| dc.description.abstract | 1-m class telescopes are arguably the
workhorses of modern astronomy and
represent an excellent return of science for a
relatively modest capital investment. Such
instruments can be used in large-field survey
work, high precision photometry as well as in
providing HQP opportunities for undergraduate
and graduate students. Currently there exists a
dearth of such instruments in Canada and in
the prairie provinces specifically. In this poster
we argue for the development of a 1-m, robotic
instrument to be situated in western Canada.
The proposed instrument will address two
central concerns. First, the instrument that we
envision will be multi-purpose and through
appropriate optical design will function as both
a wide field survey instrument and a narrow
field instrument capable of high precision
photometry. A remote, robotic access
telescope will also maximize on-sky efficiency
and data output. Second, this telescope will
serve as a prototype for a similar remote
telescope for the high arctic. Lessons learned
in this project should provide valuable insights
into many of the issues expected for operation
of a remote telescope in the arctic (extreme
cold, problems of data transmission etc). We
solicit comments and expressions of interest
from other researchers who would benefit from
such an instrument. | en |
