Site
Latitude and longitude: 32:48:12N, 105:28:29W (+32.80333, -105.4747)
Elevation: 7100ft (2164m)
Site manager: Tom Smith
Internet access: DSL
Weather statistics: 30% photometric, 40% usable, 30% cloudy
Typical good seasons: April-June and September-October
Telescopes at the Dark Ridge Observatory:
Telescope
Type: corrected Newtonian
Aperture: 20cm
Focal length: 720mm
F-ratio: 3.6
Focuser: OKI electronic
Mount
Paramount ME
pointing accuracy: 1arcmin
maximum unguided tracking
restrictions, if any: 5mins
Computer: Linux
Software: TheSky, MaxIm DL, ACP, ACP Scheduler
Telecope Advocate: A. Henden
Imaging
Typical seeing: 1-2arcsec
Best seeing: 1arcsec
Vignetting: severe; 30%
Scattered light: some, taken out in processing
Camera
Image defects: bad column
Type: Apogee U16m
Filter wheel: Apogee 7s
Filters: B,V,u,g,r,i,z
Exposure ratios/filter:
Pixel count: 4096x4096
Pixel scale: 2.56 arcsec/pix
Field of view: 2.9x2.9 degrees
Gain: 2.69
Readnoise: 9.21
Linearity (graph)
Full well: 80Ke-
Cosmetic defects:
Dark current:
Read time: 25sec
Shortest exposure: 0.2sec (3sec recommended)
Compressed image size: 10MB
QE response (graph)
Typical Use of System
All-sky survey; some bright-time projects