Wyoming Infrared Observatory
 Wyoming Infrared Observatory dome | |||
| Organization | University of Wyoming | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | near Laramie, Wyoming | ||
| Coordinates | 41°05′49″N 105°58′37″W / 41.097°N 105.977°W | ||
| Altitude | 2,943 meters (9,656 ft) | ||
| Established | 1975 | ||
| Website | Wyoming Infrared Observatory | ||
| Telescopes | |||
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  Location of Wyoming Infrared Observatory | |||
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The Wyoming Infrared Observatory (WIRO) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Wyoming. It is located on Jelm Mountain, 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Laramie, Wyoming, U.S. It was founded in 1975, and observations began at the site in 1977.[1] Recent research performed at WIRO includes searching for runaway stars, monitoring short-term variations in blazars, and monitoring massive binary stars.[2][3][4]
Telescope
[edit]
The 2.3 m (91 in) WIRO telescope is a classical Cassegrain reflector optimized for infrared observing. The secondary mirror can be "wobbled" under computer control to allow for rapid sampling of adjacent areas of the sky.[1] From 1977 to around 1980 the telescope was the largest functional infrared telescope in the world.[5]
Two instruments are available for use:
- WIRO-Prime, a 2048x2048 charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging camera mounted at the prime focus.[6]
- WIRO-Long Slit, a low resolution, high efficiency long slit spectrograph.[7]
Research and discoveries
[edit]The telescope is used for a wide variety of research. It helped identify a new Globular star cluster within the Milky Way Galaxy as part of a 2004 effort with the Spitzer Space Telescope.[8] In 2016 the telescope again assisted efforts using the Spitzer telescope to identify and discover around 100 of the fastest-moving known stars in the Milky Way.[9] Other discoveries made at the observatory include:
- The first dust formation episode in a Wolf-Rayet star was recorded on UY Scuti soon after the telescope's first light in 1979.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory". University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
- ^ Gilbert, I. J.; Kobulnicky, H. A.; Kiminki, D. C. (January 2009). "The Discovery of Several Probable Runaway Stars in the Cygnus X Region". American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #213. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 41. American Astronomical Society: 442.19. Bibcode:2009AAS...21344219G.
- ^ Fox, O. D.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Bonnell, J. T.; Norris, J. P.; Klein, C. R.; Bloom, J. S. (January 2011). "Comparing The Temporal Evolution Of NIR And Fermi/LAT Observations Of Blazars". American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #217. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 43. American Astronomical Society: 142.49. Bibcode:2011AAS...21714249F.
- ^ Kiminki, D. C. (2010). "Massive binary stars as a probe of massive star formation". University of Wyoming: 135. Bibcode:2010PhDT.......135K.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Gehrz, Robert. "The History of Infrared Astronomy: the Minnesota-UCSD-Wyoming Axis" (PDF). University of Minnesota. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "WIRO-Prime Optical Imager". University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
- ^ "WIRO Long Slit Spectrograph". University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
- ^ Kobulnicky, Henry A.; et al. (2005). "Discovery of a New Low-Latitude Milky Way Globular Cluster Using GLIMPSE". The Astronomical Journal. 129 (1): 239–250. arXiv:astro-ph/0410400. Bibcode:2005AJ....129..239K. doi:10.1086/426337. S2CID 5414764. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Runaway stars leave infrared waves". sciencedaily.com. Science Daily. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ Hackwell; Gehrz & Grasdalen (December 1, 1979). "RY Scuti - Silicates around an early-type supergiant binary system". Astrophysical Journal. 234: L129. Bibcode:1979ApJ...234L.129G. doi:10.1086/183123. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
External links
[edit]- Homepage for the University of Wyoming 2.3-meter Telescope (WIRO)
- Clear Sky Clock for WIRO: forecasts of observing conditions.
