Operations

• Open House Duties
• Grad MC Schedule
• Using the Observatory
• Telescope Operations
  • 7"
  • 8"
  • 14"
  • 14" w/ CCD Camera
  • 20"
  • 20" w/ CCD Camera
  • Ultimas
  • Portables
    
    
• Satellites over College Park
• Weather

Using the UM Observatory

The students and faculty of the UM Astronomy Department are welcome to use the UM Observatory for their own research/personal observations. If you are unfamiliar with the equipment at the observatory, you must have a "training session" before using the telescopes. Please contact Elizabeth Warner by email or call at 301-405-6555. Other than Open House nights, the four permanently mounted telescopes, (the 7", 8", 14" and 20") are usually available for use. The 7" does have the equipment to be able to use a 35mm camera to do astrophotography. Students and faculty are also welcome to use the ccd camera on the 14" and eventually the one on the 20". There are also portable telescopes which may be checked out.

General training sessions are usually held on Docent Nights. However, if faculty or students cannot come on the scheduled Docent Night, they should contact Elizabeth Warner x56555 to schedule a specific time.

Scheduling Time at the Observatory

Various parts of the observatory are used for classes at different times, as well as for Open Houses. Here is a list of regularly scheduled events at the observatory:

• Mondays, 6:00 - 9:00 PM the lecture hall and, frequently, the Ultima 2000's are used by College Park Scholars during the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7:00 - 10:00 PM the lecture hall and Ultima 2000's are used by ASTR 111 classes during the Fall and Spring semesters.
• The 14" Celestron in the East bay and the 20" in the West bay are reserved for ASTR 310 at all times (clear nights) during the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Late in the Fall and Spring semesters, ASTR121 schedules a few observing sessions with the Ultimas. Usually those are on Monday nights (after SDU) or on Thursday nights.
• Thursday nights are Docent nights. They may access the telescopes on which they have been certified. If 310 is also there, then the Docents may use the Ultimas. If ASTR121 is there as well (late in the semester), then the Docents cannot observe or can wait till one of the classes finishes.
• 5th and 20th of every month, all year round regardless of holidays, all buildings and telescopes are used for Open House.

A few other classes use the observatory on an irregular basis (i.e. on clear nights). To avoid conflicts with or between classes, anybody wishing to use the observatory must sign up to use the any part of the observatory at least 24 hours in advance.

The sign up sheet is currently located in MaryAnn Phillips' office, CSS room 1205. You need to indicate the building and/or telescopes you wish to use, the time you plan to use them, your name and your phone number.

Accessing the Observatory

You can pick up a key to the observatory after noon on the day that you are scheduled to use the observatory. See Elizabeth Warner in CSS room 2337 to get the key. You must return the key by noon the following day.

The one key you will be given will open the gate (it only works on the top lock), the outside doors to the lecture hall and the observatory, the closets in the lecture hall and observatory lobby, and the telescope bay roofs.

Rules of Use (for non-class use)

• No more than 4 people per certified telescope operator should be at the observatory, with a maximum of 12 people out at any one time.
• If ASTR 310 is using the 14" or 20", please be considerate of them. No more than 3 people should go into the east or west bay at a time while 310 is in there.
• The observatory facilities are not to be used for anything other than astronomy purposes!
• All problems must be reported immediately by recording them in the logbook and emailing Elizabeth warnerem@astro.umd.edu and Dr. Wellnitz wellnitz@astro.umd.edu.

Problems

All problems must be reported immediately to Elizabeth Warner!!! You can call from the observatory and leave a voice mail message at (301) 405-6555. Also be sure to note any problems in the observatory logbook.

The equipment at the observatory is old. The Astronomy Department is understanding about the fact that things can easily be broken. What will not be tolerated is failure to report problems. A failure to report a problem could result in a loss of privileges at the observatory.

Miscellaneous

• The observatory is on a different exchange than the rest of campus. To make any phone calls, even to the rest of campus, you must first dial 9 then the area code and phone number.
• People have a tendency to wander into the observatory if the gate is open. If you are worried about this you may want to shut the gate behind you when you come in.
• Don't be alarmed to see the police drive through our parking lot or the dump area behind us. They frequently check the place out, especially if they see cars in the area. Frequently they'll come into the observatory to see what's going on as well. Be nice and offer them a peak through a telescope!

Be sure to have your faculty or student ID with you when you are at the observatory. The police are pretty tough on trespassing out there.

Last Updated: Monday December 08, 2008 by Elizabeth Warner