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A Guide to Using TZEC MAUN Observatory

Using telescopes like these remotely

 to take images like these

A high school science class assignment using Tzec Maun Observatory imaging the night sky assignment.pdf and imaging the night sky assignment.pptx

Once you have created an account the login page is http://portal.tzecmaun.org/login.php

For best results use the telescopes listed in the pdf document above as they have one shot colour cameras attached and are simple to use. The other telescopes are more complicated and my instructions in the video are not correct. If you would like a challenge please feel free as there are many things to learn and do with these telescopes. If you would like a more advanced project let me know and I can point you to some activities I have.

Videos demonstrating how to use Tzec Maun Observatory to take simple images (click on the links below).

How to book time on a telescope or download booking a telescope.avi

Taking an image or download Taking an image.avi

Using New Mexico Telescopes: In September at 3.30pm in Sydney the sky in New Mexico looks like that shown on the sky map available at http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1009.pdf (for October use http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1010.pdf) and this has a list of objects that are suitable to image on the second page of the document. There are open clusters, globular clusters, galaxies and nebulae listed on the second page that can all be imaged using these telescopes. The size of the object is important as small objects will look tiny in your image. Remember, if it is faint you'll need a longer exposure. If you are observing later in the night the objects that are visible will change. Once you are logged in you can get a list of objects that are visible and available to image by clicking on the Search for Targets link at the bottom of the Sky Chart window.

Using Australian Telescopes: If you are using the Australian telescopes you can look at the map at http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesms1009.pdf or http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesms1010.pdf for the same sort of information but for the objects that can be seen from Australia.

 


Useful Tools

Extra information on the weather at the New Mexico observatory can be found at http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/TzcMnObNMkey.html or http://newmexicoskies.com/fairdinkumwx2.php and for Moorook SA you can look at http://www.weatherzone.com.au/sa/murray/moorook

Information on the predicted weather at Moorook can be found at http://www.skippysky.com.au/Australia/. Look at the total cloud map. Red is bad, blue is good. Moorook is in SA so you can look at the map for SA. Transparency is the amount of water vapour in the air, high transparency is good for observing. Seeing is roughly a measure of how blurring things will look in the sky. Blue is good seeing, red is rubbish. You can click the + numbers above the images on this site to move through time to see the forecast at different times of the day.

A good way to find out more information about what objects you could image from either location is to download the program stellarium from http://www.stellarium.org/ and it will allow you to pick your location and look at the objects in the sky at any time.

 


Example Images

The Trifid Nebula - M20, NGC6514

 


Using TZEC MAUN Observatory | Home | Astronomy | Astrophotography | Science | Space Science | Astrobiology | Science Teaching | Related Links | Contact Me