McNamara-Saunders Astronomical Teaching Telescope | Education website

McNamara-Saunders Astronomical Teaching Telescope

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25.01.2022 MSATT's new spectrograph is on its way! It cost a bit, but we needed to upgrade the instrument so students can continue to undertake ever-more sophisticated projects. Thanks to the great students we've had for the last couple of years who have taken slitless spectroscopy as far as it can go for the moment. When the new instrument arrives, the first step will be learning how to implement it at MSATT prior to rolling it out for student projects in 2021. https://www.shelyak.com//uploads/Alpy600Demetra-510x320.png

23.01.2022 If you want to support MSATT, the simplest and most important thing to do is get the word out there she exists. Feel free to distribute the image here, or let me know if you want a PDF version. Display anywhere there are young, curious minds!

22.01.2022 Here's the spectrum for the distant planet Neptune, noted for its bluish hue due to the compound methane. The spectrum was taken with MSATT 1 (30cm scope) and clearly shows the methane absorption lines (highlighted by the vertical purple lines). This is the best example of element absorption features other than hydrogen MSATT has managed to image so far and a significant step forward. The observations will be made available to student Ranusha who is preparing a report on plan...etary spectroscopy. Neptune is currently almost 29 AU distant, and at magnitude 7.8, one of the faintest objects we've got a spectrum for so far. The spectrum was made possible by MSATT 1s larger aperture (the SharpStar just isn't large enough) and current pointing precision of ~13 arc seconds. It's becoming clear, however, that MSATT has taken slitless spectroscopy almost to the limits and new instruments are needed. Stay tuned.

20.01.2022 There are many aspects to designing and building a teaching facility like MSATT: curriculum (sorted and refereed years ago), scheduling (COVID-19 a somewhat random element this year), instrumental and of course, safety. As MSATT acquires more instruments to attach to the scopes, the cabling becomes more complicated. Through-the-mount cabling proved too restrictive for a teaching telescope so another, more flexible solution was needed. An old length of conduit once used for lessons on dynamics and kinematics has found new purpose as a cable guide. By having all the cables come out the back of the telescope assembly, it minimises the distribution on the floor. This reduces the trip hazard considerably, especially when the unco kids come back at night. (Wireless will be the ultimate goal, but not this year.)

19.01.2022 For all future astronauts! Don't miss out!

18.01.2022 Another long-time student who's leaving us this year is Aidan. This year, he completed a fine project in spectroscopy, taking slitless spectroscopy as far as we can. Aidan's efforts over the last few years have paved the way for the need for a new spectrograph which was purchased this week. Thanks so much for being part of MSATT!

16.01.2022 On the anniversary of the launch of MSATT 2, it's time to see how far we've come. From the initial surveying of the site for MSATT 1 to the completion of both instruments. So very many people contributed time, money, expertise, materials, equipment and encouragement because like me they believe in public education of the highest standard. They saw as I do that MSATT has but one purpose: to teach. It's been a tough first year, though, from fires to COVID-19. But the saddest thing is this: a classroom without students is like a night without stars. MSATT is a classroom like no other. They will return, MSATT.

16.01.2022 It all starts at the beginning: today, thanks to grounds keeper extraordinaire Howard (he's been supporting us for years!), today 27 saplings were planted around MSATT. In time, and with a little rain and sunshine, they will form a thick hedge shielding our little teaching observatory from car headlights as visitors enter the carpark. This has been a cause of concern since MSATT began as parents deliver kids for the second and third student sessions with high-beam blazing ea...ch night, not to mention the wonderful, curious people who attend outreach sessions across the road - it's hard driving in the dark with no lights! Every bit counts, and this is a big bit for teaching astronomy! Thanks Howard! p.s. The saplings are hard to see in the photos because the grass is so green thanks again to Howard and a recent change in weather. Zoom in and you can see these babies!

15.01.2022 MSATT Radio mount test. Reception test is next.

14.01.2022 This is so cool! The RV Investigator is another vessel of discovery, allowing not just the study of oceans either. But this time, they've joined earth and sky. Spectacular! https://www.abc.net.au//meteor-captured-breaking-/12900180

14.01.2022 On this day a year ago, MSATT 2 was officially launched.

13.01.2022 Announcing A Night with MSATT. 19/12/20, 8pm. Intended for new and prospective MSATT students (but anyone can come along). Streamed live from MSATT, this will be a online-only event. Register by emailing: [email protected]

12.01.2022 In another first for MSATT, she's now participated in a professional collaboration. This image shows two geostationary satellites - the single points of light - with the stars trailing behind them. The one on the left is called WGS F8 and orbits at an altitude of around 35,000 km. The trouble is, satellites like these aren't always where they're meant to be. MSATT's services were requested by PhD student Abdu who intends to image them from Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Obse...rvatory. Using parallax measurements, he'll be able to locate their true positions in space. And, of course, this can be moulded into a student project. What a beaut way of inspiring the right kid into space sciences! Stay tuned for further developments. In return, MSATT was able to offer a more direct means of imaging satellites than was originally proposed that greatly improved the ease of locating and imaging these faint (~magnitude 12) objects. "I'm like a kid in a candy store!" was the exclamation in the dark as image after image rolled onto the screen. Thanks to her precision engineering and almost flawless alignment, MSATT was able to give as much as she received from the experience, a genuine scientific symbiosis.

11.01.2022 Harry is another of the originals leaving us for university this year. Harry has paved the way for future deep sky imagers at MSATT. Also shown is one of his best, the Eta Carinae nebula. Good luck, Harry, and do come back as a mentor in the not-too-distant future.

10.01.2022 Another important step forward with the successful test of MSATT radio this afternoon. Noah and David set up a signal generator and aerial in the lab today and straight away the radio telescope detected the signal (small spike in the middle of the screen). The next step will be sky testing, probably next week.

10.01.2022 Slowly taking shape and now up to the testing phase. MSATT Radio constructed by student Noah under the guidance of his mentor David. The horn antenna is now attached to the robotic mount so it can be pointed to any location on the sky. The next step is to take it outside (possibly tomorrow) and see if it can detect the Sun. The second photo shows the receiver (small wire protruding in the the centre of the box).

10.01.2022 Annalise is another brilliant young scientist leaving MSATT for higher learning in 2021. Annalise has been with us from the beginning and took the program to new levels of sophistication each year. Here she is operating MSATT for one of her projects, this one in astrometry (mapping the paths of minor planets through space). This wonderful young person will soar higher, maybe even further than MSATT can see! She will be very much missed. Farewell, Annalise!

10.01.2022 Just saw Radioactive, a film about Mme Curie. Highly recommended, but be aware this is a thinking person's film and not an action blockbuster. However, the acting is superb and the attention to biographical and period detail great. If you're interested in learning more about this incredible scientist read her biography, preferably the one written by her daughter Eve. It is one of the most wonderful books I own. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_(film)

09.01.2022 This one's courtesy of my electronics-trained - and love of my life - wife, Brenda. While non-astronomical, it definitely speaks to the small number of people who actually look at this page. Enjoy! (More news on the radio telescope and planned spectrographs next week!) p.s. For those out there that don't know what a logic gate is...or don't know who's really in charge...you can look it up. :>)

07.01.2022 First sky test of MSATT Radio: looking for radio waves from the Sun. No result. The mount worked fine, and testing showed the telescope is also doing its bit. The problems seems to lie in a minor fault somewhere in the receiver. This will be identified and fixed, and another sky test conducted next week. Small moves, but when this project is completed it will be a major opportunity for students wanting to explore physics and engineering. If nothing else, this is a good experience for student Noah, who remains undaunted. It makes the eventual success all that much sweeter.

07.01.2022 Another large sunspot has appeared. MSATT imaged it this morning through increasing high cloud. The plan is to equip the SharpStar with a solar filter as well enabling whole disk imaging to put the size of the spot in perspective. In the meantime, here's an image (whole disk) from SOHO. https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/ Students interested in undertaking solar studies over the summer break should get in touch with MSATT.

07.01.2022 M1 is starting to get the hang of this solar imaging business. A large sunspot group has appeared on the south eastern limb. Here are images in H-alpha and a close-up of the group in white light. Both are remarkable for their clarity, revealing details down to 1000km in the spots and associated faculae. The H-alpha image shows a number of active regions as well as the location of the sunspots in the lower left. What we need now are students willing to undertake projects observing and interpreting the activity of the Sun from now and for the next dozen or so years... OK, so perhaps a few years worth of students!

07.01.2022 One of the originals, now departing for higher learning! MSATT bids farewell to Casey, one of the original MSATT students. Casey completed her first project in 2017 and went on to study Venus dichotomy, lunar morphometry and, this year, eclipsing binary stars. While she's not the only of the originals to be leaving us for university in 2021, she has been a major supporter of the program. MSATT will miss you greatly, Casey. Amanda, Casey's Mum, will still be with us however, helping train students in researching, referencing and writing. Thanks for all this wonderful family has done for us over the years. More fare wells will follow over the next couple of weeks. It is sad but happy to see these kids venture into the world of science. Study hard!

06.01.2022 Another image from Saturday night. This is the eastern half of Mare Humorum, one of the most interesting regions on the Moon. Note the wrinkle ridges caused by folding of the lunar mare material as it collapsed under its own weight after cooling, and the corresponding graben (rilles, the 300 km long gouges to the right) caused by stretching of the surrounding terrain for the same reason. This area alone wold make a rich source for a student project in 2020.

04.01.2022 MSATT may have taken slitless spectroscopy almost as far as we can for the moment. This spectrum of the star Altair (alpha Aquilae) was taken last night and processed this morning, with pleasing absorption lines. However, the process depends on good seeing, which is somewhat lacking at Mount Stromlo, limiting the spectral resolution (to R = 150 to 400) and hence sophistication of the projects. In 2021, we will be using a much more sophisticated spectrograph with an R value of 22 000. Students are already lining up to use it! Stay tuned!

02.01.2022 And if you think MSATT was kidding about RV Investigator being more than an ocean-study vessel - which would be enough! - check out this incredible story. By understanding Earth's core, we have a datum to understand other planets. And this bloke is leading the charge! Maybe we can persuade him to give us a summary? :>) https://the-riotact.com/anu-researchers-on-voyage-to/411928