Tuesday, January 30, 2007

PAN-STARRS


The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (PAN-STARRS) is designed to observe the entire sky several times per month. Its primary goal is to discover dangerous objects that might pose a threat to Earth. A wide-field survey will also help locate new Kuiper Belt Objects, extrasolar planets, gamma ray bursts and many other interesting objects. This ground-based system is less expensive and potentially more useful than Space-based surveys.

For cosmology, the system will allow surveys of galaxy clustering and gravitational lensing. For those interested in Type Ia supernovae, PAN-STARRS can locate 5000 of them. A far more expensive Joint Dark Energy Mission would only detect about 2000. JDEM concepts like SNAP would have a lifetime measured in months, and could not be repaired like Hubble. PAN-STARRS will last indefinitely. More supernovae for 1/10 the cost, a very good deal.

This prototype telescope was dedicated June 30 atop Haleakala on Maui. This is Hawaii's "other" telescope mountain; 10,023 feet high. The US Air Force has maintained observatories here for many years. The full system will have 4 telescopes, erected either here or on Mauna Kea. The latter has better observing conditions and infrastructure, but faces local concerns about overbuilding on a sacred mountain.

As this is written, the Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) is broken, probably beyond repair. The ACS was installed during Servicing Mission 3B in March 2002. It has been used for surveys of everything from supernovae to galaxies. Some spectacular photos of gravitational lensing came from ACS. The camera is not scheduled to be replaced on the servicing flight. That mission is currently scheduled for September 11, 2008; the last flight of Shuttle Atlantis.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Louise, i like your website. i'd like to have something like it. have you seen Physics Police site? i emailed them the same papers which i showed to you yesterday, and today i emailed you the same email. sent you a notice, too, about a 'time' sympos-ium in Sherman, TX, too. i'd love to be there (later this month). maybe i will go.

10:22 AM  
Blogger Kea said...

Hi Louise. Hawaii sounds like an astronomically cool place to visit - I must get there sometime!

6:31 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I don' think that there is any other lover of blueberry like me and i always buy it when i go back from my institute where i go for practice of custom writing services. I want you to provide me fresh blueberries by home delivery service soon.

4:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks for information
Agen Qnc Jelly Gamat Di Bengkalis
Walatra Berry Jus
keuntungan menjadi member qnc jelly gamat
penjual qnc jelly gamat di sumbawa
khasiat dan manfaat obat alami penyakit kulit ayam untuk anak dan dewasa
agen qnc di sorong
obat epilepsi
harga dan cara order qnc jelly gamat
obat ampuh mata ikan herbal
walatra sehat mata softgel

10:58 PM  
Blogger meldaresearchusa said...

We ensure all write research paper online processes, our company meet a certain prescribed and strict criteria to ascertain none of the research paper writer services quality is compromised.

3:33 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Locations of visitors to this page