Driven by the rapid development of astronomical studies pursued by researchers at different astronomical observato riesunderits administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) has designed and built a series of l...Driven by the rapid development of astronomical studies pursued by researchers at different astronomical observato riesunderits administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) has designed and built a series of large-scale facilitiesfor astronomical observations over the past four decades. Among them are some high-profile ones, represented by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope(LAMOST) and the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST).展开更多
The French astronomer Charles Messier (1730- 1817) compiled a catalogue [1] of astronomical objects which reached109 innumber after additions by later astronomers were added. The catalogue contains galaxies, emission ...The French astronomer Charles Messier (1730- 1817) compiled a catalogue [1] of astronomical objects which reached109 innumber after additions by later astronomers were added. The catalogue contains galaxies, emission nebulae, a supernova remnant, a double star, globular clusters, open clusters, an asterism, a star cloud, and planetary nebulae. While the objective of Messier in compiling the catalogue was to guide comet hunters not to be confused by his objects which he thought looked like comets [2], the Messier Catalogue as it later became known became a standard guide to astronomers for a study of the sky’s “greatest hits” or the best samples of objects which can be observed and studied. This paper explores the value of the Messier Catalogue in the teaching of Astronomy and Earth Science. The range of objects is wide and contains some of the best examples of their type. The teaching method I propose is the actual observations of the objects through a telescope, with the corresponding explanation. Some principles which will be covered through this process are stellar evolution from the birth and death of stars, galaxy types, formation of galaxies, galactic interactions, life in the Universe, cosmology, and our place in the Universe.展开更多
The paper describes observations of fast-moving near-Earth asteroids(NEAs) made with the small ground-based telescopes of National Time Service Center of Chinese Academy of Science(NTSC of CAS) and Research Institute ...The paper describes observations of fast-moving near-Earth asteroids(NEAs) made with the small ground-based telescopes of National Time Service Center of Chinese Academy of Science(NTSC of CAS) and Research Institute "Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory"(RI MAO) by the rotating-drift-scan CCD(RDS CCD) technique. This technique is used to obtain the point images of both the studied objects and reference stars. The results of ongoing follow-up observations of NEAs are discussed. The residual differences(O-C) between the observed and calculated positions from JPL ephemeris were generally small for these asteroids. The standard deviations of these differences were typically ±(0.2′′-0.3′′) in both coordinates for objects with apparent velocity which substantially exceed FWHM for the given exposure time. The results of comparative statistics for such observations from the MPC database show that this is a good level of precision for NEAs. Moreover, the telescopes with the RDS CCD technique implemented can observe the NEAs that closely approach the Earth and with enough observations can improve the precision of determining their orbital elements and impact predictions.展开更多
We present measurements of the optical broadband atmospheric extinction coefficients and the night sky brightness at the Xuyi Observation Station of Purple Mountain Observatory. The measurements are based on CCD imagi...We present measurements of the optical broadband atmospheric extinction coefficients and the night sky brightness at the Xuyi Observation Station of Purple Mountain Observatory. The measurements are based on CCD imaging data taken in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey＇s g, r and i bands with the Xuyi 1.04/1.20m Schmidt Telescope for the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anticenter （XSTPS-GAC）, the photometric part of the Digital Sky Survey of the Galactic Anti-center （DSS-GAC）. The data were collected during more than 140 winter nights from 2009 to 2011. We find that the atmospheric extinction coefficients for the g, r and i bands are 0.69, 0.55 and 0.38 mag/airmass, respectively, based on observations taken on several photometric nights. The night sky brightness determined from images with good quality has median values of 21.7, 20.8 and 20.0 mag arcsec-2 and reaches 22.1, 21.2 and 20.4mag arcsec-2 under the best observing conditions for the g, r and i bands, respectively. The relatively large extinction coefficients compared with other good astronomical observing sites are mainly due to the relatively low elevation （i.e. 180 m） and high humidity at the station.展开更多
In response to the resolutions of the IUGG-IAG and IAU in 1991, a study of thepossibility of deriving long-term variations of bldnib line from Optical astrometric latitudedata has been carried out. Evidence of the exi...In response to the resolutions of the IUGG-IAG and IAU in 1991, a study of thepossibility of deriving long-term variations of bldnib line from Optical astrometric latitudedata has been carried out. Evidence of the existence of plumb line variations in Europe,ofwhich the periods are about 4 to 6 years, will be sh0wn in the展开更多
This paper introduces the discovery of the phenomenon that short-term anomalous fluctuations appeared in residuals of astronomical time and latitude observations before earthquakes and the progress of related research...This paper introduces the discovery of the phenomenon that short-term anomalous fluctuations appeared in residuals of astronomical time and latitude observations before earthquakes and the progress of related researches carried out for many years.The relations between the anomalous variations of time and latitude residuals of astronomical time and latitude instruments in different regions and the earthquakes around these instruments as well as the characteristics of residuals' anomalous variations are analyzed.The significance of the anomalous fluctuations in residuals of astronomical time and latitude caused by the anomalous variations of the local plumb line before earthquake and detecting the vertical variation with astronomical time and latitude observations as well as the importance of carrying out further researches are discoursed.The possibility that the phenomenon will become an effective short-term earthquakes precursor,the current situations and the problems to be solved,are discussed.Also we offer the proposals to develop new roboticized astrometric instruments with high-precision and set up test observation networks in earthquake-prone areas in order to do research in-depth,optimize methods of observing and extracting anomalous information for short-term earthquake prediction,and so on.展开更多
文摘Driven by the rapid development of astronomical studies pursued by researchers at different astronomical observato riesunderits administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) has designed and built a series of large-scale facilitiesfor astronomical observations over the past four decades. Among them are some high-profile ones, represented by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope(LAMOST) and the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST).
文摘The French astronomer Charles Messier (1730- 1817) compiled a catalogue [1] of astronomical objects which reached109 innumber after additions by later astronomers were added. The catalogue contains galaxies, emission nebulae, a supernova remnant, a double star, globular clusters, open clusters, an asterism, a star cloud, and planetary nebulae. While the objective of Messier in compiling the catalogue was to guide comet hunters not to be confused by his objects which he thought looked like comets [2], the Messier Catalogue as it later became known became a standard guide to astronomers for a study of the sky’s “greatest hits” or the best samples of objects which can be observed and studied. This paper explores the value of the Messier Catalogue in the teaching of Astronomy and Earth Science. The range of objects is wide and contains some of the best examples of their type. The teaching method I propose is the actual observations of the objects through a telescope, with the corresponding explanation. Some principles which will be covered through this process are stellar evolution from the birth and death of stars, galaxy types, formation of galaxies, galactic interactions, life in the Universe, cosmology, and our place in the Universe.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U1831133 and 12073062)National Astronomical Data Center of China。
文摘The paper describes observations of fast-moving near-Earth asteroids(NEAs) made with the small ground-based telescopes of National Time Service Center of Chinese Academy of Science(NTSC of CAS) and Research Institute "Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory"(RI MAO) by the rotating-drift-scan CCD(RDS CCD) technique. This technique is used to obtain the point images of both the studied objects and reference stars. The results of ongoing follow-up observations of NEAs are discussed. The residual differences(O-C) between the observed and calculated positions from JPL ephemeris were generally small for these asteroids. The standard deviations of these differences were typically ±(0.2′′-0.3′′) in both coordinates for objects with apparent velocity which substantially exceed FWHM for the given exposure time. The results of comparative statistics for such observations from the MPC database show that this is a good level of precision for NEAs. Moreover, the telescopes with the RDS CCD technique implemented can observe the NEAs that closely approach the Earth and with enough observations can improve the precision of determining their orbital elements and impact predictions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos. 11078006 and 10933004)supported by the Minor Planet Foundation of Purple Mountain Observatory
文摘We present measurements of the optical broadband atmospheric extinction coefficients and the night sky brightness at the Xuyi Observation Station of Purple Mountain Observatory. The measurements are based on CCD imaging data taken in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey＇s g, r and i bands with the Xuyi 1.04/1.20m Schmidt Telescope for the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anticenter （XSTPS-GAC）, the photometric part of the Digital Sky Survey of the Galactic Anti-center （DSS-GAC）. The data were collected during more than 140 winter nights from 2009 to 2011. We find that the atmospheric extinction coefficients for the g, r and i bands are 0.69, 0.55 and 0.38 mag/airmass, respectively, based on observations taken on several photometric nights. The night sky brightness determined from images with good quality has median values of 21.7, 20.8 and 20.0 mag arcsec-2 and reaches 22.1, 21.2 and 20.4mag arcsec-2 under the best observing conditions for the g, r and i bands, respectively. The relatively large extinction coefficients compared with other good astronomical observing sites are mainly due to the relatively low elevation （i.e. 180 m） and high humidity at the station.
文摘In response to the resolutions of the IUGG-IAG and IAU in 1991, a study of thepossibility of deriving long-term variations of bldnib line from Optical astrometric latitudedata has been carried out. Evidence of the existence of plumb line variations in Europe,ofwhich the periods are about 4 to 6 years, will be sh0wn in the
文摘This paper introduces the discovery of the phenomenon that short-term anomalous fluctuations appeared in residuals of astronomical time and latitude observations before earthquakes and the progress of related researches carried out for many years.The relations between the anomalous variations of time and latitude residuals of astronomical time and latitude instruments in different regions and the earthquakes around these instruments as well as the characteristics of residuals' anomalous variations are analyzed.The significance of the anomalous fluctuations in residuals of astronomical time and latitude caused by the anomalous variations of the local plumb line before earthquake and detecting the vertical variation with astronomical time and latitude observations as well as the importance of carrying out further researches are discoursed.The possibility that the phenomenon will become an effective short-term earthquakes precursor,the current situations and the problems to be solved,are discussed.Also we offer the proposals to develop new roboticized astrometric instruments with high-precision and set up test observation networks in earthquake-prone areas in order to do research in-depth,optimize methods of observing and extracting anomalous information for short-term earthquake prediction,and so on.
