-inch SCT, with a 2100mm focal lengt * A 34mm diameter
refractor, with a 135mm focal length * A monochrome all-sky camera
with a fisheye field of view of 175 degrees
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