Red Barn Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Red Barn Observatory was established in 2006 and is dedicated to follow-up observations and detections of asteroids, comets, and Near-Earth object
s. Plans for the observatory
began in 2002 and construction was completed in 2005. During the month of August 2006, the observatory code H68 was assigned by the Minor Planet Center
. Currently, the observatory is of the "roll-off" roof type, but plans are in the works to install an 8-foot dome in the summer of 2007.
The observatory is located in Ty Ty
, Georgia
, USA - well away from any city light pollution and is in an excellent location to perform the follow-up observations of Near-Earth objects and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids that are near the vicinity of Earth on a regular basis. Also performed in the observatory is an early evening sky survey (such as Palomar sky survey or NEAT - Near Earth Asteroid Tracking
) to search for new comets and/or other unknown objects low on the horizon that can be easily overlooked due to the position of the object. Most amateur discovered comets are found in this location.
Future plans for the observatory include an amateur based asteroid study program that will allow the "amateur astrometrist" on-line access to observatory images and there they will be able to perform astrometry on all detected asteroids or comets.
Established in July 2007, the Georgia Fireball Network began monitoring the skies for bright meteors and fireballs. Currently, there are two stations in the Georgia Fireball Network. Station 1 is located in Buena Vista at the Deer Run Observatory and Station 2 is located in Ty Ty, Georgia at the Red Barn Observatory. Together, the stations monitor skies over most of Georgia and parts of Florida and Alabama.
Observer/Owner Steve E. Farmer Jr.
Near-Earth object
A near-Earth object is a Solar System object whose orbit brings it into close proximity with the Earth. All NEOs have a perihelion distance less than 1.3 AU. They include a few thousand near-Earth asteroids , near-Earth comets, a number of solar-orbiting spacecraft, and meteoroids large enough to...
s. Plans for the observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
began in 2002 and construction was completed in 2005. During the month of August 2006, the observatory code H68 was assigned by the Minor Planet Center
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory , which is part of the Center for Astrophysics along with the Harvard College Observatory ....
. Currently, the observatory is of the "roll-off" roof type, but plans are in the works to install an 8-foot dome in the summer of 2007.
The observatory is located in Ty Ty
Ty Ty, Georgia
Ty Ty is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 716 at the 2000 census. Ty Ty is named from the trees that once lined Ty Ty Creek, which runs through the area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA - well away from any city light pollution and is in an excellent location to perform the follow-up observations of Near-Earth objects and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids that are near the vicinity of Earth on a regular basis. Also performed in the observatory is an early evening sky survey (such as Palomar sky survey or NEAT - Near Earth Asteroid Tracking
Near Earth Asteroid Tracking
Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking is a program run by NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discover near-Earth objects. The NEAT project began in December 1995 and ran until April 2007.-History:...
) to search for new comets and/or other unknown objects low on the horizon that can be easily overlooked due to the position of the object. Most amateur discovered comets are found in this location.
Future plans for the observatory include an amateur based asteroid study program that will allow the "amateur astrometrist" on-line access to observatory images and there they will be able to perform astrometry on all detected asteroids or comets.
Established in July 2007, the Georgia Fireball Network began monitoring the skies for bright meteors and fireballs. Currently, there are two stations in the Georgia Fireball Network. Station 1 is located in Buena Vista at the Deer Run Observatory and Station 2 is located in Ty Ty, Georgia at the Red Barn Observatory. Together, the stations monitor skies over most of Georgia and parts of Florida and Alabama.
Observer/Owner Steve E. Farmer Jr.
External links
- Planetary Society
- NEAT
- IAU Sky Surveys
- Red Barn Observatory
- Clear Sky Clock for Red Barn Observatory
- http://www.cometary.net/georgia_fireball_network.htm Georgia Fireball Network