iTelescope 2013 Education Grants in Action

This is our first report on iTelecope.Net's 2013 Education Grants Program, and what a first quarter its been for 2013. This is a great story, and we are very excited, but not half as excited as our grant receipients, it would seem.

One of the fundamental issues in education today is capturing the passion of young people into science and math, the innovation engine of a nations future, its intellectual capital and ability to innovate. Social media has been at the forefront of engageing people in Science through Citizen Science programs like CosmoQuest, Zooniverse and also here at iTelescope.net where amateur astronomers do hundreds of hours of science each month.

Our first grant of the year went to the College Saint Exupery in Perpignan, France. A humble 400 points to enable them to do several Exo-planet transits for a local science competition. Immediately I was impressed with the quality of their grant application, they had a keen apetite for discovery of new things and were fascinated with concept of TTVs - Transit Timing Variations, and the prospect that they might be able to detect something really exciting.

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iTelescope SSO Australia - Remote Telescope Hosting Services

iTelescope Australia Provides Remote Telescope Hosting at Siding Spring Observatory. Australia's Premier Academic Astronomical Complex.

iTelescope.net are the leaders in remote telescope operations and totally qualified to host, prepare and pamper your valuable remote telescope.

iTelescope currently operates many remote telescope systems around the globe, on three continents, including record breaking, custom made platforms and literally hundreds of thousands of imaging missions on the books.

We have over a decade of proven professional remote telescope experience! We are the world leaders in Web Based Remote Astronomy.

iTelescope provides a remote telescope hosting service within its new Siding Spring Observatory. Your own telescope can explore the skies of the southern hemisphere with iTelescope staff doing all the intricate setup work for you.

Spaces are limited with our observatory already 60% occupied. Available pier slots are limited. Contact us soon for information on how to secure a position within Australia's finest remote observatory.

We have trained staff with very high levels of experience in telescope optics, remote robotic telescope system design, IT computing, application design and development and TCP/IP internet networking. We also have extensive experience with a large range of astronomy vendors, applications and automation.

Overall this places us in the perfect position and location to host your own private telescope system. 

iTelescope can even help you form a partnership to reduce your costs. Share your remote telescope with a friend or we may find a partner from our huge iTelescope membership. 

Dont have a telescope? iTelescope can design and provide you with a ready to go 'turn key' remote telescope solution. Taking full advantage of our close long term relationship to some of astronomies major telescope manufacturers.

Brad Moore is the iTelescope Managing Director and Technical Designer. He is a Telescope-Master and is world renown for his skills in optical train design, remote telescope configuration and commissioning. He and his team will take the worry out of your remote astronomy.

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Requirements for Hosting:

• Paramount PME / MX or Planewave Ascension 200HR Mounts
• High Quality OTA - RCOS, Planewave, Takahashi, TeleVue, Meade ACF etc
• Robofocus, Optec focusing control
• SBIG, FLI, Apogee CCDs

We provide professional remote telescope services including: 

• Control Software Integration and Internet connection
• Precision telescope polar alignment, collimation and optical tuning 

Contact us regarding your own system's compatibility.

The iTelescope Siding Spring Observatory is located within a 'Bortle' light pollution Class 1 zone. It has pristine, dark and clean skies. 

Gegenschein is visible. Zodiacal light is bright. Rising Milkyway confuses some into thinking it's dawn. Limiting magnitude 7.6 to 8.0 for people with exceptional vision. The presence of Jupiter or Venus in the sky seems to degrade dark adaptation. Airglow (a very faint, naturally occurring glow most evident within about 15 degrees of the horizon) is readily apparent. Users of large telescopes are very happy. This is an astronomer's Nirvana!

The new iTelescope Southern Observatory is a high tech structure with room for over a dozen large aperture remote telescopes.

The iTelescope South facility at Siding Spring Observatory features:

• High speed internet connection
• Automated Roof control
• Online Weather & Sky monitoring Systems
• Over 70% Usable Skies Per Month
• Federally Protected Dark Sky Environment
• Enforced 24hr Site Security
• Excellent Seeing & Moderate Climate (avg 1.5 - 2.5 arc seconds)
• High resolution color SkyCam & Internal Webcam
• On Site Support with local workshops
• Premier Elevation - over 1100m amsl
• Inclusion within a truly professional astronomy community
• We operate in a partnership with the ANU Research School of Astrophysics and Astronomy (RSAA) 

The SSO location is the home for a growing number of iTelescope systems. All connected to our high speed network & available for the world's online astronomy community. 

Contact us for more details on remote hosting with iTelescope South.

Welcome to Nicole's Universe

Introducing our latest iTelescope editor - Nicole Mortillaro. She is an experienced and valued member of the iTelescope community.

In her own regular iTelescope Blog she writes about her experiences with iTelescope as well as general astronomy observations. Nicole lives in a not-so-dark-sky site north of Toronto, Canada. 

"I've often been told I live in my own world, so why not call this my universe? Aim higher, I say.

If you’ve been a member of iTelescope for a while, I’m sure that you’ve seen my name creep up from time to time. I’m a relative “newbie” when it comes to astrophotography — I’ve only been doing this for a year. But I’ve been going at it strong and have learned a tonne. If you’re new to iTelescope, welcome to your new addiction. No. Really.

We’re all here for the same reason: we love astronomy . . . the stars, planets (especially dwarf planets . . . Pluto, I’m looking at you), comets, asteroids and the sundry bits and pieces that make up our stunning universe. And iTelescope gives us the tools to explore these parts. If you’ve never used the service, you will be stunned when you take your first image. I know I was. Of course I’d gazed through many an eyepiece. I’d seen the Lagoon Nebula, the Orion Nebula, globular clusters, Andromeda and much more. But not like this. Not with dust lanes and so many stars.

The equipment is top of the line and so are the people here. If you’ve been at this for a while, if you’re like me, you’re excited when your run starts. The best part is, you can be at home, at work, at a party — heck, you can be scuba diving — and you know that “your” telescope is aimed at the target you’ve chosen and working away. No cold nights. No driving out of your way to a dark site only to be clouded out. No hauling 300 lbs of telescope gear out. You work to plan your run and sit back.

The other thing I love about this service is that so many of us live in the northern hemisphere. Because of that, we are robbed of seeing the southern jewels like the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the Carina Nebula and Centaurus A, just to name a few. But not now. Now we’re able to capture these beauties and examine their intricacies for ourselves. This is why you’ll be addicted.

Now, excuse me, I have to run . . . I think T9 is free. Or maybe I’ll use T7. Or both. I’ve gotta get my fix."

NM

See Nicole's new iTelescope Blog Here