Tenagra Observatories, Ltd.

Ad astra per aspera. Never give up; never surrender.

Welcome to the Tenagra Observatories Website. We invented internet based science imaging in 2001.

This website contains an overview of the kind of work done at Tenagra and the telescopes we have available for outside use. We welcome your suggestions and comments.

What do NOAO, Caltech, New Mexico State, U. of Hawaii, U. of N. Carolina, Columbia U., Rice U. and Las Cumbres Observatories and many others have in common? They are all current or previous users of Tenagra telescopes.

"We had a couple of new Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) that we needed to recover but we were worried they might be discovered by someone else first. So we asked Michael Schwartz, who operates the Tenagra 32" telescope, if he might be able to image them ... We were sent e-mails containing astrometry and photometry of our objects the night after we requested observations , and our data were placed on the Tenagra FTP server shortly after the images were collected. Tenagra was responsive and our science was treated with confidentiality ..." -- Professor Chad Trujillo, Discoverer of Quaoar, California Institute of Technology.

Accepting New Users on Tenagra Telescopes

We are accepting reservations for blocks of time on the Tenagra II 32" f/7, Tenagra III 16" f/3.75 telescopes for the September 15, 2010 to July 1, 2011 observing season. Please contact Michael Schwartz at mbs@tenagraobservatories.com to discuss costs for larger portions of the season or smaller blocks of time Users that need as little as 10 hours at a time can be accommodated. Click here for rate information.

Research on Tenagra Telescopes

The SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service lists over 1,000 publications based on data taken on Tenagra Observatories' telescopes. Some examples:

"Lightcurves, Models and Magnetic Activity for a Range of Close Binaries", Lister, Tim

"TAOS Project: Searching for Variable Stars in the Selected TAOS Fields and Optical Followup Observations", Ngeow, Chow Choong; Chang, D.; Pan, K.; Chung, T.; Koptelova, E.; TAOS Collaboration

"The Lick AGN Monitoring Project: Photometric Light Curves and Optical Variability Characteristics", Walsh, Jonelle L.; Minezaki, Takeo et al.

"A Possible High Nova Rate for Two Local Group Dwarf Galaxies: M32 and NGC 205", Neil, James D.; Shara, Michael

"A Multiwavelength Investigation of Unidentified Egret Sources", Wallace, P.; Bloom, S.; Lewis, M.

"Asteroid Photometry Using a Remote, Commercial Telescope: Results for Asteroids 808, 1225, and 28753", Ditteon, Richard; Tollefson, Eric; Twarek, Andrew

"LCOGT Networked Observations of RR Lyr Stars in the Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy", Baliber, Nairn; Siegel, M. H.; Hidas, M. G.; Norbury, M.

"The Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2. Photometric Light Curves", Walsh, Jonell, LAMP Collaboration

"Co-ordinated Follow-Up of Transiting Planet Candidates with Robotic Telescope Facilities", Street, R. A.; Lister, T. A.

"Early Time Chromatic Variations in the Wind-Swept Medium of GRB 021211 and the Faintness of Its Afterglow", M. C. Nysewander,1 D. E. Reichart et al.

"A Comparison of the EPM and SCM Distances to the Type-II Plateau Supernova SN 2001", Durham, R. N.; Leonard, D. C.; Filippenko, A. V.; Li, W.; Chornock, R

Tenagra II Images

Image on left, a portion of M20, the Trifid Nebula, processed by John Smith. Image on right is M96 processed by Ken Crawford.

Current News:

July 3, 2010. Tenagra Observatories closes for the duration of the Arizona monsoons. Weather cooperating we will reopen September 15, 2010. Enjoy your summer!

June 6, 2010. TESS (TEnagra Sky Survey) discovers its second NEO, with the designation 2010 LN14 [a=1.13,e=0.46,i=1.4,H=21.5,PHA]. Now that the SkySift software has been tuned, TESS now finds about 35 new asteroids and about 400 known asteroids and comets per night.

2010 LN14 was discovered on 2010 June 6.28 UT on images taken at about 2 air masses, some 7 deg south of the ecliptic, about 1.3 h west of the opposition point. Seeing was not too good on that night, but the object was detected by SkySift as a short, somewhat diffuse trail with R ~ 19.0. It was then moving nearly westward at 1.45 deg/day, about 24 deg from the Milky Way plane. Weather got worse at Tenagra over the next two nights, but follow-up observations from other stations showed that the object is an Apollo with a = 1.13 AU, e = 0.46, i = 1.5 deg, H ~ 21.4 (estimated diameter 100-250 m), Earth MOID ~ 0.018 AU, which makes it a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA).

As of this writing (June 8), the object has been observed over a 22.6-h arc. The ephemerides based on this short arc show that it became brighter than V ~ 21.0 around 2010 May 12 UT, when it was only 9 deg from the Milky Way plane, around the galactic longitude of the galactic center. It was then about 0.38 AU from Earth, moving nearly westward, away from the Milky Way plane, and approaching the earth. By 2010 June 6 UT (when it was discovered), it had reached peak brightness at about 0.21 AU from Earth. Closest approach will take place on 2010 July 1 UT, at 0.153 AU from Earth. The object will remain brighter than V ~ 21.0 until about 2010 July 7 UT.

May 19, 2010. TESS (TEnagra Sky Survey) discovers its first NEO, designated 2010 KA8, on its 15th night of operation using the Tenagra III 16" f/3.75 astrograph. The SkySift auto detection system has worked in spite of the fact that it is still being tuned. Note, these are thumbnails extracted by the SkySift system. Coverage of a single field by the Tenagra III telescope is 2.19 square degrees.

This NEO became brighter than magnitude 20.5 in mid-April, at low elongation, DEC = -55 degrees. Then it moved nearly straight south throughout the second half of April, reaching DEC = -83 on April 26, magnitude 19, moving at some 3 degrees/day. This was the point of closest approach to earth, about 0.1 AU. Then it moved through the south pole, into the RA of opposition in early May. After passing the pole it moved straight north, as it is still doing. It was slowing down, but still brightening as it moved toward opposition and was better illuminated from our point of view. Now it continues to fade and slow down, as it gets away from Earth. Tenagra discovered it 0.17 AU from Earth. It will continue to move north and fade, and slow down, fading below magnitude 21 in mid-June.

COSTS

How Much Does It Cost and How Do I Establish an Account?

Given large block time purchases, 32" time can go as low as $50 per exposure hour. Do you require a large amount of research telescope time on the Tenagra II 32"? Please click this link for more information.

SITE CONDITIONS

For Current Weather Conditions at Tenagra Click Here.

For the Tenagra Clear Sky Clock Click Here.

For the Tenagra All-Sky Images Click Here.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Tenagra Overview and Services.

How Do the Tenagra Telescopes Work?

Requesting Observing Time.

Pro Bono Telescope Time.