Related papers: The SCORPIO focal reducer
We present the results of photometric observations of six Transneptunian objects and three Centaurs, estimations of their rotational periods and corresponding amplitudes. For six of them we present also lower limits of density values. All…
In weak lensing investigations, galaxy shapes are deconvolved for the effects of the point spread function (PSF) using stellar images. In this paper we use physical models of the telescope optics to understand the spatial variation of the…
One of the most useful techniques in astronomical instrumentation is image slicing. It enables a spectrograph to have a more compact angular slit, whilst retaining throughput and increasing resolving power. Astrophotonic components like the…
The Virtual Telescope for X-Ray Observations (VTXO) is a conceptual mission under development to demonstrate a new instrument for astronomical observations in the X-ray band using a set of 6U CubeSats. VTXO will use a Phase Fresnel Lens,…
It has previously been demonstrated in both simulation and experiment that well aligned remote focusing microscopes exhibit residual spherical aberration outside the focal plane. In this work, compensation of the residual spherical…
Adaptive optics is a technique mostly used on large telescopes. It turns out to be challenging for smaller telescopes (0.5~2m) due to the small isoplanatic angle, small subapertures and high correction speeds needed at visible wavelengths,…
Resolving fine details of astronomical objects provides critical insights into their underlying physical processes. This drives in part the desire to construct ever-larger telescopes and interferometer arrays and to observe at shorter…
The Segmented Planar Imaging Detector for Electro-Optical Reconnaissance (SPIDER) is an optical interferometric imaging device that aims to offer an alternative to the large space telescope designs of today with reduced size, weight and…
In astronomy, multi-object spectrographs employ fibre positioning robots to couple the light from multiple astronomy sources (stars or galaxies) into multiple multi-mode fibres, which are distributed across the focal plane of the telescope.…
We present a new approach to the sky subtraction for long-slit spectra suitable for low-surface brightness objects based on the controlled reconstruction of the night sky spectrum in the Fourier space using twilight or arc-line frames as…
The satellite missions Hipparcos and Gaia by the European Space Agency will together bring a decrease of astrometric errors by a factor 10000, four orders of magnitude, more than was achieved during the preceding 500 years. This modern…
Access to knowledge of the point spread function (PSF) of adaptive optics(AO)-assisted observations is still a major limitation when processing AO data. This limitation is particularly important when image analysis requires the use of…
We present the SPICA Coronagraphic Instrument (SCI), which has been designed for a concentrated study of extra-solar planets (exoplanets). SPICA mission provides us with a unique opportunity to make high contrast observations because of its…
After the completion of the catalogue built with ESO key program (REFLEX), we are beginning to explore the multiband optical characteristics of a subsample of those clusters selected in a statistically independent way. We have already…
As new large-scale astronomical surveys greatly increase the number of objects targeted and discoveries made, the requirement for efficient follow-up observations is crucial. Adaptive optics imaging, which compensates for the image-blurring…
Adaptive Optics is a prime example of how progress in observational astronomy can be driven by technological developments. At many observatories it is now considered to be part of a standard instrumentation suite, enabling ground-based…
The development of adaptive optics (AO) played a major role in modern astronomy over the last three decades. By compensating for the atmospheric turbulence, these systems enable to reach the diffraction limit on large telescopes. In this…
We present a new program aimed at developing a new generation of micromirror devices specifically tailored for astronomical applications, multi-slit spectroscopy in particular. We first overview the general characteristics of…
Cerberus will be a new scientific instrument for the alt-az, 1m-class OARPAF telescope in Northern Italy. Currently, the telescope operates with a CCD camera used for imaging and photometry. One of the objectives of the project is to…
Hundred observations of Delta Scorpii over 200 days, from April 2 to October 16, 2011, have been made for AAVSO visually and digitally from Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Paris. The three most luminous pixels either of the target star and the two…