Tonantzintla Observatory

Tonantzintla Observatory
Organization INAOE, UNAM
Location San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, Mexico
Coordinates 19°01′53″N 98°18′54″W / 19.0315°N 98.3151°W / 19.0315; -98.3151Coordinates: 19°01′53″N 98°18′54″W / 19.0315°N 98.3151°W / 19.0315; -98.3151
Altitude 2,166 metres (7,106 ft)
Established 1942 (1942)
Website OANTON OAN - Tonantzintla
Telescopes
unnamed telescope 1.0 m reflector
unnamed telescope 0.7 m Schmidt

Tonantzintla Observatory (Spanish: Observatorio de Tonantzintla) is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of San Andrés Cholula in the Mexican state of Puebla. It consists of two adjacent facilities: the National Astrophysical Observatory of Tonantzintla (Spanish: Observatorio Astrofísico Nacional de Tonantzintla - OANTON), operated by the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), and the National Astronomical Observatory - Tonantzintla (Spanish: Observatorio Astronómico Nacional - Tonantzintla—OAN - Tonantzintla), operated by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). OANTON is located on the INAOE campus, which includes numerous other buildings. OAN - Tonantzintla is located immediately to the east on mostly unused property. The observatory is located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Puebla and 33 kilometres (21 mi) east of Popocatépetl, eruptions of which sometimes interfere with observing.[1]

National Astrophysical Observatory of Tonantzintla

OANTON was dedicated in February 1942 in a ceremony attended by the President of Mexico, Manuel Ávila Camacho, and other dignitaries.[2] The project was begun some time earlier by Luis Enrique Erro, who was an astronomer by training but for many years had been the Mexican ambassador to the United States. In 1954 Guillermo Haro became the director of OANTON, and in 1971 the observatory became INAOE under his direction.[3] In the same year INAOE began building a new observatory in Cananea, Sonora, which is now called Guillermo Haro Observatory.[4]

Telescopes

National Astronomical Observatory - Tonantzintla

OAN - Tonantzintla was established in 1948, when observing conditions at the OAN location in Valley of Mexico became too degraded by light pollution to be useful. OAN was first established on the balcony of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City in 1878.[4] It was moved to Tacubaya, then on the outskirts of the city, to a building that was started in 1884 and completed in 1909.[7] OAN completed the next move to Tonantzintla in 1951. By the mid-1960s, the night sky over the observatory became so polluted that research was hampered.[8] OAN began looking for a new location 1966, and determined that Sierra San Pedro Martir would be an excellent site.[9] The first telescope at the new observatory was installed in 1969 using a mirror polished by OANTON and UNAM.[10]

Telescopes

Former telescopes

See also

References

  1. ↑ Peña, J. H.; Peniche, R.; Sánchez, B.; Tejada, C.; Costero, R. (1999). "National Astronomical Observatory Tonantzintla, México". Precision CCD Photometry 189: 264. Bibcode:1999ASPC..189..264P.
  2. ↑ Mayall, N. U. (1942). "Mexico Dedicates a New Observatory". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 54: 117. Bibcode:1942PASP...54..117M. doi:10.1086/125417.
  3. ↑ "INAOE - Historia". INAOE - Astrofísica. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  4. 1 2 Pismis, P. (1987). "La Astronomia en Mexico: Hacia su Etapa Moderna". Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica 14: 35. Bibcode:1987RMxAA..14...35P.
  5. ↑ "Schmidt Camera's Main Qualities". INAOE - Astrofísica. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  6. ↑ "The Solar Telescope". INAOE - Astrofísica. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  7. 1 2 "High Atop the Baja, The National Observatory of Mexico". Instituto de Astronomía UNAM. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  8. ↑ Costero, R. (1991). "Light Pollution at the Astronomical Observatories in Mexico". Light Pollution 17: 45. Bibcode:1991ASPC...17...45C.
  9. ↑ Mendoza, E. E. (1971). "Preliminary Report on the Astronomical Site at San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico". Boletín de los Observatorios de Tonantzintla y Tacubaya 6: 95. Bibcode:1971BOTT....6...95M.
  10. ↑ Cornejo, A. (2011). "The First Years of Optics in Mexico and the role of the Boletín de los Observatorios de Tonantzintla y Tacubaya on its development". Highlights of the Boletín de los Observatorios de Tonantzintla y Tacubaya (Eds. S. Torres-Peimbert & O. López-Cruz) Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (Serie de Conferencias) Vol. 39 39: 109. Bibcode:2011RMxAC..39..109C.
  11. ↑ Hernández-Toledo, H. M.; Martínez-Vázquez, L. A.; Moreno-Corral, M. A.; Pani-Cielo, A. (2010). "A Photometric and Spectroscopic Evaluation of the Site at Tonantzintla Observatory". Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica 46: 47. Bibcode:2010RMxAA..46...47H.
  12. ↑ Bernal, Abel; Sanchez, Beatriz; Iriarte, Arturo (1998). "Remote control for the OAN 1-m telescope at Tonantzintla, Puebla". Proc. SPIE 3351: 354. Bibcode:1998SPIE.3351..354B. doi:10.1117/12.308822.
  13. ↑ "Carta del Cielo - Arquitectura". Instituto de Astronomía UNAM. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  14. ↑ Mendoza, E. T. (1987). "Reactivacion del Radio Interferometro Solar de Tonantzintla". Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica 14: 759. Bibcode:1987RMxAA..14..759M.
  15. ↑ "Radio Interferometro Solar RIS". Instituto de Geofisica UNAM. Retrieved 2012-02-08.

External links

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