Grasslands Observatory: Color Images of Selected Arp Galaxies

These tri-color CCD images were obtained at various times from 1996 to the present. The very earliest were taken with an HPC-1 camera (1024 x 1024, twelve micron TI chip) or an Apogee AP7 camera (512 x 512, 24 micron SITe chip). The HPC-1 was an excellent early camera with small pixels. The AP7 had a greater photon efficiency, particularly in the blue portion of the spectrum.

In March 2001, a Finger Lakes Instrumentation Dream Machine CCD camera was installed at the Grasslands Observatory. This camera had a high quantum efficiency SITe 1024 x 1024 twenty-four micron CCD chip. It provided a nearly 28 minute field of view on the original 24-inch f/5 reflector at the observatory. The Dream Machine was used in operation with a Finger Lakes Instrumentation CFW-1 Color Filter Wheel and an Optec TCF temperature compensating focuser. The filter wheel contained Photometric R, V, B and I filters and also had an Open slot (O) and a Clear filter (C). This instrument combination was used for much of the imaging at the Grasslands Observatory until late 2014.

Since 2015, the Grasslands Observatory has been significally improved and enlarged with the addition of three new 14 x 14 foot roll-off roof buildings containing telescopes for remote operations. The original 24-inch telescope has been converted to visual use at the Cassegrain focus (f/20). See Grasslands Operations.

At the present time all imaging is done remotely using a PlaneWave CDK24 24-inch f/6.5 telescope and FLI Proline 9000 CCD, an ASA 20-inch f/3.5 astrograph and FLI Proline 9000 CCD, or a Takahasi Epsilon 180 f/2.8 telescope with a Canon EOS Ra camera. See our Operations for more details.

tbh 18 April 2010; revised 24 April 2017; revised 23 March 2018; revised Tuesday May 21, 2019. Minor revision 20 January 2021

All images are oriented with the North at the top and the West to the right.