Click on links to view larger images of each picture
In July, 1998, eight Agents attended the AASTRA Leadership Workshop at the University of Texas at Austin. Part of the Workshop was a four-night observing run McDonald Observatory (450 miles from Austin in the Davis Mountains of west Texas) and used the 0.76 meter (30-inch) telescope with Prime Focus Camera to take images. Images of the Agents, scenes from their trip, and some of their images can be viewed with the following links. In addition, Agent James Petrait has included many images on his own webpage
AASTRA Group at McDonald Observatory
Front row: James Petrait, Roger Stanley (teaching assistant), Mary Kay Hemenway (project director), Sally Jean Jensen
Second row: Don Kolle, Carol Franklin, Meg Kelly Harley, Lance Rudiger
Third row: Lisa Nimz, Patricia Dutton
the dome of the 0.76 m telescope at McDonald Observatory
0.76 meter telescope with Prime Focus Camera (at top) and electronics at bottom of telescope tube
view of west Texas with 0.76 meter telescope's dome
Mechanical Engineer John Booth provided a tour of the 9.2 meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Agent James Petrait provided these last five pictures. Here he is seen working at the computer which controls the Prime Focus Camera.
This image of NCG 7635, the Bubble Nebula, was taken with three filters. The exposure times were 90 seconds in red, 200 seconds in visual, and 360 seconds in blue. The original image of 485 by 793 pixels represents an area of 11' by 17' of arc on the sky.
This image of M 16 was taken in three exposures through a red filter for 90 seconds, a visual filter for 150 seconds and a blue filter for 300 seconds. The original image of 2029 by 2041 pixels represents an area of 47' by 47' of arc on the sky
This image of M 27, the Dumbbell Nebula, was taken in three exposures through a red filter for 120 seconds, a visual filter for 200 seconds, and a blue filter for 300 seconds. The original image of 491 by 747 pixels represents an area of 11' by 16.8' of arc on the sky.
This image includes part of the Andromeda Galaxy (M 31) and the companion elliptical galaxy M32; it is a combination of exposures of 90 seconds in red, 180 seconds in visual, and 360 seconds in blue taken just before dawn on 29 July 1998. The original 2040 by 2040 pixel image represents 27' by 27' of sky.
This image of the reflection nebula NGC 7023 is a combination of three exposures, one taken with a red filter for 90 seconds, one with a visual filter for 150 seconds, and one with a blue filter for 300 seconds. The original 900 by 600 pixel image represents 20' by 13' of sky.
This image of the galaxy M 101 is a combination of two exposures, one taken with a red filter for 90 seconds and one with an infrared filter for 90 seconds. It is shown as a black and white image. The original 1200 by 1000 pixel image represents 22.5' by 27' of sky.
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AASTRAaas@astro.as.utexas.edu Last Modified: 22 April 1999
