Skaros
March 8th, 2005, 04:27 PM
2.3m Aristarchos Telescope -
The largest telescope in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan region and second largest in mainland Europe.
Location : At the top of mountain Helmos ( 2,340 m ) , North Peloponnese , Achaia
National Observatory of Athens , Greece
Operation : 2004
http://www.zeiss.de/C12567BC00338B2E/GraphikTitelIntern/AstronomicalInstruments_AstronomicalTelescopes_23mConcept_gr/$File/at_2_3mconcept_gr.jpg
Eyeing the universe
New state-of-the-art telescope brings space closer to earth
Named after Aristarchos of Samos (310-250 BC) - who was the first to assert that the earth revolves around the sun and to actually try to measure the distance between the two planets - the 2.3m telescope is the National Observatory of Athens pride and joy. Via this grand-scale project, the Observatory hopes to upgrade astronomical research and encourage international scientific collaborations.
Standing at 9 metres, weighing 34 tonnes and equipped with a 2,30-metre diameter, Aristarchos, located at an altitude of 2,340 metres, is the largest telescope in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan region.
Aristarchos has its scientific eye on stellar clusters, associations and complexes, galaxies, planetary systems and nebulae located 5 billion Light Years away from the earth. It is also in a position to process its observational data. The state-of-the-art telescope boasts a Ritchey-Chretien optical system and is being constructed by astronomical instruments giant Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH.
The new telescope's site was selected after careful research. Also known as Neraidorahi (fairy slope), the location, where according to legend fairies dance in the snow, is one of the darkest in Europe thus facilitating stellar observation. Even on cloudy winter nights, Helmos' peak is more often than not in the clear.
http://www.astro.noa.gr/ASC_2.3m/images/site-darksky.gif
Travelling souls might want to note that Aristarchos, at 130km from Athens, is located approximately 15km from the historic town of Kalavryta, which played a key role in igniting the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. Not far from this...celestial site, ski aficionados may opt for more mundane pleasures at the popular ski centre on the northwestern slopes of Mt Helmos.
The new telescope is equipped with observation instruments of cutting-edge technology. It contains single CCD and wide-field (AWFC) cameras, a triple high-speed CCD camera (ULTRACAM) as well as high-resolution (MES) and medium-resolution (ATS) spectrometers. The system can be remotely controlled through the network, from the Institute's offices in Athens, or from other associated Institutes, in Greece and abroad.
The facilities of the new observatory consist of two buildings: the room where the telescope is installed and the control building (container). For functional reasons, these two buildings are located 30 metres apart: the telescope room must be in full thermal equilibrium with the environment, in order to ensure optimal behaviour of the telescope/building system.
The operation of the new telescope is achieved by optoelectromechanical means and is environmentally friendly, since no toxic or radioactive materials are used. The control building is also equipped with instruments to measure gas pollutants and greenhouse-effect agents.
The operation of the new telescope, "Aristarchos", is expected to further improve the resources available to the Greek scientific community, with multiple benefits. Firstly, it will dramatically reduce the need for Greek scientists to travel to other countries for space observations. The new telescope will also allow advanced research in most fields of modern astronomy. Among others, the new telescope will allow observations of bodies approaching the Earth (comets, asteroids, space debris etc), the study of stellar explosions (novas, supernovas etc) and their remnants (e.g. planetary nebulae), the observation of intermediate stages (e.g. variable stars) and final stages of star evolution (white dwarves, neutron stars, black holes), as well as extensive research into the existence of planets around stars in our galaxy.
Worldwide Research Interest
The world's largest research foundations have expressed great interest in using the telescope as part of scientific co-operation projects. The National Observatory of Athens, which owns the new telescope, has already received important offers for scientific instruments from the Universities of Sheffield, Southampton and Manchester in Great Britain, from the University of Patras in Greece and from the Isaac Newton Group (La Palma). The Russian Special Astrophysical Observatory, the Universities of Odessa (Ukraine) and Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Astronomical Observatory of Yugoslavia have also expressed their interest in scientific co-operation.
For more info look in National Observatory Site (www.astro.noa.gr) or www.zeiss.de
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/7246/aristarchos113cb.jpg
The largest telescope in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan region and second largest in mainland Europe.
Location : At the top of mountain Helmos ( 2,340 m ) , North Peloponnese , Achaia
National Observatory of Athens , Greece
Operation : 2004
http://www.zeiss.de/C12567BC00338B2E/GraphikTitelIntern/AstronomicalInstruments_AstronomicalTelescopes_23mConcept_gr/$File/at_2_3mconcept_gr.jpg
Eyeing the universe
New state-of-the-art telescope brings space closer to earth
Named after Aristarchos of Samos (310-250 BC) - who was the first to assert that the earth revolves around the sun and to actually try to measure the distance between the two planets - the 2.3m telescope is the National Observatory of Athens pride and joy. Via this grand-scale project, the Observatory hopes to upgrade astronomical research and encourage international scientific collaborations.
Standing at 9 metres, weighing 34 tonnes and equipped with a 2,30-metre diameter, Aristarchos, located at an altitude of 2,340 metres, is the largest telescope in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan region.
Aristarchos has its scientific eye on stellar clusters, associations and complexes, galaxies, planetary systems and nebulae located 5 billion Light Years away from the earth. It is also in a position to process its observational data. The state-of-the-art telescope boasts a Ritchey-Chretien optical system and is being constructed by astronomical instruments giant Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH.
The new telescope's site was selected after careful research. Also known as Neraidorahi (fairy slope), the location, where according to legend fairies dance in the snow, is one of the darkest in Europe thus facilitating stellar observation. Even on cloudy winter nights, Helmos' peak is more often than not in the clear.
http://www.astro.noa.gr/ASC_2.3m/images/site-darksky.gif
Travelling souls might want to note that Aristarchos, at 130km from Athens, is located approximately 15km from the historic town of Kalavryta, which played a key role in igniting the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. Not far from this...celestial site, ski aficionados may opt for more mundane pleasures at the popular ski centre on the northwestern slopes of Mt Helmos.
The new telescope is equipped with observation instruments of cutting-edge technology. It contains single CCD and wide-field (AWFC) cameras, a triple high-speed CCD camera (ULTRACAM) as well as high-resolution (MES) and medium-resolution (ATS) spectrometers. The system can be remotely controlled through the network, from the Institute's offices in Athens, or from other associated Institutes, in Greece and abroad.
The facilities of the new observatory consist of two buildings: the room where the telescope is installed and the control building (container). For functional reasons, these two buildings are located 30 metres apart: the telescope room must be in full thermal equilibrium with the environment, in order to ensure optimal behaviour of the telescope/building system.
The operation of the new telescope is achieved by optoelectromechanical means and is environmentally friendly, since no toxic or radioactive materials are used. The control building is also equipped with instruments to measure gas pollutants and greenhouse-effect agents.
The operation of the new telescope, "Aristarchos", is expected to further improve the resources available to the Greek scientific community, with multiple benefits. Firstly, it will dramatically reduce the need for Greek scientists to travel to other countries for space observations. The new telescope will also allow advanced research in most fields of modern astronomy. Among others, the new telescope will allow observations of bodies approaching the Earth (comets, asteroids, space debris etc), the study of stellar explosions (novas, supernovas etc) and their remnants (e.g. planetary nebulae), the observation of intermediate stages (e.g. variable stars) and final stages of star evolution (white dwarves, neutron stars, black holes), as well as extensive research into the existence of planets around stars in our galaxy.
Worldwide Research Interest
The world's largest research foundations have expressed great interest in using the telescope as part of scientific co-operation projects. The National Observatory of Athens, which owns the new telescope, has already received important offers for scientific instruments from the Universities of Sheffield, Southampton and Manchester in Great Britain, from the University of Patras in Greece and from the Isaac Newton Group (La Palma). The Russian Special Astrophysical Observatory, the Universities of Odessa (Ukraine) and Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Astronomical Observatory of Yugoslavia have also expressed their interest in scientific co-operation.
For more info look in National Observatory Site (www.astro.noa.gr) or www.zeiss.de
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/7246/aristarchos113cb.jpg