Junk Bond Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Junk Bond Observatory is located in Sierra Vista, Arizona
in the Sonoran Desert
.
Established in 1996, observer David Healy began by using a Celestron 14 SCT and a 16-inch Meade LX200
telescopes in a roll-off shelter. In 2000, a 20" Ritchey-Chretien was installed, to be replaced by a 32" Ritchey in 2004.
Asteroid searches began in 1998 using a local computer network and search software. The first asteroid discovery, named (38203) Sanner after Glen Sanner, was made in June 1999 by Jeff Medkeff
. Of JBO's 400-plus asteroid discoveries, 68 were made in 1999-2001. Since December 2004, using a 32-inch scope, 86 designations have been made. Twelve of the discoveries have been assigned permanent numbers by the Minor Planet
Center and seventeen have been named.
Currently, Healy is a frequent contributor of follow-up observations to objects on the Near Earth Asteroid Confirmation Page, surveys for asteroids netting approximately four new discoveries per month as of January 2007, performs discovery and confirmation photometry of extrasolar planet
transits, and performs photometry of cataclysmic variable star
s and active galactic nuclei. The telescope operates robotically, unattended for most of the night, controlled by software by Bob Denny
and Jeff Medkeff.
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 43,044....
in the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
.
Established in 1996, observer David Healy began by using a Celestron 14 SCT and a 16-inch Meade LX200
Meade LX200
The Meade LX200 is a family of commercial telescopes produced by Meade Instruments launched in 1992 with 8″ and 10″ schmidt-cassegrain models on computerized mounts.Rod Mollise - The Past, Present and Future of the Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope , . 12" and 16" models quickly followed...
telescopes in a roll-off shelter. In 2000, a 20" Ritchey-Chretien was installed, to be replaced by a 32" Ritchey in 2004.
Asteroid searches began in 1998 using a local computer network and search software. The first asteroid discovery, named (38203) Sanner after Glen Sanner, was made in June 1999 by Jeff Medkeff
Jeffrey S. Medkeff
Jeffrey S. Medkeff was born in 1968 and died on 3 August 2008. He was a prominent science writer and educator. He was also a designer of robotic telescopes, a minor philanthropist, and an advocate of personal and sexual freedom.-Early life:Medkeff was born in Akron, Ohio in 1968, and was raised in...
. Of JBO's 400-plus asteroid discoveries, 68 were made in 1999-2001. Since December 2004, using a 32-inch scope, 86 designations have been made. Twelve of the discoveries have been assigned permanent numbers by the Minor Planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
Center and seventeen have been named.
Currently, Healy is a frequent contributor of follow-up observations to objects on the Near Earth Asteroid Confirmation Page, surveys for asteroids netting approximately four new discoveries per month as of January 2007, performs discovery and confirmation photometry of extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
transits, and performs photometry of cataclysmic variable star
Cataclysmic variable star
Cataclysmic variable stars are stars which irregularly increase in brightness by a large factor, then drop back down to a quiescent state...
s and active galactic nuclei. The telescope operates robotically, unattended for most of the night, controlled by software by Bob Denny
Bob Denny
Bob Denny is an American software developer who writes software for robotic telescope and remote telescope systems. He is the inventor of the Astronomy Common Object Model standard, which has resulted in the easy availability of freeware device drivers for telescopes, telescope focusers, and...
and Jeff Medkeff.