University of Toronto Southern Observatory
Encyclopedia
The University of Toronto Southern Observatory (UTSO) was an astronomical observatory built by the University of Toronto
at the Las Campanas Observatory
in Chile
. It hosted a single 60 cm Cassegrain telescope and a small cottage for the operators, located amongst the instruments funded by other organizations. The first observational runs started in 1971, and like many smaller instruments, it was later shut down in favor of a partial share in a much larger telescope in 1997. Although small by modern standards, the Southern Observatory nevertheless became famous for its role in the discovery of SN 1987A
when UofT astronomer Ian Shelton
spotted the supernova
while attempting to fix another disused telescope at the site.
in the Toronto
area. Originally located far in the country outside the city, the University's David Dunlap Observatory
was being encroached on by new suburb
s to its west. There seemed to be no end in sight to the outward growth of the city, and the process would eventually result in the Observatory being completely surrounded by housing, rendering it largely unusable due to street lighting. The director considered looking for a new site further north of the city, but at this time in the late 1960s a number of major observatories were starting to set up stations in Chile. Astronomers at the University, Garrison, Racine and van den Bergh, all had experience with Chile, and strongly urged establishing a site there.
The result was a National Research Council of Canada
(NRC) grant in 1969 to purchase a 60 cm prototype telescope from Competition Associates in Boston
. An agreement was reached with the Carnegie Institution of Washington
to locate this telescope at their Las Campanas site in Chile, and further funding for a cottage, Casa Canadiense, was provided by University of Toronto Astronomy endowment funds. Operating costs were originally paid for by a grant from the University of Toronto Associates in New York, and later by grants from the NRC (NSERC after its name changed). The first regular observing run with the telescope started in 1971 under Bill Harris.
The telescope was equipped for spectroscopy
, photometry
, and photography; CCD
's were installed later. In 1992 it was named the Helen Sawyer Hogg Telescope (HSHT) in recognition of Hogg's
work on measuring the distance to variable star
s in globular cluster
s. Work continued on the telescope until 1997 when funding was directed to buying a share of the Gemini Observatory
being built on Cerro Pachón
. HSHT was then donated to the CASLEO, the National Observatory of Argentina, and moved, along with the entire dome and building, to their Félix Aguilar Observatory
in El Leoncito National Park
, where it began operations in 2001. UofT retains a 25% share in observational time on the HSHT.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
at the Las Campanas Observatory
Las Campanas Observatory
Las Campanas Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science It was established in 1969 and remains the primary observing site of that institution. The headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile and the observatory is in the southern Atacama...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It hosted a single 60 cm Cassegrain telescope and a small cottage for the operators, located amongst the instruments funded by other organizations. The first observational runs started in 1971, and like many smaller instruments, it was later shut down in favor of a partial share in a much larger telescope in 1997. Although small by modern standards, the Southern Observatory nevertheless became famous for its role in the discovery of SN 1987A
SN 1987A
SN 1987A was a supernova in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs from Earth, approximately 168,000 light-years, close enough that it was visible to the naked eye. It could be seen from the Southern...
when UofT astronomer Ian Shelton
Ian Shelton
Ian Keith Shelton is a Canadian astronomer famous for discovering SN 1987A, the first modern supernova close and bright enough to be visible to the naked eye.He received his B.Sc...
spotted the supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
while attempting to fix another disused telescope at the site.
History
The Southern Observatory came about as a side-effect of problems being caused by the urban sprawlUrban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area. Originally located far in the country outside the city, the University's David Dunlap Observatory
David Dunlap Observatory
The David Dunlap Observatory is a large astronomical observatory site once owned by the University of Toronto, located just north of the city in Richmond Hill, Ontario within a estate. Its primary instrument is a 74-inch reflector telescope, at one time the second largest telescope in the world,...
was being encroached on by new suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s to its west. There seemed to be no end in sight to the outward growth of the city, and the process would eventually result in the Observatory being completely surrounded by housing, rendering it largely unusable due to street lighting. The director considered looking for a new site further north of the city, but at this time in the late 1960s a number of major observatories were starting to set up stations in Chile. Astronomers at the University, Garrison, Racine and van den Bergh, all had experience with Chile, and strongly urged establishing a site there.
The result was a National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
(NRC) grant in 1969 to purchase a 60 cm prototype telescope from Competition Associates in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. An agreement was reached with the Carnegie Institution of Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to locate this telescope at their Las Campanas site in Chile, and further funding for a cottage, Casa Canadiense, was provided by University of Toronto Astronomy endowment funds. Operating costs were originally paid for by a grant from the University of Toronto Associates in New York, and later by grants from the NRC (NSERC after its name changed). The first regular observing run with the telescope started in 1971 under Bill Harris.
The telescope was equipped for spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
, photometry
Photometry (astronomy)
Photometry is a technique of astronomy concerned with measuring the flux, or intensity of an astronomical object's electromagnetic radiation...
, and photography; CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
's were installed later. In 1992 it was named the Helen Sawyer Hogg Telescope (HSHT) in recognition of Hogg's
Helen Sawyer Hogg
Helen Battles Sawyer Hogg, CC was a prolific astronomer noted for her research into globular clusters...
work on measuring the distance to variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
s in globular cluster
Globular cluster
A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, which gives them their spherical shapes and relatively high stellar densities toward their centers. The name of this category of star cluster is...
s. Work continued on the telescope until 1997 when funding was directed to buying a share of the Gemini Observatory
Gemini Observatory
The Gemini Observatory is an astronomical observatory consisting of two telescopes at sites in Hawai‘i and Chile. Together, the twin Gemini telescopes provide almost complete coverage of both the northern and southern skies...
being built on Cerro Pachón
Cerro Pachón
Cerro Pachón is a mountain located close to Chilean city of Vicuña and 10 km southeast of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, at an altitude of 2,715 m over the sea level in the foothills of the Andes. The location is exceedingly dry, making it suitable for infrared observations....
. HSHT was then donated to the CASLEO, the National Observatory of Argentina, and moved, along with the entire dome and building, to their Félix Aguilar Observatory
Félix Aguilar Observatory
Félix Aguilar Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Argentina. It has IAU observatory code 808, and was known as "El Leoncito Observatory" until 1990 , when it became Estación Astronómica Carlos Ulrico Cesco , in honour of Dr. Cesco's many contributions to the founding and operation of the...
in El Leoncito National Park
El Leoncito National Park
The El Leoncito National Park is a national park of Argentina, located at the Calingasta Department, in the southwest of the province of San Juan. It has an area of 760 km²...
, where it began operations in 2001. UofT retains a 25% share in observational time on the HSHT.