Climenhaga Observatory

New University of Victoria Telescope

Here is the crane setting the new Ash Dome on the new building. 17Aug07

Automated Telescope System

0.5-m F/10.5 Cassegrain in Dome on fourth floor of Building
BVRI H-Alpha and Neutral Density filters
STAR I Photometrics CCD camera (Field of View = 8'X5' or 18'X11')
Computer Controlled such that telescope will observe a couple fields until dawn
Details of 20inch telescope

Telescope Statistics

Year    Nights  Photom  Tours   Astrm   SprNova Teach   Frames
1983    79      57      22
1984    145     128     17
1985    129     83      46
1986    159     94      65
1987    152     88      64
1988    130     61      69
1989    112     79      33
1990    115                                               346
1991    109                                              5173
1992    110     64      ?       25       1      18       7861
1993    150     78      27      24      31      17      13729
1994    126     66      36      15      15      30      11592
1995    111     54      58      11      17      30      12288
1996	134	94	41	21	1	23	15366
1997	150	117	28	9	0	24	17868
1998	152	132	23	0	0	25	20231
1999	160	137	32	0	0	26	20789
2000    163     160     30      0       0       23      22893
2001    151     134     30      0       0       14      18969
2002    147     144     27      0       0       22      19706
2003    115     111     21      0       0       12      15142
2004    111     111     26      0       0       25      17537
2005     75      74     19      0       0       15      11806
2006     65      65     23      0       0       15       7704
2007     47      35     12      0       0       12       4868
2008     31      14     17      0       0       11       1742
2009     48      30     18      0       0       14       8372

Research Interests

Light Curve of newly discovered Eclipsing Binary RX001309+053550

Variable Stars

Principal Investigator Russell Robb
Most of the nights are devoted to the observations of variable stars. During the past years most of the stars have been short period variables; either rotating spotted stars, eclipsing binaries or pulsating stars. We have also observed a couple of clusters and found some variable stars, including the low amplitude pulsating K giants. We have observed the eclipse of the star HD 209458 by an extrasolar planet orbiting it.

Variable Stars Discovered at the Climenhaga Observatory

GCVS Name       Discoverer(s)               Reference     Year  Other Name

NY Cep     D.D.Barlow and C.D.Scarfe       JRASC 68, 96   1974  HD217312
V772 Her   C.D.Scarfe                      IBVS 1357      1977  HD165590
V824 Her   R.M.Robb                        IBVS 3346      1989  1E1654+3515
EF Dra     R.M.Robb, C.D.Scarfe            IBVS 3370      1989  1E1806+6944 
KV Peg     R.M.Robb                        IBVS 3430      1990  1E2119+1655
HS Aqr     R.M.Robb, F.W.Dean, C.D.Scarfe  IBVS 3536      1990  HD197010
UX CBr     R.M.Robb, F.W.Dean, C.D.Scarfe  IBVS 3547      1990  1E1615+3114
HV Aqr     R.M.Robb                        IBVS 3798      1992  BD-3_5183
V1309 Ori  P. Garnavich, P. Szkody, et al. ApJ, 435, L141 1994  RX0515+0104
BL Psc     B. Kellett, G. Bromage, et al.  ApJ. 438, p354 1995  RE0044+09
QT And     R.M.Robb                        IBVS 4192      1995  RE0041+342
EY Dra     R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal          IBVS 4270      1995  RE1816+541
V1092 Tau  R.Jeffries, M.Burleigh, et al.  A&A 305, L45   1996  RE0357+283
V789 Mon   R.M.Robb and M.D.Gladders       IBVS 4412      1996  RE725-002
V788 Mon   R.M.Robb and M.D.Gladders       IBVS 4412      1996  GSC 4817_508
?? Mon     R.M.Robb and M.D.Gladders       IBVS 4412      1996  GSC 4817_788
NZ Vir     R.M.Robb       		   IBVS 4474      1997  MS1428.2+0732
DE CVn     R.M.Robb and R.Greimel     	   IBVS 4486      1997  RX1326.9+4532
KN UMa	   R.M.Robb and R.Greimel	   IBVS 4493      1997  RX1239.8+5511
V1005 Her  R.M.Robb, R.Greimel, et al.	   IBVS 4504      1997  GSC 3505_677
V404 And   R.M.Robb 			   IBVS 4560      1998  RX010124+4115
IV Dra	   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4610      1998  GSC 3869_484
V469 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  K134-NGC6939
V468 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  K125-NGC6939
V465 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  K80-NGC6939
V467 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  K95-NGC6939
V470 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  K147-NGC6939
V466 Cep   R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal 	   IBVS 4634      1998  in NGC6939
V374 Peg   R.Greimel and R.M.Robb 	   IBVS 4652      1998  RX220111+2818
DG CVn	   R.M.Robb, D.D.Balam, R.Greimel  IBVS 4714      1999  RX133146+291631
DV Psc	   R.M.Robb, J. Wagg, et al.       IBVS 4800      1999  RX001309+053550
?? Lyn	   G.F.Lewis, R.M.Robb,R.A.Ibata   PASP 111, 1503 1999  Most distant variable
V1022 Her  R.M.Robb and R.Greimel          ASP Conf 189   1999  GSC 3493_742
V1023 Her  R.M.Robb and R.Greimel          ASP Conf 189   1999  GSC 3493_1097
V1021 Her  R.M.Robb and R.Greimel          ASP Conf 189   1999  GSC 3493_1158
V2217 Cyg  R.M.Robb, R.D.Cardinal, et al.  IBVS 4820      1999  IRAS19450+3416 
V909 Cas   R.M.Robb, P.A. Delaney, et al.  IBVS 4913      2000  BD+60 282 
LL UMa	   R.M.Robb, P.A. Delaney, et al.  IBVS 4914      2000  USNO1575-03003814 
V526 Aur   R.M.Robb, J. Wagg, et al.       IBVS 5079      2001  HD280340
V527 Aur   R.M.Robb, J. Wagg, et al.       IBVS 5079      2001  GSC 2895-1173
GQ Leo	   R.M.Robb, J. Wagg, et al.       IBVS 5088      2001  RX114746+125408
V1657 Aqu  R.M.Robb, J.V. Lindner, et al.  IBVS 5211      2001  USNO0900-17903132
V1659 Aqu  R.M.Robb, J.V. Lindner, et al.  IBVS 5211      2001  HD191674
V1658 Aqu  R.M.Robb, J.V. Lindner, et al.  IBVS 5211      2001  HD191616
V1237 Tau  R.A. Koff, R.M.Robb, et al.     IBVS 5271      2002  GSC 1851-0320
V2364 Cyg  R.H. Nelson, R.M.Robb, et al.   IBVS 5285      2002  GSC 3551-1708
MW UMa	   R.M.Robb, K. Thanjavur, JL Clem IBVS 5305      2002  GSC 4153-0634 
V722 Per   R.M.Robb, P.Ingraham, N.Wright  IBVS 5408      2003  HD 279684 
V1079 Her  R.M.Robb, J.Vincent, K.ThanjavurIBVS 5449      2003  SAO 84309 
V350 UMa   R.M.Robb, T.J.Krajci, J.Vincent IBVS 5534      2004  BD +52_1602 
V636 Aur   R.M.Robb, H.Henderson, J.VincentIBVS 5852      2008  GSC 2414-0797

Planet Search

Principal Investigator Russell Robb
Some of the nights are devoted to the observations of stars which show periodic radial velocity variations of such small amplitude that the secondary is thought to be a planet.

Comet and Asteroid Astrometry

Principal Investiagators Dave Balam and Jeremy Tatum
This project is now using the DAO telescopes. Astrometric reduction of CCD images is accomplished in near-real time using the Guide Star Catalog of the Hubble Space Telescope. Reduced astrometric data are then subjected to orbital analysis, either using the method of Gauss, or the assumed knowledge method of Vaisala. Planetary perturbations are applied in the case of extensive astrometric data sets. Identification of unknown objects, if an identification exists, is done by searching through the UVic data-base of high and moderate- precision orbital elements of asteroids. Final results are published in the International Astronomical Union Circulars, the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, and the Minor Planet Circulars.

Asteroid Discoveries by the Climenhaga Observatory

           Asteroid              M.P.C.  Instrument    Discoverer(s)

(4789) Sprattia   1987 UU2      12765   0.25-m      Balam
                  1987 UV2      12765   0.25-m      Balam
                  1993 PE       22541   0.5-m       Balam, Robb
(6532) Scarfe     1995 AC       24460   0.5-m       Balam robotic-scan
                  1995 FD               0.5-m       Balam robotic-scan

Send comments/suggestions/problems to Russ Robb