Announcements
| Prompt 5 pointing error; Prompt 2 to return | Posted on Jan 21, 2010 by Kevin Ivarsen |
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Prompt 5 had a large pointing error in Right Ascension last night and part of tonight that resulted in most targets being off the image frame. The problem has been correct and the telescope is now pointing properly again. The replacement parts for Prompt 2 arrived and have been installed. The telescope is scheduled to come back online on January 25th, after the end of this month's lunar dark time. | |
| Security certificate expiration; Prompt 2 filter wheel outage | Posted on Dec 29, 2009 by Kevin Ivarsen |
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| The SSL certificate we use to encrypt communication with our website expired today (Dec 29). Two weeks ago we began the process of getting an updated certificate, but we have not yet received it. If you see warnings about invalid or expired security certificates while visiting our website over the next few days, do not be alarmed - we will try to have the new certificates in place very soon. The electronics in the filter wheel used on Prompt 2 failed recently. Replacement parts have been ordered and are being shipped down to Chile. We will try to have the wheel operational again as soon as possible, but Prompt 2 will be offline in the meantime. | |
| Upcoming Prompt availability; Prompt 1 pointing | Posted on Dec 14, 2009 by Kevin Ivarsen |
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We are running a special high-priority observing program that will use all five active Prompt telescopes for the last half of the night on December 15th. If there is bad weather on the 15th, this program may be run on the 16th instead. If you are planning an upcoming all-night observing run, please be aware of this potential conflict. --- Over the past week on Prompt 1 we have been seeing occasional pointing errors of as much as 6 arcminutes in declination. We have not yet been able to find a reliable fix, but we are working to correct the problem. If you are submitting critical observations on Prompt 1, we encourage you to check the telescope pointing as your images come back until we can implement a long-term solution. | |
About
SKYNET is a distributed network of robotic telescopes controlled by a central server operated by students and faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In January 2006, the first six telescopes (PROMPT) officially began operation. Two more telescopes (TTT and GORT) joined during the first year, and many more are scheduled to come online in the year to come!
Science
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions the Universe has seen since the Big Bang. They occur approximately once per day and are brief, but intense, flashes of gamma radiation. They come from all different directions of the sky and last from a few milliseconds to a few hundred seconds. The primary mission of the robotic array is to obtain early time data of these transient phenomena in multiple bands.
While the array is not imaging GRB afterflows, individual telescopes perform scheduled observations of targets of scientifc interest for researchers around the globe. Observers can track their observations through the automated system and ultimately retrieve their data directly from the world wide web.
Outreach
A large fraction of PROMPT's observing time is dedicated to outreach. High schools and universities across the state of North Carolina use SKYNET to teach a unit on astronomy.