Maciej Konacki, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center and Baltic Institute of Technology, Pawel Lejba, Space Research Center, Piotr Sybilski, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center and Sybilla Technologies, Rafal Pawlaszek, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center and Sybilla Technologies, Stanislaw Kozlowski, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center and Cillium Engineering, Tomasz Suchodolski, Space Research Center, Michal Litwicki, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center and Cillium Engineering, Ulrich Kolb, The Open University, Vadim Burwitz, Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Johannes Baader, Baader Planetarium GmbH, Milena Ratajczak, Wroclaw University and Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Krzysztof Helminiak, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Pawel Chodosiewicz, Ministry of Defense, Poland
Keywords: autonomous observatories, SST, NEO
Abstract:
We present the assets of the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Space Research Center (both of the Polish Academy of Sciences), two Polish companies Sybilla Technologies, Cillium Engineering and a non-profit research foundation Baltic Institute of Technology. These assets are enhanced by telescopes belonging to The Open University (UK), the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and in the future the Radboud University. They consist of the Solaris-Panoptes global network of optical robotic telescopes and the satellite laser ranging station in Borowiec, Poland. These assets will contribute to the Polish and European Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) program. The Solaris component is composed of four autonomous observatories in the Southern Hemisphere. Solaris nodes are located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (Solaris-1 and Solaris-2), Siding Spring Observatory, Australia (Solaris-3) and Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, Argentina (Solaris-4). They are equipped with 0.5-m telescopes on ASA DDM-160 direct drive mounts, Andor iKon-L cameras and housed in 3.5-m Baader Planetarium (BP) clamshell domes. The Panoptes component is a network of telescopes operated by software from Sybilla Technologies. It currently consists of 4 telescopes at three locations, all on GM4000 mounts. One 0.36-m (Panoptes-COAST, STL- 1001E camera, 3.5 BP clamshell dome) and one 0.43-m (Panoptes-PIRATE, FLI 16803 camera, 4.5-m BP clamshell dome, with planned exchange to 0.63-m) telescope are located at the Teide Observatory (Tenerfie, Canary Islands), one 0.6-m (Panoptes-COG, SBIG STX 16803 camera, 4.5-m BP clamshell dome) telescope in Garching, Germany and one 0.5-m (Panoptes-MAM, FLI 16803 camera, 4.5-m BP slit dome) in Mammendorf, Germany. Panoptes-COAST and Panoptes-PIRATE are owned by The Open University (UK). Panoptes-COG is owned by the Max Planck Institute
Date of Conference: September 20-23, 2016
Track: Poster