Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Oregon Physics Department. It is located 26 miles (42Â km) southeast of Bend, Oregon (USA) in the Deschutes National Forest. The site was discovered by professors Russ Donnelly and E.G. Ebbinghausen in 1965 and has been in operation since 1967.
PMO's mission includes a strong public education aspect. Programs for high-school students have not only include observation, but also analysis of data and preparation of a paper for publication. PMO has developed software that enables K-12 teachers to perform observations remotely and process the data for classroom use
As well as public education, the observatory hosts professional projects such as research on white dwarf stars and examining the large-scale structure of galaxies.
Telescopes
- A 0.82Â m (32Â in) Cassegrain reflector built in 1970 by Sigma Research has a 1024 x 1024 pixel thinned, rear illuminated, blue-sensitive CCD camera with a field size of approximately 36 arcminutes. It is mounted at the prime focus, which prevents direct observations.
- A 0.4Â m (16Â in) Cassegrain reflector was the first telescope installed at the site in 1967.
- A 0.38Â m (15Â in) Cassegrain reflector was used by Donnelly and Ebbinghausen before PMO was founded, and was later installed at the site. As of 2007 a project was under way, in collaboration with Portland State University, to replace the historic instrument with a remotely controlled 0.36Â m (14Â in) telescope for astronomical imaging.
See also
- List of astronomical observatories
References
External links
- Friends of Pine Mountain Observatory Volunteer group responsible for public viewing, tours, and educational outreach program.
- Pine Mountain Observatory Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.
