Comparative analysis of six interesting sites for astronomical instrumentation in Colombia
PDF (Español (España))

How to Cite

Pinzón, G., González, D., & Ramírez, A. (2016). Comparative analysis of six interesting sites for astronomical instrumentation in Colombia. Revista De La Academia Colombiana De Ciencias Exactas, Físicas Y Naturales, 40(154), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.290

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Métricas Alternativas


Dimensions

Abstract

In this work we present the results obtained from an observational campaign aimed to conduct measurements in-situ of the quality of the sky at six sites with astronomical interest in Santander, Boyacá, Tolima, Huila, Cesár and La Guajira. Short and sporadic expeditions were done to those places with the main goal to conduct measurements of temperature, humidity during the night, the level of turbulence in the vicinity of the telescope, the Seeing, the sky brightness and the atmospheric extinction. The adopted methodology for the Seeing measurements was validated with satellite data simultaneous to our visits, obtained from the data archive of the geostationary satellite GOES 13. All sites present Seeing highly variable along the night with values between 1′′ and 4′′. The bad weather and specially, the high humidity registered during the campaign limited the quality of photometric data and subsequently, the comparative analysis of the visited sites is based on the Seeing measurements. An statistical KolmogorovSmirnov test confirm that the lowest values are observed in high altitude sites over the Eastern Andes in particular at La Bricha in Macaravita-Santander where we get the lowest variability with rms = 0,59′′. This fact together with the low humidity, less than 85% even during the dawn and the low level of the sky brightness suggest that La Bricha is a suitable place for location of astronomical instrumentation in the visible range. However, it is highly recommended to conduct a long-term monitoring of the place with the aim to characterize the site properly. © 2016. Acad. Colomb. Cienc. Ex. Fis. Nat. All rights reserved.
https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.290
PDF (Español (España))

References

Allen, C. W. (1973) Astrophysical Quantities. 3rd ed., The Athlone Press, London.

Bessel, M.S. (1990) UBVRI passbands. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 102: 1181-1199.

Boumis, P., Steiakaki, A., Mavromatakis, F., Paterakis, G. & Papamastorakis, I. (2001), Seeing measurements at Skinakas Observatory using the DIMM method. Memorias de 5th Hellenic Astronomical Conference, 1: 143-146

Brieva, E. (1985), Búsqueda de sitio para una estación astrofísica en Colombia: Resultados preliminares. Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, 10: 397-403.

Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., Zitelli, V. and Maruccia, Y. (2011), Fraction of clear skies above astronomical sites: a new analysis from the GOES12 satellite, Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy Society, 411: 1271-1283.

Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S. and Zitelli, V. (2012), Site testing at astronomical sites: evaluation of seeing using satellitebased data. Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy Society, 419: 3081-3091.

Della Valle, A., Maruccia,Y., Ortolani, S. and Zitelli, V. (2010), Analysis of the fraction of clear sky at the La Palma and Mt Graham sites, Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy Society, 401: 1904-1916.

Erasmus, D.A. and Sarazin, M. (2002), Utilizing satellite data for evaluation and forecasting applications at astronomical sites. ASP Conf. Ser., Ed. J. Vernin, Z. Benkhaldoun, and C. Muñoz-Tuñon, 266: 310.

González, D. (2014), Estudio de la calidad del cielo para observaciones astronómicas en Colombia. Tesis de grado Maestría en Ciencias: Astronomía, Observatorio Astronómico, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá.

Hidayat, T., Mahasena, P., Dermawan, B., Hadi, P. and Premadi, P. W. (2012), Clear sky above Indonesia: an analysis for astronomical site selection, Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy Society, 427: 1903-1917.

Lawson, J. K. & Carrano, C. J. (2006), Using historic models of Cn2 to predict r0 and regimes affected by atmospheric turbulence for horizontal, slant and topological paths. Memorias del SPIE Optics and photonics, UCRL-CONF-222540, San Diego, CA.

Parenti, R. & Sasiela, R. (1994), Laser guide star systems for astronomical applications. J. Opt. Soc. Am., 11 (1): 288-30.

Pinzón, G., González, D. & Hernández, J. (2015), Identification of potential sites for astronomical observations in northern South America. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 127 (952): 523-539.

Poveda, G. & Álvarez, D. (2011), Hydroclimatic variability over the Andes of Colombia associated with ENSO: A review of climatic processes and their impact on one of the Earth’s most important biodiversity hotspots. Climate Dynamics, 36: 2233.

Press, W. H., Teulolsky, S. A., Vetterling, W. T. & Flannery, B. P. (2007), Numerical Recipes, the art of scientific computation, Cambridge Unviersity Press, 3a. edición

Ramírez, A. (2014), Medidas de extinción atmosférica en los filtros B, V, e I en La Guajira, Huila, Santander y Cesár. Tesis de grado Carrera de Física, Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá.

Roddier, F. (1981), The effect of atmospheric turbulence in optical astronomy. Progress in Optics, 19: 281.

Rufener, F. (1986), The evolution of atmospheric extinction at La Silla. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 165: 275-286.

Sarazín, M. & Roddier, F. (1990), The ESO differential image motion

monitor. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 227: 294-300.

Sigernes, F., Peters, N., Lorentzen, D. (2009), The absolute sensitivity of digital colour cameras. Optics Express, 17, 22: 20211-20220.

Stetson, P. (1988) Some Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Stellar Photometry with CCDs. DAO preprint.

Stock, J. (1964), Procedures for location of astronomical observatory sites. IAU Bulletin, 19: 35.

Tatarski, V. (1971), The effect of turbulent atmosphere on wave propagation in a turbulent medium. I:P:S:T:, Jerusalén.

Declaration of originality and transfer author's rights

The authors declare:

  1. The published data and reference materials have been duly identified with their respective credits and have been included in the bibliographic notes and citations that have been so identified and that should it be required, I have all releases and permissions from any copyrighted material. 
  2. All material presented is free from any copyright and that I accept full legal responsibility for any legal claims relating to copyrighted intellectual property, fully exonerating from responsibility the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.
  3. This work is unpublished and will not be sent to any other journal while waiting for the editorial decision of this journal. I declare that there is no conflict of interest in this manuscript.
  4. In case of publication of this article, all author´s rights are transferred to the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, and so cannot be reproduced in any form without the express permission of it.
  5. By means of this document, if the article is accepted for publication by the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, the Revista assumes the right to edit and publish the articles in national and international indices or data bases for academic and scientific use in paper, electronic, CD-ROM, internet form either of the complete text or any other known form known or to be known and non-commercial, respecting the rights of the authors.

Transfer of author rights

In case the article is approved for publication, the main author in representation of himself and his co-authors or the main author and his co-authors must cede the author rights of the corresponding article to the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, except in the following cases:

The authors and co-authors will retain the right to revise, adapt, prepare derived works, oral presentations, and distribution to some colleagues of reprints of their own published work, if the corresponding credit is given to the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. It is also permissible to publish the title of the work, summary, tables, and figures of the work in the corresponding web sites of the authors or their employers, also giving credit to the Revista.

If the work has been realized under contract, the author’s employer has the right to revise, adapt, prepare derivative works, reproduce, or distribute in hard copy the published work, in a secure manner and for the exclusive use of his employees.

If the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales were approached for permission by a third party for using, printing, or publishing specifically articles already published, the Revista must obtain the express permission of the author and co-authors of the work or of the employer except for use in classrooms, libraries, or reprinted in a collective work. The Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales reserves the possible use in its front cover of figures submitted with the manuscripts.

No other right, other than the author’s right, can be claimed by the Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.