Related papers: Validation of observations obtained with a liquid …
The NASA Orbital Debris Observatory (NODO) astronomical survey uses a transit 3-m liquid mirror telescope to observe a strip of sky in 20 narrow-band filters. In this article, we analyze a subset of data from the 1996 observing season. The…
We present preliminary results of observations made, during the spring of 1996, with the 3-m liquid mirror telescope of the NASA Orbital Debris Observatory. A 20-arcmin-wide strip of sky was observed at latitude of 32deg56 N using 10…
We present a detailed observational strategy for finding Near Earth Objects (NEOs) with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. We investigate strategies in normal, unbinned mode as well as binning the CCDs 2x2 or 3x3, which affects…
I argue that there is a crisis in optical Astronomy due to a paucity of telescopes and thus the need for a paradigm shift in telescope technology. Large increases in collecting areas and observing time/astronomer are only possible if we…
I review the present status of liquid mirror telescopes. In a nutshell: LMTs do work and several have been built and used. Extensive interferometric tests of liquid mirrors (the largest one having a diameter of 2.5 meters) show diffraction…
This paper describes the discovery of seven dwarf objects of spectral type `L' (objects cooler than the latest M dwarfs) in commissioning imaging data taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Low-resolution spectroscopy shows that…
Orbital debris presents a growing risk to space operations, and is becoming a significant source of contamination of astronomical images. Much of the debris population is uncatalogued, making the impact more difficult to assess. We present…
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will provide the data to support detailed investigations of the distribution of luminous and non- luminous matter in the Universe: a photometrically and astrometrically calibrated digital imaging survey…
Liquid mirror telescopes are of interest to Astronomy because of their very low capital and operating costs. Low cost has a potentially revolutionary impact since it allows one to dedicate a large telescope to a narrowly focused project…
An extensive sample of M, L and T dwarfs identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has been compiled. The sample of 718 dwarfs includes 677 new objects (629 M dwarfs, 48 L dwarfs) together with 41 that have been previously…
Large digital sky surveys, over a broad range of wavelengths, both from the ground and from space observatories, are becoming a major source of astronomical data. Some examples include the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Digital…
The surface of a spinning liquid takes the shape of a paraboloid that can be used as a reflecting mirror. This very old and nearly forgotten concept has recently been revived and I review its present status. Extensive interferometric tests…
Flat space models with multiply connected topology, which have compact dimensions, are tested against the distribution of high-redshift ($z \geq 4$) quasars of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). When the compact dimensions are smaller in…
We report on our further analysis of the expanded and revised sample of potential BL Lac objects (the 2BL) optically identified from two catalogues of blue-selected (UV excess) point sources, the 2dF and 6dF QSO Redshift Surveys (2QZ and…
We present the second report of our systematic search for strongly lensed quasars from the data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). From extensive follow-up observations of 136 candidate objects, we find 36 lenses in the full sample of…
Microlensing experiments today have a tantalizing result; they have detected an excess of microlensing events beyond what is expected from known stellar populations. These events could be due to a possible form of Halo dark matter. However,…
Statistical weak lensing by large-scale structure -- cosmic shear -- is a promising cosmological tool, which has motivated the design of several large upcoming surveys. Here, we present a measurement of cosmic shear using coadded Sloan…
The astronomical community continues to be interested in suitable programmable slit masks for use in multi-object spectrometers (MOSs) on space missions. There have been ground-based MOS utilizing digital micromirror devices (DMDs) and they…
The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is a 4-meter class survey telescope that has recently achieved first light and is expected to swing into full operations by 1st January 2023. It scans the sky in a fixed 22' wide strip…
The discovery of outsiders in the form of unusual, rare, or even unknown object types is important as they can provide useful information about otherwise hidden physical phenomena and processes. The present study takes advantage of the fact…