Exciting Upgrades for Advanced Student Research

Summary

Slooh is thrilled to announce a series of significant enhancements at Slooh’s observatories, along with advanced Quest learning activities, designed to empower High School Astronomy and College students in astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy.

Spectroscopy: New Equipment for Stellar Analysis

A new spectroscopy-equipped telescope has been installed at Slooh’s observatory in the Canary Islands. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be testing its capabilities, with the intention of making it available to advanced student accounts for the new academic year.

Early results have been highly promising, as demonstrated by these spectral analyses:

• WR-134 (Wolf-Rayet star) – Characterized by intense emission rather than absorption lines, with a strong Nitrogen II peak around 4640 Å being clearly visible in the spectral graph.

  

  
  

• M57 (Ring Nebula) – The spectral graph displays the emission lines of Oxygen III and Hydrogen Alpha from this planetary nebula.

  

  
  

• Vega – The spectral graph of Vega illustrates absorption lines such as the prominent Hydrogen Alpha line.

  

These spectra were analyzed using the RSpec software package, which will be made available to advanced student accounts in partnership with the software’s creator—an exclusive opportunity that typically costs $109.

Photometry: Expanded Capabilities Across Observatories

Photometric filters are already available at Slooh’s Australian and Chile observatories for Research Graduate accounts. We’ve now installed additional photometric filters at the Canary Islands observatory, ensuring they will be accessible for advanced students in the upcoming academic year.

Furthermore, specific photometric objects will be made available for all Advanced Student accounts, with FITS data provided for participation in new advanced photometry Quests.

A light curve study of an RR Lyrae-type period variable star using Slooh’s robotic telescopes.

Solar Studies: High-Resolution Imaging & Data Access

A new high-frame-rate, large-format CMOS camera has been installed on the Canary Islands Solar Telescope, providing students with full solar disk views and high-quality data for more rigorous solar studies.

Additionally, Slooh is releasing raw video grabs from the system, allowing students to conduct "lucky imaging" and process highly detailed solar images. Simplified software tools will be provided to facilitate this task for all students.

Student image processed using “lucky imaging” from the new high-frame rate video camera installed on Slooh’s dedicated robotic solar telescope at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

Enhanced Telescope Systems for Precision Research

To support rigorous research activities, we’ve installed high-precision telescope mounts equipped with absolute encoders on our flagship telescope systems. These upgrades ensure optimal pointing and tracking capabilities, making them ideal for advanced studies. Additionally, several other telescope mounts have been upgraded to further improve performance.

Slooh’s telescopes at its flagship observatory at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands have been upgraded with high-precision telescope mounts.  Photometric capabilities have been added to one of the telescopes, enabling research students to conduct photometry remotely from Slooh’s observatories in the Canary Islands, Chile, and Australia. 

Unlocking Advanced Astronomical Research: Slooh’s New Quest Learning Activities

Slooh is expanding its Quest learning activities with a new progression of Advanced Quests, designed to empower students with hands-on experience in professional-level astronomical research. These activities delve into essential techniques used by astronomers, providing students with the skills needed to analyze and capture celestial phenomena using Slooh’s robotic telescopes.

Here’s what students can expect in the Advanced Quest series:

• Scheduling Advanced Missions – Learn how to schedule observations by telescope, catalog, and precise celestial coordinates, ensuring optimal data collection. 

• Astrometry & Photometry – Master techniques for measuring the angular separation of visual binary stars and determining their apparent magnitude using Python and FITS data.

• Processing & Analyzing FITS Data – Explore calibration and reduction methods, including the use of Bias, Dark, and Flat field frames to refine observational data.

• Creating Astro Image Mosaics – Develop skills in Mission planning, image stitching, and brightness/contrast adjustment to construct detailed mosaics of celestial objects.

• Capturing Images During Midnight Culmination – Identify the best times of the year to capture astronomical objects during their midnight culmination, when they are at their highest point in the sky.

• Combining FITS Files for Personalized Color Images – Stack multiple FITS datasets from various advanced Missions, adjust brightness and contrast for each filter, and create stunning personalized color images.

• Measuring Exoplanet Transits – Learn how to predict exoplanet transits, collect observational data, and model exoplanet sizes using Python and FITS data.

  
  

With these new Advanced Quests, students gain direct experience in observational astronomy, data processing, and scientific analysis—developing critical skills for future research and careers in astrophysics. Slooh continues to open doors to deeper engagement with the cosmos, providing students with opportunities to observe, analyze, and contribute to real astronomical studies.

Opening Doors to Hands-on Astronomy: University of Oldenburg Students at Slooh’s Observatory

Slooh’s VP of Observatory Engineering, Paul Cox, was delighted to welcome two University of Oldenburg students on the recent upgrade mission to Slooh’s flagship observatory at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

University of Oldenburg students, Matti Gehlen and Jona Schrader, were given the opportunity of a lifetime to join the maintenance and upgrade visit to Slooh’s observatory at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

Through Slooh’s long-standing partnership with the university, Matti and Jona gained invaluable hands-on experience, learning firsthand what it takes to build, maintain, and upgrade Slooh’s online robotic telescopes—an opportunity few aspiring astronomers get outside of formal academia.

Their tasks ranged from installing and commissioning Slooh’s latest spectroscopic instrument to assisting in the relocation of the mighty Half Meter telescope. They also dove into essential maintenance work, ensuring Slooh’s global network of robotic telescopes remains operational for students worldwide.

The experience proved so rewarding that both students have already signed up for a trip to Slooh’s observatory in Chile, eager to further expand their technical skills and astronomical knowledge.

Guided by Professor Björn Poppe, they also conducted independent research projects, including assessments of sky quality and testing the capabilities of small smart telescopes that Slooh plans to deploy as dedicated lunar and solar instruments.

Beyond the technical work, they were captivated by the breathtaking scenery of Mount Teide—working from an “office” above the clouds, where science and nature converged in a truly inspiring way.

This partnership between Slooh and the University of Oldenburg continues to open doors for students, providing them with real-world experience in observatory operations and telescope engineering, essential preparation for careers in astronomy and astrophysics.