Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes

Masgomas-1: A Very Massive Stellar Cluster

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

A group of astronomers from IAC and CEFCA have reported the discovery of a massive stellar cluster in the Milky Way. The discovery is part of the MASGOMAS project (MAssive Stars in Galactic Obscured MAssive clusterS), a systematic search for massive galactic stellar clusters. The massive nature of the cluster has been confirmed using LIRIS imaging, and long-slit and multi-object spectroscopy, on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT).

The World's Greatest Telescopes

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The William Herschel Telescope takes pride of place on the front cover of Astronomy magazine's special summer 2012 issue. This issue is a picture-packed guided tour of the world's major observatories, highlighting the beauty of the locations as much as the scientific achievements. It includes an article about the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, written by ING staff Chris Benn, Javier Mendez and Marc Balcells.

NGC 2359 Nebula

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

This is an image of NGC 2359, better known as the Thor's Helmet nebula, obtained using the Wide-Field Camera on the Isaac Newton Telescope. NGC 2359 is actually more like an interstellar bubble, blown as a fast wind from the bright, massive star near the bubble's center sweeps through a surrounding molecular cloud. The central star is an extremely hot giant Wolf-Rayet star thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution.

Astronomy Field Trip by University of Sheffield Students

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

A group of 8 Sheffield MPhys students visited La Palma for one week to undertake their third-year astronomy project using pt5m, the Durham-Sheffield 0.5m robotic telescope on the roof of the WHT. The trip, which was led by Professor Vik Dhillon, was a great success and will hopefully now be an annual fixture in the Sheffield Astrophysics MPhys degree programme.

Under the Dark Halo Old Galaxies Have Many More Stars

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Astronomers from the Atlas3D team, using the SAURON integral-field spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope, have found that some of the oldest galaxies in the Universe have three times as much stellar mass, and as many more stars, than all current models of galaxy evolution predict. This result means that the models, which assumed for decades that the light we observe from a galaxy can be used to infer its stellar mass, will have to be revised. A report of the research is published in Nature on 26 April 2012.

IC 1396 Nebula

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:00:00 GMT

IC 1396 in the constellation Cepheus imaged in the red light from hydrogen atoms. This image was obtained as part of the INT/WFC Photometric Hydrogen-Alpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS). Credit: Geert Barentsen & Jorick Vink (Armagh Observatory) & the IPHAS Collaboration.

Riding the Wake of a Merging Galaxy Cluster

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Observations using the OASIS integral field spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope have revealed a long, thin plume of ionised gas stretching out from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of Abell 2146 (z=0.243) (Canning et al. 2012). Extended optical emission-line nebulae are not uncommon in the cores of clusters, but the discovery of this particular structure is unexpected, as the host cluster is in the throes of a major merger event.

The 2012 Call of the ING Studentship Programme Now Open

ldp@ing.iac.es (Lilian Dominguez) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The 2012 call of the ING Studentship Programme is now open. Deadline is the 6th of April.

Workshop: La Palma and Calar Alto Observatories, Science in the Next Decade

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Upcoming workshop: "La Palma and Calar Alto Observatories, Science in the Next Decade" (Madrid, 22-23 March 2012). We announce a two-day workshop organised by ING together with our colleagues at the Calar Alto Observatory. Registration deadline: 5 March (with presentation), 15 March (without).

ING Science Strategy 2013 - 2022 Released

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

A consensus has emerged amongst the partner countries that the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) will play a crucial role in the partners' national astronomy programmes over the next decade. At the ING, we have worked closely with our user communities from the UK, the Netherlands and Spain, and with our funding agencies (STFC, NWO and IAC), to agree on the scientific priorities and how to deliver them.

Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2012B

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

ING Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2012B.

Input from UK Users Sought for STFC Science Board Review

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

ING's plans for the coming decade were presented to STFC Science Board in November 2011. In order to reach a decision by April 2012, Science Board set up a sub-group to examine our proposal (and that presented for JCMT and UKIRT). STFC's announcement is at http://www.stfc.ac.uk/About+STFC/38392.aspx . The deadline for submission of your inputs is 22 February 2012.

Call for Proposals to be supported via the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme

wji@ing.iac.es (Ian Skillen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The call for observing time at night time telescopes supported by the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme is now open with a deadline of 12:00 UT on 29 February 2012.

Call for Proposals to the CCI's International Time Programme on the Canary Islands

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:00 GMT

The International Scientific Committee (CCI) of the Roque de los Muchachos (ORM, La Palma) and Teide (OT, Tenerife) observatories invites applications for International Time Programmes (ITP) on telescopes installed at these Observatories. Deadline is 29th February, 2012. More information: http://www.iac.es/eno.php?op1=5&op2=13&op3=26&lang=en

Call for Service Proposals with WHT/ULTRACAM

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The ING is pleased to announce a special call for service proposals to use the ULTRACAM instrument. Up to five bright nights are available at the beginning of February 2012. ULTRACAM is a high-speed, three channel CCD camera ideally suited for fast photometry. Please see the details of the announcement, including a description of ULTRACAM and the proposal submission procedure, at http://www.ing.iac.es/astronomy/observing/ULTRACAM.pdf. The deadline for receipt of proposals is midnight on Friday 20th January, Canarian/UK time.

Best Wishes From La Palma!

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:00 GMT

The staff of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

JKT Announcement of Opportunity

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of the United Kingdom announces its intent to make the Jakobus Kapteyn Telescope (JKT) available free of charge to a suitable party who is interested in taking control of the scientific exploitation of the telescope.

The ING Telescopes Contribute to the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:00:00 GMT

The Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) contributed data to the research which led to the award of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics to Professor Saul Perlmutter of UC-Berkeley. Using wide-field imaging techniques implemented on the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) in the early nineties, and subsequent imaging and spectroscopy using the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), among others, the Supernova Cosmology Project team led by Perlmutter discovered that the expansion of the Universe, long-believed to be decelerating due to the effects of gravitational attraction, was in fact accelerating, that is, galaxies are receding from one another faster now than they were billions of years ago. This result provided the foundation for the current, widely-accepted model of the Universe, in which the dynamics are dominated by what is called dark energy.

Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2012A

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT

ING Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2012A.

Call for Proposals to be supported via the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:00:00 GMT

The call for observing time at night time telescopes supported by the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme is now open with a deadline of 12:00 UT on 31 August 2011.

The ATLAS 3D Project: Replacing the Handle of Hubbles Tuning Fork

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Since Edwin Hubble introduced his famous tuning fork diagram more than 70 years ago, spiral galaxies and early-type galaxies have been regarded as being two distinct families. A known issue of Hubble's classification, however, is that it mostly relies on optical images, from which it is nearly impossible to recognize thin face-on disks of stars from much rounder edge-on spheroids. For this reason the fraction of disks-like systems hidden in the early-type category has been a matter of debate for decades. Using SAURON integral-field spectrograph at the William Herschel Telescope, astronomers of the ATLAS 3D collaboration were able to derive maps of the stellar motions for 260 galaxies. For the first time, it was found that the overwhelming majority of the early-type galaxies in the nearby Universe does not consist of roundish spheroidal objects, but instead has disks and mostly resembles spiral galaxies with the gas and dust removed. Only a tiny fraction of the early-type galaxies, the "slow rotators", are genuine spheroids.

Discovery of a New Class of Supernovae

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Thu, 9 Jun 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Astronomers have identified a new type of supernova or exploding star which is ten times brighter than any other type of stellar explosion.

UK Parliamentary Inquiry into Astronomy

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:00:00 GMT

UK Parliamentary Inquiry into Astronomy - Report Now Available.

Wide-Field Multi-Object Spectrograph WEAVE Proposed for WHT Prime Focus

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

ING is establishing a European consortium to develop a spectrograph, WEAVE, for the prime focus of the William Herschel Telescope. WEAVE will be able to take spectra of up to 1000 objects simultaneously, within a 2-deg field of view. First light is envisioned in 2016.

ING Joins Efforts with GTC to Discover a Galactic Black Hole

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT

XTE J1859+226 is a transient X-ray binary discovered in 1999 by the X-ray satellite RXTE. This type of binary system stays in quiescence for most of its life; however, from time-to-time the system can show an outburst at all wavelengths which can subsequently be detected by X-ray satellites. By combining the data taken using the INT and the WHT in 2000 with the photometry taken in 2008 with NOT, WHT and spectra from GTC, a lower limit to the mass of the black hole was set to 5.42 solar masses.

Galaxy Zoo Supernovae and the WHT

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Galaxy Zoo Supernovae (GZS) is a proof-of-concept project which uses members of the public to identify supernova candidates from the latest generation of wide-field imaging transient surveys. GZS was first tested on two specific occasions supporting Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) spectroscopic follow-up observations at the William Herschel Telescope, in 2009 August and October. 16 of 20 candidates were observed by the WHT; 15 were confirmed as SNe, with one cataclysmic variable. Since 2010 April, GZS has been running full-time on PTF candidates and by 2010 July 15 had classified around 13,900 SN candidates at the rate of several hundred candidates per observing night. SGZ team members continue to use the WHT to confirm and follow up the SN candidates being discovered.

Call for INT Support and Studentship Applications

rk@ing.iac.es (Raine Karjalainen) — Mon, 7 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The INT Support and Research Studentship programme offers astronomy and astrophysics Ph.D. students the unique opportunity to spend one year at the ING as support astronomers at the INT. The students are expected to continue with their Ph.D. theses while working at ING. Students will get astronomy related project work from ING. In addition, they can get involved in further research with ING staff astronomers. Ph.D. students working in any field of observational astronomy are welcome. Deadline for applications is April 7th, 2011.

Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2011B

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT

ING Announcement of Opportunity for Observing Time in Semester 2011B.

UK Parliamentary Inquiry into Astronomy

balcells@ing.iac.es (Marc Balcells) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:00:00 GMT

The UK parliamentary Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into astronomy and particle-physics research in the UK. The parliamentary committee invites comments, by February 16th.

Call for Proposals to be supported via the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme

crb@ing.iac.es (Chris Benn) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The call for observing time at night time telescopes supported by the OPTICON Trans-National Access Programme is now open with a deadline of 12:00 UT on 28 February 2011.

The Cigar Galaxy

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Image of the Cigar Galaxy or M82 obtained using ACAM on the William Herschel Telescope. Credit: Pablo Rodríguez-Gil (IAC) and Pablo Bonet (IAC).

CANARY: First On-Sky Demonstration of Multi-Object Adaptive Optics

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A Franco-British team has demonstrated for the first time on-sky the feasibility of so-called Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO). MOAO provides the high spatial resolution delivered by current adaptive-optics systems, but over a much larger field of view, allowing many objects to be observed simultaneously. The demonstration was made with the purpose-built CANARY instrument installed at the Nasmyth focus of the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. Analysis of the first results obtained in September 2010 shows that CANARY delivered the expected performance the first time it was used - a spectacular success.

The Veil Nebula

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:00:00 GMT

This image is part of the Eastern Veil Nebula, or NGC 6992, and it was obtained using the Wide Field Camera on the Isaac Newton Telescope. It is a three-colour composite made from data collected using filters to isolate the light emitted by hydrogen alpha (H-alpha), doubly ionised oxygen (OIII) and ionised sulfur (SII) atoms, and coded in the image as red, green and blue respectively. Credit: D. López (IAC).

PLC Technology Reduces Observing Overheads

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT

New control systems are being implemented for all the instruments on the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope. The new systems are based on PLC (programmable logic controllers) and Ethernet technology, and are faster, and much easier to maintain, than the old 4MS/RS232 systems originally implemented at the telescope over 20 years ago. The re-engineering is all being carried out in-house at ING.

The Crescent Nebula

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

This image of the Crescent Nebula or NGC 6888 was obtained using the Wide Field Camera on the Isaac Newton Telescope. It is a three-colour composite made from data collected using filters to isolate the light emitted by hydrogen alpha (H-alpha) and doubly ionised oxygen (OIII) atoms.

Electron-multiplying CCDs at ING

jma@ing.iac.es (Javier Mendez) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Conventional CCD detectors have two major disadvantages: they are slow to read out and they suffer from read noise. These problems combine to make high-speed spectroscopy of faint targets the most demanding of astronomical observations. It is possible to overcome these weaknesses by using electron-multiplying CCDs (EMCCDs). EMCCDs are conventional frame-transfer CCDs, but with an extended serial register containing high-voltage electrodes. The recently released ING technical note no. 132 summarises the research and the implementation of EMCCDs at ING.

Observing Time Allocations and Schedules

wji@ing.iac.es (Ian Skillen) — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:00:00 GMT

The latest observing time allocations and most recent schedules are available online.