Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Our MissionThe OPTICON Integrated Infrastructure Initiative brings together all of Western Europe's owners and operators of large observatories and data centres. Our goal is to identify opportunities where greater progress can be made by collaboration than by competition, and to take unified actions to achieve those agreed goals.
Dr. John K. DaviesOPTICON Project ScientistUK Astronomy Technology Centre, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 (0)131 668 8348E-mail: [email protected]
Dr Jesus Burgos Trans-national Access Office Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias Via Lactea, s/n 38205 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife. SPAIN Telephone.: +34 922605203E-mail [email protected]
/Prof Michel DennefeldResearch Enhancement WGIAP, ParisE-Mail: [email protected]
Contacts
OPTICON - The Optical Infrared coordination Network for Astronomy
OPTICON is funded by the European Commission under Contract no RII3-CT-2004-001566
Our MissionThe OPTICON Integrated Infrastructure Initiative brings together all of Western Europe's owners and operators of large observatories and data centres. Our goal is to identify opportunities where greater progress can be made by collaboration than by competition, and to take unified actions to achieve those agreed goals.
OPTICON - The Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy
OPTICON Telescope NetworkEurope has a number of medium sized (2-4metre)
telescopes funded by a variety of national agencies and consortia. These telescopes and their operators face similar challenges in the next few years. The OPTICON telescopes network provides a forum to share ideas and agree exchanges of observing time. Widening access to these telescopes across the entire EU community is being achieved through a trans-national access programme. Using existing medium sized facilities to enhance European research is also one of our priorities.
As 8 metre telescopes such as the ESO VLT become the de facto large facilities, telescopes in the 2-4 metre class have become 'medium sized' by comparison. However these facilities can still carry out unique and significant scientific programmes. For example, projects that require more observing time than is available on the highly oversubscribed large telescopes, or that require particular, specialised instrumentation. They also offer new opportunities for the development of astronomers by providing access to scientists from across the European Community whatever their nationality.
TRANS-NATIONAL ACCESS
EC funds allow astronomers from user communities across Europe to travel to more telescopes and use instruments not available at their national facilities.
Qualifying EU users receive travel grants to visit telescopes operated by other EU nations and the telescope operators receive a contribution to their operational costs.
The Telescope network includes 18 night time and 4 solar telescopes. For details of access rules visit www.otri.iac.es/opticon/
OPTICON TELESCOPE NETWORK OBJECTIVES
• Achieve a lasting integration of EU astronomers.
• Maximise scientific return within the available resources.
• Create opportunities for trans-national mobility.
• Remove duplicated facilities to release funding for new initiatives.
• Use medium sized telescopes to develop research skills.
DIRECTOR’S FORUM
The OPTICON director’s forum brings together the operators of world class European astronomical infrastructures to discuss and develop new operational paradigms. Time-swapping, instrumentation rationalisation, standardisation of proposal processes and common software are all discussion topics
RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT
The research enhancement activity will investigate how to use existing medium-sized facilities to improve the research experience of younger scientists and provide them better insight into the observational skills needed when they use larger telescopes or space facilities.
The OPTICON Telescope Network
Anglo Australian Observatory 3.5m Telescope
Telescopio Nazionale Galileo
3.5m Telescope
Anglo Australian Observatory
Schmidt Telescope
Nordic Optical Telescope 2.5m Telescope
Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman 3.5m Telescope
Aristarchos 2.5m Telescope
Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman 2.2m Telescope
Observatoire de Haute Provence
1.9m Telescope
Canada France Hawaii Telescope 3.6m Telescope
Telescope Bernard Lyot 2m Telescope
ESO La Silla 3.6m TelescopeTelescopio Carlos Sancez
1.5m Telescope
ESO La Silla 3.5m Telescope THEMIS Solar Telescope
ESO La Silla 2.2m TelescopeSwedish Solar Telescope
Solar Telescope
Isaac Newton Group 4.2m TelescopeVacuum Tower Telescope
Solar Telescope
Isaac Newton Group 2.5m Telescope Liverpool Telescope 2m Telescope
UK Infrared Telescope 3.8m Telescope Dutch Open Telescope Solar Telescope
