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The Minor Planet Observer
and
Palmer Divide Observatory

2007 Shoemaker Grant Recipient

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The Palmer Divide Observatory
IAU Observatory Code 716

Funding for observations and research at the Palmer Divide Observatory is provided by
NASA grant NNX10AL35G and by National Science Foundation grant AST-1032896

I apologize in advance, but there are no public/private tours/visits available at PDO due to insurance and security considerations. PDO is set up for imaging-only research and so there are no facilities for visual observing.

     

The Palmer Divide Observatory is named after the geological feature on which the observatory is located. The "Divide" is an east-west ridge that juts out from the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains between Colorado Springs and Denver, CO. The elevation is about 7600 ft. in the subdivision located approximately 9 miles east of Monument, CO, and 25 miles north of Colorado Springs, CO.

Most work is dedicated to the determination of asteroid lightcurves with some variable stars and astrometry mixed in from time-to-time. Special concentration is given to the Hungaria group of asteroids as well as Mars-crossers since these have a higher potential for being binary. So far, work at PDO has lead to the initial discovery of more than a dozen binary asteroids and provided confirming observations for several others.

The aerial photo at left was taken before the second building, housing the three 0.35m SCT telescopes, was built. It was also well before a housing "boom". There are now about 50 "McMansions" located in the open area on the left side and at the top of the photo. One even has a two-level garage that holds seven vehicles!

 

Instrumentation

Software

0.5m f/8.1 Ritchey-Chretien
Telescope: Jerry Foote, ScopeCraft, Inc.
Camera: FLI IMG w/Kodak 1001E (1024x1024, 24 um)
Filter Wheel: FLI CFW-1 (Serial)
Filters: AstroDon (formerly Schuler), BVRC
Focuser: RoboFocus
Telescope/Camera Control: MPO Connections
Astrometry/Photometry: MPO Canopus

Affiliations

American Astronomical Society/DPS - Full Member
Society for Astronomical Science - Program Committee

0.35m f/9.1 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope: Meade LX-200GPS (rated f/10)
Camera: FLI IMG w/Kodak 1001E (1024x1024, 24 um)
Filter Wheel: FLI CFW-2 (USB)
Filters: AstroDon (formerly Schuler), BVRC
Focuser: RoboFocus

Asteroid Discoveries

34366 Rosavestal
34398 Terryschmidt
70030 Margaretmiller

0.35m f/9.1 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope: Meade LX-200GPS
Camera: SBIG STL-1001E  (1024x1024, 24 um)
Filter Wheel: Internal to SBIG
Filters: AstroDon (formerly Schuler), BVRC
Focuser: RoboFocus

Binary Asteroid Discoveries

  1459 Fennia
  1509 Esclangona
  2131 Mayall
  2577 Litva
  3309 Brorefeld
  5477 1989 UH2
  5899 Jedicke
  5905 Johnson
  9069 Hovland
15822 1994 TV15
26471 2000 AS152
34706 2001 OP83
76818 2000 RG79
0.35m f/5 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope: Meade LX-200GPS, Optec NextGen f/5 reducer
Camera: Camera: SBIG STL-1001E  (1024x1024, 24 um)
Filter Wheel: Internal to SBIG
Filters: AstroDon (formerly Schuler), VRC
Focuser: RoboFocus
Contact Info
Brian D. Warner – Director/Owner
Palmer Divide Observatory
17995 Bakers Farm Rd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80908
Ph: (719) 481-0557  (no software tech calls, please!)

 

 

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This page was last updated on 01/20/11 09:54 -0700.
All contents copyright (c) 2005-2011, Brian D. Warner
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