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Press Release 09-052
Palomar Observatory Is Last Stop on 24-Hour Webcast Linking Telescopes Around the Globe and in Space
Palomar's participation in Around the World in 80 Telescopes enabled by HRWREN's high speed, large bandwidth
March 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Telescopes, part of the International Year of Astronomy's 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project of global outreach activities, will begin on April 3. Observatories in 15 countries spanning all the continents, as well as 11 observatories in space, will participate in this 24-hour trip to observatories across the globe and in the so-called final frontier. The last stop of this journey will be the Palomar Observatory, run by the California Institute of Technology. There, astronomers using Palomar's 200-inch Hale Telescope will be on hand to answer questions and explain their research. Palomar Observatory's participation is made possible through its high-speed data connection provided by the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN), sponsored by the National Science Foundation. HPWREN provides 155 megabits per second (OC-3 capacity) terrestrial microwave links that network Palomar Observatory to the rest of the world. This high-speed connectivity is essential for current and future research programs at Palomar, and also provides the necessary bandwidth to allow for this and other live broadcasts to take place from the observatory. "It's important for the public to see that complex astronomical research is done by real people and how real astronomical research takes place. HPWREN's high speed connection enables us to take to the public the story of what we do at Palomar," said Palomar Observatory Spokesman W. Scott Kardel. "It is incredibly exciting to see the NSF-funded HPWREN cyberinfrastructure show so many interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research and education results," says Hans-Werner Braun, principal investigator of the HPWREN project. "In particular, many activities over the years from researchers at the Palomar Observatory, with the science data utilizing HPWREN, have produced first-class outcomes." The live webcast will begin on April 3, 2009, at 2:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time with the telescopes on Mauna Kea in Hawaii before moving westwards around the planet. The event ends on April 4, 2009, 2:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Palomar Observatory's portion of the event is scheduled to begin at 1:40 a.m. on April 4. The live video webcast will be available on the 100 Hours of Astronomy Web site at http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/. In honor of the 400th anniversary of Galileo first using his astronomical telescope, 2009 has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy. 100 Hours of Astronomy is a global star party that is a cornerstone event of this year-long celebration of astronomy. The National Science Foundation is pleased that 19 wholly or partially funded NSF observatories will also participate in Around the World in 80 Telescopes. What follows is a list of these and the times during which their researchers will actively participate in the public outreach program. Date / Time (UT)
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF (703) 292-8311 lisajoy@nsf.gov
W. Scott Kardel, Palomar Observatory (760) 742-2111 wsk@astro.caltech.edu
Program Contacts
Hans-Werner Braun, HPWREN hwb@hpwren.ucsd.edu
Principal Investigators
Scott Kardel, Palomar Observatory / Cal Tech wsk@astro.caltech.edu
Related Websites
International Year of Astronomy - U.S. Node: http://astronomy2009.us/
High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN): http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/
International Year of Astronomy - NSF commitment: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=113004
Palomar Observatory to Participate in "Around the World in 80 Telescopes": http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/news/20090320/
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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