The ASTRA Spectrophotometer Project
About ASTRA
The ASTRA (Automated Spectrophotometric Telescope Research Associates) Cassegrain Spectrophotometer and its automated 0.5-m f/16 telescope are being integrated at the Fairborn Observatory near Nogales, Arizona. Scientific observations are expected to begin in 2012.
The spectrograph uses both a grating and a cross-dispersing prism to produce spectra from both the first and the second orders simultaneously. The square 30 arc second sky fields for each order do not overlap.
The resolution is 7Å in second and 14Å in first order.
The wavelength range is of approximately λλ3300-9000.
Some Information for Collaborators is also available.
Status
The ASTRA instrument was delivered to Fairborn Observatory at the end of January 2007. Currently being integrated with its telescope.
The first test observation of the Solar Spectrum was taken on Saturday 12 August 2006.
Presentations
Presentation at IAU XXVIth General
Assembly in Prague (Czech Republic), August 2006.
Presentations at
The Future of Photometric, Spectrophotometric and Polarimetric Standardization
Workshop, in Blankenberge (Belgium), May 2006.
Publications
- Smalley B., Gulliver A.F., Adelman S.J.,
ASTRA Spectrophotometer: Reduction and Flux Calibrations,
2007, in The Future of Photometric, Spectrophotometric, and Polarimetric Standardization,
ASP Conf. Series, Vol. 364, Sterken C. ed., 265 - 274.
- Adelman S.J., Gulliver A.F., Smalley B., Pazder J.S., Younger P.F., Boyd
L.J., Epand D., Younger T.,
ASTRA Spectrophotometer: Design and Overview,
2007, in The Future of Photometric, Spectrophotometric, and Polarimetric Standardization,
ASP Conf. Series, Vol. 364, Sterken C. ed., 255 - 264.
- Monier R.,
A progress report on the observations of ASTRA targets in the POLLUX database,
2005, Mem. S.A.It. Suppl., 8, 194 - 196.
- Adelman S.J., Gulliver A.F., Smalley B., Pazder J.S., Younger P.F., Boyd
L.J., Epand D., Younger T.,
The ASTRA spectrophotometer: July 2005 progress report,
2005, Mem. S.A.It. Suppl., 8, 192 - 193.
- Adelman S.J., Gulliver A.F., Smalley B., Pazder J.S., Younger P.F., Boyd L.
& Epand D.,
The ASTRA Spectrophotometer: A July 2004 Progress Report,
in The A Star Puzzle, Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 224, 2004,
Zverko J., Ziznovsky J., Adelman S.J., Weiss W.W. eds. p.911-920.
-
Adelman S.J., Gulliver A.F., Smalley B., Pazder J.S., Younger P.F., Boyd L.
& Epand D.,
The ASTRA Spectrophotometer,
in Modelling of
Stellar Atmospheres,
IAU Symposium, Vol. 210, 2003, Piskunov N.E., Weiss W.W., Gray D.F. eds.
Poster E55, pp. 11.
PDF version
and postscript version.
-
Adelman S., Gulliver A., Smalley B., Pazder J., Younger F., Boyd L.
& Epand D., 2003,
The ASTRA Spectrophotometer: A Progress Report,
Session 42 Nearby Stars: Binaries, Theory and the Future (posters),
American Astronomical Society Meeting 203, #42.09.
-
Adelman S., Gulliver A., Smalley B., Pazder J., Younger F., Boyd L.
& Epand D., 2003,
The ASTRA Spectrophotometer,
Session 47 Robotic Astronomical Observatories (Posters),
American Astronomical Society Meeting 202, #47.01.