Robotic Lunar Observatory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Robotic Lunar Observatory
Organization NASA and USGS
Location Flagstaff, Arizona
Coordinates
Altitude 2,146 meters (7,041 ft)
Established 1995 (1995)
Closed September 2003 (2003-09)
Website
Lunar Calibration - ROLO
Telescopes
unnamed telescopes 20 cm reflector (×2)

The Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO) was an astronomical observatory funded by NASA and located at the United States Geological Survey Flagstaff Science Campus atop McMillan Mesa in Flagstaff, Arizona. Its purpose was to enable the Moon to be used as a radiance calibration source for Earth-orbiting remote-sensing spacecraft.[1] The program ceased observations in September of 2003, but the facility is maintained for calibration and instrument characterization purposes.[2] It consists of two 20 cm (7.9 in) Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes attached to an equatorial mount made by DFM Engineering. One telescope is fitted with a sensor optimized for visible and near-infrared (VNIR) wavelengths, while the other is tuned to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR).[2] The VNIR camera began operations in 1995 and the SWIR camera in 1997.[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Lunar Calibration - USGS RObotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO)". http://www.moon-cal.org/. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 
  2. ^ a b "Lunar Calibration - Observatory". http://www.moon-cal.org/facility/observatory.php. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 
  3. ^ Anderson, J. M. (1999). "Photometry at the Robotic Lunar Observatory in Flagstaff". Precision CCD Photometry 189: 125. Bibcode 1999ASPC..189..125A. 

[edit] External links


Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export