SSO Update

Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue32 1–30 September 2022

2.3-metre Automation Project

Earlier this year, the 2.3-metre automation project passed a major milestone when it was largely run without human intervention for a period of a week. Astronomers from all over Australia submitted observing requests that were scheduled and then observed by the automated telescope according to priority. A number of results have already been published from data collected during the run.

Spurred by the success, it has been decided to switch to fully automatic operations in the second quarter of 2023, in time for the fourth observing run of LIGO gravitational wave observatory.

However, much work needs to be done between now and then. In October, we have an 8-night run that will focus on making the telescope robust against failures. Longer term, we’ll need to invest funds to replace and upgrade hardware, which is now reaching 40 years of age.

Farewell Harry Abbot, Welcome Kevin Dawson

Harrison (Harry) Abbot joined the Observatory about a year ago as part-time night assistant. Harry is also a postgraduate student at RSAA studying the early lightcurves of core collapse supernovae. It is perhaps the first time that we employed a student to be a night assistant at the AAT. I think that I speak for everyone at the Observatory when I say that it has worked very well and that we are keen to employ more students as night assistants.

Sadly, Harry will be leaving us soon. He will be submitting his thesis and moving to the UK. Harry is currently on his last night shift. We wish Harry all the best for the future.

Kevin Dawson has just joined us an electronic technician, replacing John Goodyear who retired at the end of June.  We welcome Kevin to the Observatory and look forward to working with him over the coming years.

Chris Lidman on behalf of the staff at SSO

_{Picture: A fisheye view of the ANU 2.3-metre telescope mirror}