Astronomy

Public Observation Nights
Each semester, Millikin hosts Public Observation Nights in the Requarth Observatory every Wednesday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. when there are clear skies and while the weather is warm (early September–early November in the fall and March to semester’s end in mid-May in the Spring).
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Overview
Millikin Astronomy
We are committed to exploration, discovery, and examination, both of space and ourselves. The facilities and equipment used for astronomy allow just that. Students are given a vast number of possibilities through training in equipment and procedure, easy access to all equipment, classes designed to meet the needs of student's future plans, and independent studies.
Millikin's Astronomy program does not end there. We have one of the largest publicly accessible telescopes in the area. In the fall and spring of the year, we host public viewing sessions, where all members of the community are welcome to stop by to do some stargazing with the assistance of qualified personnel. We also extend our reach outside of Millikin. Millikin's six 8" telescopes are portable, allowing us to go to dark sites for high-detail.
Requarth Observatory
Making the Stars Accessible
The Requarth Observatory was built in 2000. There are three 300-pound support sections that hold the 20-foot telescope and each support had to be carried up six flights of stairs by hand. It was only after the telescope was installed that the freight elevator became operational.
Faculty and students are continually updating the observatory to meet their scientific needs and there are currently many plans to enhance the stargazing experience for faculty, students, and visitors.
In addition to the main telescope, the Leighty Tabor Science Building also features an observation deck on the fifth floor that surrounds the base of the dome. This observation deck provides the perfect platform to set up the smaller 8-foot telescopes that are commonly used in introductory astronomy classes. Even with a “small” telescope, it is still easy to observe the rings of Saturn.
Equipment
Telescopes at Millikin
Parallax Instruments 20" Ritchey-Chrétien
Model No.
PI500R, 20"
Clear Aperture
508mm
Focal Ratio
F/8.1
Focal Length
4114mm
Primary & Secondary Mirror Substrate
Zero Expansion Astrositall
Telescope Tube
Low Expansion Carbon Fiber
Secondary Amplification
2.70X
Spacing (Approx.)
40"
Mirror Coatings
AlSiO
Optical Tube Dia.
24"
Optical Tube Length
56"
Optical Tube Weight
130lbs.
Focuser
2.7"
Finder Scope
7X50
Tube Rings
Standard
Primary Cooling Fan
Standard (Quantity 3)
Slewing Handle
Standard
Tube C'wt Bar Assy.
Standard (Quantity 2)
Meade LX 200 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain
f
6.3
10
Focal Length
1280mm
2000mm
Aperture
203mm
203mm
Secondary
88mm
76mm
Obstruction
43%
37%
Type
SCT
SCT
Drive
Fully computer controlled; 64359 object library; automatic GO TO capability
Altaz
Yes
Polar
Yes with optional wedge
Eyepiece
26mm Plossl
Finder
8x50
RS232
Yes
Power
18v DC (AC adapter included)
Weight
41lbs
41lbs
Tripod
Standard
Cameras at Millikin
ST-7XME
CCD
Kodak KAF-0402ME + TI TC-237
Pixel Array
765 x 510 pixels, 6.9 x 4.6 mm
Total Pixels
390,000
Pixel Size
9 x 9 microns
Full Well Capactiy (ABG)
~50,000 e-
Full Well Capactiy (NABG)
~100,000 e-
Dark Current
1e-/pixel/sec at 0C
Antiblooming
KAF-0402ME is NABG only ABG optional (KAF-0402LE)
Shutter
Electromechanical
Exposure
0.11 to 36000 seconds, 10ms resolution
Correlated Double Sampling
Yes
A/D Converter
16 bits
A/D Gain
2.6e-/ADU
Read Noise
15e-RMS
Binning Modes
1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3
Pixel Digitization Rate
Up to 420,000 pixels per second
Full Frame Acquisition
~35 seconds
Field of View
12 x 8 arcminutes on f/10 Meade LX 200
Pixel Size
.9 x .9 arcseconds on f/10 Meade LX 200
Limiting Magnitude
Magnitude 14 in 1 second
(for 3 arcsec FWHM stars)
Magnitude 18 in 1 minute
Cooling - standard
Single Stage Thermoelectric, Active Fan, Water Assist Ready -45 C from Ambient Typical
Temperature Regulation
+-0.1 C
Power
5 VDC at 1.5 amps, +-12 VDC at 0.5 amp desktop power supply included
Computer Interface
Parallel
Computer Compatibility
Windows 98/2000/Me/NT/XP
Guiding
Dual CCD Self-Guiding
STL-1001E
Imaging CCD
Kodak Enhanced KAF-1001E
Pixel Array
1024 x 1024 pixels, 24.6 x 24.6 mm
Total Pixels
1.0 million
Pixel Size
24 x 24 microns
Full Well Capacity (NAGB)
200,000 e-
Dark Curent
9 e-/pixel/second at 0 degrees C
Antiblooming
NAGB only
Shutter
Electromechanical
Exposure
0.12 to 3600 seconds, 10 ms resolution
Correlated Double Sampling
Yes
A/D Converter
16 bits
A/D Gain
2.0e-/ADU
Read Noise
14.8e-RMS
Binning Modes
1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3
Full Frame Download
40.8 seconds
Cooling - standard
Two-Stage Thermoelectric, Water Assist, -40 C from Ambient Typical
Temperature Regulation
+-0.1 degrees C
Power
10-18VDC, 12VDC nominal, Universal AC to 12VDC desktop supply
Computer Interface
Parallel
Computer Compatibility
WIndows 98/NT/2000/Me/XP/Mac OS-X
Guiding
Dual CCD Self-Guiding Standard,
SGS-Self Guided Spectrograph
Dispersion:
Two gratings available, on a carousel for rapid selction
150 lines per mm (4.3 Angstroms per pixel)
600 lines per mm (1.0 Angstroms per pixel)
Slit Width
100 microns wide Entrance Slit
Accptance cone angle:
F/6.3 by F/10
Resolution:
Narrow slit & 600 lines/mm
2.4 Angstroms
Narrow slit & 150 lines/mm
10 Angstroms
Wide slit & 600 lines/mm
10 Angstroms
Wide slit & 150 lines/mm
38 Angstroms
Relative Sensitivity to Diffuse Sources:
Narrow slit & 600 lines/mm
1.0
Narrow slit & 150 lines/mm
4.0
Wide slit & 600 lines/mm
4.0
Wide slit & 150/mm
16.0
Dispersion:
1.07 or 4.3 Angstroms per pixel
Resolution
Emission line is recorded with 2.4, 10 or 38 Angstroms Full Width at Half Maximum
Spectral coverage per frame
About 750 Angstroms with the high resolution grating, or 32000 with the low resolution grating
Center Wavelength Selection
Calibrated Micrometer Adjustment
Wavelenght Range
3800 to 7500 Angstroms
Sensitivity
Signal to noise ration of 10:1 for a 9th mag star, 20 minute exposure using a non-AGB ST-7 and a 10 inch (25 cm) apertaur in high resolution mode. An ABG ST-7 will reach magnitude 8. The low resolution mode will be 1.5 magnitudes more sensitive.
Entrance Slit
18 micron (2.3 arcseconds wide with 63 inch focal length telescope or 72 microns
Uses:
Stellar Classification
Analysis of Nebular Lines
Indentification of spectroscopic binaries
Measurement of Stellar proper motion to +/- 6km/sec accuracy
Measurement of Emission Nebula Proper Motions
Spectra of Laboratory and field sources
Resources
External Links
Professional Organizations The offical site for AAPT American Astronomical
SocietyThe offical site for AAS American Physical Society The offical site for APS Society of Physics Students The offical site for SPS Physics and General Science Physics Today The latest news in physics EurekAlert! Science news that is only a
click awayAstronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) A new photo each day with
an explanation by a
professional astronomerLocations and Facilities National Radio Astronomy Observatory A system of Radio
Telescopes world-wideSoftware, Hardware, and Maps The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project A free online site which
provides detailed star
charts up to 7th magnitude
objectsStellarium A free open source
planetarium for your
computerSBIG Astro-camera, computer
software, and instructions
on how to use bothStarry Night Software which is helpful
both all levels of
astronomers
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Physics
- Astronomy