SSO News
Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue12 1–31 January 2021
Farewell APT, hello DREAMS
In the 1950’s, The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory was given the task of tracking the first American satellites to be launched during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58. They decided to build 12 tracking cameras to be dispersed around the World. Because of the uncertainties of prediction of the orbits of these new satellites the cameras had to have a very wide field of view.
The optical design was given to Dr. Jim Baker, who developed a design that had a fully corrected field of 30 degrees! The cameras were also extremely fast (f/1) and had a clear aperture of 0.5 metres. Baker was also the first person to use an electronic computer (in the late 1940s) to ray-trace an optical design (the Super-Schmidts). The optics were then made by Perkin-Elmer. The mechanical design was undertaken by Joseph Nunn and the cameras built by Boller & Chivens - a small South Pasadena firm employing about one dozen people. The 12 Baker-Nunn (B-N) cameras were built in less than two years.
The first test photo taken by a B-N camera occurred on Oct 2, 1957. The Russian satellite 'Sputnik 1' was launched on Oct 4, 1957 and a B-N camera in California took its first photo on Oct 17 - not of an American satellite, but of a Russian one! A B-N camera operated at Woomera from March, 1958 until 1964 when it was moved to nearby Island Lagoon to continue working there until 1973, when it was decommissioned. This was the second B-N camera in the world to take a photo of one of the new Russian satellites (actually Sputnik 2), and it was the first B-N to take a photo of the first American Vanguard satellite. During the International Geophysical Year, the Woomera B-N camera took more satellite photos than any other in the world. The camera was then moved to Orroral Valley near Canberra but was never operated there. Upon the closure of Orroral Valley tracking station, it was donated to the University of NSW in late 1982 and moved to the UNSW campus in early 1983.
Redesign and rebuilding of the camera then commenced to convert it into an automated astronomical telescope, which became named the UNSW Automated Patrol Telescope (APT). Paul Payne and Paul Brooks undertook this work as their Ph.D subjects. Observing sites near Orange and Wellington were considered before settling on the Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) area in early 1984. The first site considered at SSO was adjacent to the Hewitt Camera used by Rob McNaught for satellite work; however, this site was considered too exposed and the final site chosen was adjacent to the Uppsala Southern Schmidt. Building there started in late 1986 and was completed in 1988. First light for the telescope was achieved on Feb 3, 1989 with the official opening Jun 7, 1989.
Between 1989 and 2010 many UNSW students (and others) used the APT for their research work, and around 2001 it was modified for remote observing so that students could operate it from their homes if they wished. Around 2010 the APT's main CCD camera suffered a serious fault after which it fell into disuse, and in January 2013 the building that housed the APT had a very near miss when a major bushfire engulfed the site.
The Tamworth Regional Astronomy Club Inc. (TRAC) heard that the APT was no longer being used, and following their acquisition and successful restoration of the former SSO Hewitt Camera, a decision was made to gift the APT to TRAC. On Jan 12, 2021 the APT was removed from its SSO building and transported to Andromeda Industries' aerospace workshop (Moonbi, nearby Tamworth, NSW) where it will be restored to a working condition, with a plan to incorporate it into the new Astronomy and Science Education Centre (ASEC), Tamworth. The former APT building will now be repurposed for the new DREAMS telescope.
Andre Philips and Colin Bembrick
A picture of the APT being lifted from the APT enclosure (lower right) with the UKST and LCO telescopes in the background
Welcome Mike Sharrott
Mike Sharrott is the new Project Manager at SSO and comes with a background of service and project management based on thirty years of experience in information technology (including programming). His most recent role has been project management, service management and day-to-day operations of a complex and critical contact centre telephony system (five thousand users). Mike is on a steep learning curve on the complex systems and terminology making up the SSO environment and taking responsibility for the projects underway and planned. He will also act as Rob Brookfield’s deputy. Mike also has a background in Information Security (ISO27001).
Mike has moved to Coonabarabran from the Gold Coast for the role, with his wife arriving later. He has two adult children who have remained on the Gold Coast – an interesting change to the norm where the kids have stayed at home and the parents have been kicked out! He is also a keen astrophotographer (Facebook: Mike Sharrott Astrophotography).
We welcome Mike to SSO and we look forward to seeing him visit MSO in the next few months.
Chris Lidman
