TAROT-South robotic observatory
The 25cm TAROT telescope on La Silla
Alternative namesTélescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires
Part ofLa Silla Observatory Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Coquimbo Region, Chile
Coordinates29°15′40″S 70°43′53″W / 29.2611°S 70.7314°W / -29.2611; -70.7314
OrganizationEuropean Southern Observatory Edit this on Wikidata
Altitude2,375 m (7,792 ft)
First light9 September 2006 Edit this on Wikidata
Telescope styleNewtonian telescope
optical telescope
robotic telescope Edit this on Wikidata
Diameter25 cm (9.8 in)
Secondary diameter14 cm (5.5 in)
Angular resolution3.5 arcsecond Edit this on Wikidata
Mountingequatorial mount Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/tarot/
TAROT-South robotic observatory is located in Chile
TAROT-South robotic observatory
Location of TAROT-South robotic observatory
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TAROT (French: Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires, "Quick-action telescope for transient objects") is a project of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) aimed at rapidly reacting to particular data from other astronomical surveying facilities to monitor for and registering fast changing astronomical objects and phenomena. The target of this particular project is so-called gamma-ray bursts (GRB).[1]

The TAROT-South facility is a 25 cm very fast moving optical robotic telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Able to accelerate at 120°/s2 to a top speed of 80°/s, it can begin observing within 1–1.5 seconds[2] of being notified by a gamma-ray telescope that a gamma-ray burst is in progress and can provide fast and accurate positions of transient events within seconds.

In addition to its own observations, an important purpose of the telescope is to find an accurate source location. With its wide field of view, it can take an approximate location (±1°) from a gamma-ray detector and produce a location accurate to 1″ within a minute,[2] for the benefit of follow-on observations by larger telescopes with longer reaction times.

It is a duplicate of the original TAROT telescope located at the Calern observatory, in France.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires".
  2. 1 2 M. Boer; A. Klotz; et al. (September 2003). "The Gamma-Ray Burst Hunt at La Silla: The TAROT-S Very Fast Moving Telescope" (PDF). The Messenger. ESO (113): 45–48.

See also


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