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Issued by: Images, notes, and contact details appear below. 23 March 2009 Hawaii to lead off International Astronomy Webcast2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. Many public events are planned in 140 nations around the globe, one of which is "100 Hours of Astronomy," which will encourage the public to actively participate in astronomy by offering, among many events, a 24-hour live webcast from the control rooms of 80 professional observatories around the world. The live webcast will start off on 3 April in Hawaii, with the Joint Astronomy Centre's United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) being among the first to show the worldwide public a glimpse into the control room of a working observatory. All observatories will introduce themselves via a 5-minute video, followed by a 10-minute live conversation with the observers in the control room. During this time we will introduce a new image each from UKIRT and JCMT that has not been publicly seen before. UKIRT will start its webcast at 09:40 (GMT), and JCMT's turn will be at 10:20 (GMT). Please look below for the UKIRT and JCMT introductory videos and first release images. For more information on this event, and to view the webcast,
please go to
"Around the World in 80 Telescopes". For more information on the outreach activities at UKIRT and JCMT, please go to the JAC Outreach Website. Images
Observers at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) view and discuss data just obtained from the telescope. Credit: Joint Astronomy Centre.
An observer at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) examines data just obtained from the telescope. Credit: Joint Astronomy Centre.
The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope first release image: Creating a Black Hole Telescope. Five submillimeter and radio telescopes at three sites in three states get together to form a more powerful observing tool in the search for black holes.
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope first release image: A view through the inner parts of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the tail of Aquila the Eagle. This image shows about 5% of the area so far covered by the Galactic Plane Survey, which itself is part of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS).
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope first release image: A view through the inner parts of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the tail of Aquila the Eagle. zooming into the field shown above to reveal finer details and show the vast numbers of stars in this inner region of the Milky Way. Note the faint red emission patches just below centre and slightly to the left; this indicates ongoing star formation in the plane of the Galaxy.
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope first release image: A view through the inner parts of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the tail of Aquila the Eagle. An even more zoomed view of the Aquila field, showing the amazing variety of colours of stars across the region. Some of these are intrinsically cool, red stars; some of them are red only because of the large amount of interstellar dust along the line of sight from Earth.
For comparison, here we show a visible-wavelength image in the same region of the sky, generated from the Second Digital Sky Survey (DSS2).
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope first release image: A view through the inner parts of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the tail of Aquila the Eagle. the UKIDSS survey again, covering exactly the same area as the DSS2 image shows above.
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope first release image: A view through the inner parts of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the tail of Aquila the Eagle. The arrows show some red stars in the UKIDSS image that we were not able to see in the vivible-wavelength image from the DSS2. What other new objects can you spot in this image?
NotesInfrared LightInfrared wavelengths are longer wavelengths than light waves. They are typically measured in microns, also called micrometres. One micron is one millionth of a metre, one 10000th of a centimetre, or one 25000th of an inch. Sub-millimetre LightSub-millimetre wavelengths are much smaller wavelengths than emitted by a typical radio station, but longer wavelengths than light waves or infrared wavelengths. They are typically measured in microns, also called micrometres. One micron is one millionth of a metre, one 10000th of a centimetre, or one 25000th of an inch. UKIRTThe world's largest telescope dedicated solely to infrared astronomy, the 3.8-metre (12.5-foot) UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) is sited near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, at an altitude of 4194 metres (13760 feet) above sea level. It is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre in Hilo, Hawaii, on behalf of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. UKIRT's technical innovation and privileged position on the high, dry Mauna Kea site have placed it at the forefront of infrared astronomy since its opening in 1979. UKIRT is currently engaged in a world-leading infrared sky survey as well as the type of innovative individual programmes described in this press release. More about the UK Infrared Telescope: http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/articles/aboutukirt/ JCMTThe James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) is the world's largest single-dish submillimetre-wave telescope. It collects faint submillimetre-wavelength signals with its 15 metre diameter dish. It is situated near the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, at an altitude of approximately 4000 metres (14000 feet) above sea level. It is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre, on behalf of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Canadian National Research Council, and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. More about the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope: http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/articles/aboutjcmt/ Science and Technology Facilities CouncilThe Science and Technology Facilities Council is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Office of Science and Innovation which itself is part of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. It was formed as a new Research Council on 1 April 2007 through a merger of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and the transfer of responsibility for nuclear physics from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). We are one of seven national research councils in the UK. The Science and Technology Facilities Council is government funded and provides research grants and studentships to scientists in British universities, gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN, the European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory. It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility. National Research Council CanadaThe National Research Council (NRC) is the Government of Canada's premier organization for research and development. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. It is governed by a council of 22 appointees drawn from its client community. NRC is responsible for, among other things, undertaking, assisting or promoting scientific and industrial research in different fields of importance to Canada, operating and administering any astronomical observatories established or maintained by the Government of Canada, administering NRC's research and development activities, including grants and contributions used to support a number of international activities, and providing vital scientific and technological services to the research and industrial communities. This mandate is discharged to a great extent through the operation of the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program, the NRC Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information and the Canadian Technology Network. Netherlands Organisation for Scientific ResearchThe Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) funds thousands of top researchers at universities and institutes and steers the course of Dutch science by means of subsidies and research programmes. NWO is responsible for enhancing the quality and innovative nature of scientific research as equally initiating and stimulating new developments in scientific research, mainly fulfils its task by allocating resources, facilitates, for the benefit of society, the dissemination of knowledge from the results of research that it has initiated and stimulated, and mainly focuses on university research in performing its task. In fulfilling its responsibilities NWO pays due attention to the aspect of coordination and facilitates this where necessary. NWO wants to ensure that Dutch science continues to be amongst the best in the world and that the currently strong position is further strengthened. Media ContactPlease note that email contact is best.
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