Slooh
Encyclopedia
Slooh is a robotic telescope
service that can be viewed live through a web browser
with Flash
plug-in. It was not the first robotic telescope, but it was the first that offered "live" viewing through a telescope via the web
. Other online telescopes traditionally email a picture to the recipient. The site has a patent on their live image processing method. Slooh is an online astronomy platform with live-views and telescope rental for a fee. Observations come from a global network of telescopes located in places including Spain and Chile.
The name Slooh comes from the word "slew
" to indicate a movement of a telescope
, modified to "ooh" to express pleasure and surprise.
until 2004. On March 18, 2006, the service was upgraded to incorporate additional features. The new version, SLOOH 2.0, offered a "Member Channel", which allows members to broadcast their "solo missions" to other members. Another added feature was the desktop alert that lets members know about upcoming "special missions".
observatory
is located on the island Tenerife
in the Canary Islands
on the volcano
called Teide
. The site is at 3.5 km elevation
and situated away from city light pollution
. This (Canary Islands) site includes 2 domes, each with 2 telescopes. Each dome has a high magnification
telescope and a wide field
telescope. One dome is optimized for planetary
views (e.g. more magnification and a different CCD
), and the other is optimized for deep sky objects (e.g. less magnification, more light sensitive CCD). Each dome offers 2 telescopic views—1 high magnification through a 14 inch Celestron
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
and a wide view through either a telephoto lens
or an APO
refractor.
On February 14, 2009, Slooh launched a second observatory in the hills above La Dehesa
, Chile
. This site offers views from the Southern Hemisphere
. Currently, the Chile High-Magnification telescope is offline due to software compatibility, but is reportedly being fixed by technicians.
Also in February 2009, construction began on a third observatory located near Wandong in Victoria
, Australia
. The Wide-Field camera requires additional software programming in order to work on the Slooh system, and is also reportedly being fixed by technicians. The All-Sky camera has been calibrated, shipped, and is caught up in Australian customs with reported delays. Reservations will be activated for the telescope by users once the wide-field camera is operational. As of June 27, 2010 the website was reported as inactive waiting to be reestablished. By mid afternoon the system was up and fully operational.
Unlike Google Sky
which features images from the Hubble Space Telescope
, Slooh can take new images of the sky with its telescopes. It is more similar to the U.S. corporation LightBuckets
, which also rents time on telescopes through a website on the Internet.
Robotic telescope
A robotic telescope is an astronomical telescope and detector system that makes observations without the intervention of a human. In astronomical disciplines, a telescope qualifies as robotic if it makes those observations without being operated by a human, even if a human has to initiate the...
service that can be viewed live through a web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
with Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
plug-in. It was not the first robotic telescope, but it was the first that offered "live" viewing through a telescope via the web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. Other online telescopes traditionally email a picture to the recipient. The site has a patent on their live image processing method. Slooh is an online astronomy platform with live-views and telescope rental for a fee. Observations come from a global network of telescopes located in places including Spain and Chile.
The name Slooh comes from the word "slew
Slew
*In electronics, the slew rate represents the maximum rate of change of a signal at any point in a circuit*In motion control, particularly with application to telescopes and spacecraft, slewing is the rotation of an object about an axis...
" to indicate a movement of a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, modified to "ooh" to express pleasure and surprise.
History
The service was founded in 2002 by Michael Paolucci. As of October 2009, Paolucci remains as Chairman. The service went online December 25, 2003 but was not available to the publicWiktionary
Wiktionary is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in 158 languages...
until 2004. On March 18, 2006, the service was upgraded to incorporate additional features. The new version, SLOOH 2.0, offered a "Member Channel", which allows members to broadcast their "solo missions" to other members. Another added feature was the desktop alert that lets members know about upcoming "special missions".
Participating observatories
The original astronomicalAstronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
is located on the island Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
on the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
called Teide
Teide
Mount Teide , is a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea located in...
. The site is at 3.5 km elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
and situated away from city light pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
. This (Canary Islands) site includes 2 domes, each with 2 telescopes. Each dome has a high magnification
Magnification
Magnification is the process of enlarging something only in appearance, not in physical size. This enlargement is quantified by a calculated number also called "magnification"...
telescope and a wide field
Field of view
The field of view is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment....
telescope. One dome is optimized for planetary
Planetary
Planetary means relating to a planet or planets. It can also refer to:* Planetary , a comic book series by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday* Planetary habitability, the measure of an astronomical body's potential to develop and sustain life...
views (e.g. more magnification and a different CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
), and the other is optimized for deep sky objects (e.g. less magnification, more light sensitive CCD). Each dome offers 2 telescopic views—1 high magnification through a 14 inch Celestron
Celestron
Celestron is a company that manufactures and imports telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and accessories for their products.-Origins and History:...
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
The Schmidt–Cassegrain is a catadioptric telescope that combines a cassegrain reflector's optical path with a Schmidt corrector plate to make a compact astronomical instrument that uses simple spherical surfaces.-Invention and design:...
and a wide view through either a telephoto lens
Telephoto lens
In photography and cinematography, a telephoto lens is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light path to create a long-focus...
or an APO
Apochromat
An apochromat, or apochromatic lens , is a photographic or other lens that has better correction of chromatic and spherical aberration than the much more common achromat lenses.-Explanation:...
refractor.
On February 14, 2009, Slooh launched a second observatory in the hills above La Dehesa
La Dehesa
La Dehesa is a suburban neighborhood located in the Chilean municipality of Lo Barnechea, in northeastern Greater Santiago. It is inhabited by high-income families and also known as the fanciest neighborhood in Santiago. The area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents.La...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. This site offers views from the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. Currently, the Chile High-Magnification telescope is offline due to software compatibility, but is reportedly being fixed by technicians.
Also in February 2009, construction began on a third observatory located near Wandong in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The Wide-Field camera requires additional software programming in order to work on the Slooh system, and is also reportedly being fixed by technicians. The All-Sky camera has been calibrated, shipped, and is caught up in Australian customs with reported delays. Reservations will be activated for the telescope by users once the wide-field camera is operational. As of June 27, 2010 the website was reported as inactive waiting to be reestablished. By mid afternoon the system was up and fully operational.
Unlike Google Sky
Google Sky
Google Sky is a feature for Google's Google Earth and an online sky/outer space viewer at www.google.com/sky. It was created on August 27, 2007...
which features images from the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, Slooh can take new images of the sky with its telescopes. It is more similar to the U.S. corporation LightBuckets
LightBuckets
LightBuckets is a commercial astronomical observatory located in Rodeo, New Mexico that rents time on its telescopes to customers around the world via a website on the Internet, including amateur and professional astronomers. It is an online astronomy platform with live-views, and hosts an image...
, which also rents time on telescopes through a website on the Internet.