ESO每周一图集——2009.9——12

02 November 2009: Creating a Star
2009.11.2：生成一颗“假象星”

                               
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A laser beam shoots out of Yepun, the fourth Unit Telescope of Europe’s flagship observatory, ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). This beam is used to create an artificial star above Paranal to assist the adaptive optics instruments on the VLT. Adaptive optics is a technique that allows astronomers to overcome the blurring effect of the atmosphere and obtain images almost as sharp as would be possible if the whole telescope were placed in space, above Earth's atmosphere.
在ESO的旗舰级天文台——甚大望远镜（VLT）的第4座主镜Yepun，一束激光射向天空。它在帕拉纳尔山上人造了一颗恒星，帮助VLT的自适应光学系统工作。自适应光学技术（AO）使天文学家能够克服大气扰动产生的模糊效应，获得尽可能清晰的图像，貌似望远镜是位于地球大气上的太空中一样。  
Adaptive optics, however, requires a nearby reference star that has to be relatively bright, there by limiting the area of the sky that can be surveyed. To overcome this difficulty, astronomers at Paranal use a powerful laser that creates an artificial star where and when they needit (see ESO 07/06 and 27/07).
自适应光学系统需要一颗相对较亮的参考恒星，因此会大大限制巡天区域。为克服这个困难，帕拉纳尔山上的天文学家使用强力激光在他们需要的区域和时间创造一颗虚拟恒星来替代。参考这2个链接：
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2006/phot-07-06.html
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2007/pr-27-07.html  
Launching such a powerful laser from a telescope is a state-of-the-art technology, whose set-up and operation is a continuous challenge. As seen from the image, this is, however, a technology now well mastered on Paranal. The image was taken from inside the dome of the telescope and reveals nicely how the laser is located on top of the 1.2-metre secondary mirror of the telescope.
发射如此的强力激光需要最新科技，设置和操作都是持续的挑战。不过如图所示，这项技术已经被帕拉纳尔山完全掌握。本图摄于天文台的圆顶内部，很好的显示了激光是如何定位在1.2米辅助望远镜的上空的。（VLT的主镜不是圆顶的啊——gohomeman1注）
This image is available in high resolution in the image archive.
本图的高清链接在下一楼可见。

上图的高清下载。
http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/212091-5/yblaser-potw.tif  2000x3000，7.9MB，Credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/yblaser-potw.jpg，同上，1.6MB。

这是另一张AO在工作时的照片。

                               
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09 November 2009: Rare 360-degree Panorama of the Southern Sky
2009.11.9：南天夜空360度全景图

                               
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The Milky Way arches across this rare 360-degree panorama of the night sky above the Paranal platform, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The image was made from 37 individual frames with a total exposure time of about 30 minutes, taken in the early morning hours.The Moon is just rising and the zodiacal light shines above it, while the Milky Way stretches across the sky opposite the observatory.
帕拉纳尔平台，ESO的甚大望远镜（VLT）之家，360度全景夜空中，银河圆拱状横过天顶。这个图像由37幅摄于凌晨的单独帧合成，累计曝光时间约30分钟。月亮刚刚升起，其上方的辉光是黄道光，银河在天文台对面的天空伸展着身姿。（这颗明亮的是不是木星？——gohomeman1注）
The open telescope domes of the world’s most advanced ground-based astronomical observatory are all visible in the image: the four smaller 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescopes that can be used together in the interferometric mode, and the four giant 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes. To the right in the image and below the arc of the Milky Way, two of our galactic neighbours, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, can be seen.
打开圆顶的全球最先进地面望远镜都在图中可见：4个1.8米辅助望远镜，能够一起进行干涉模式观测；以及4个8.2主望远镜。在图像右方银河下靠近地平线的天空，能看到两个我们的邻居——大小麦哲伦星系。
This image is available in high resolution (more than 15,000  pixels across) in the image archive. A QuickTime VR is also available, allowing the viewer to explore the view from Paranalas if actually there — a full 360 degrees around and 180 degrees vertically.
本图的高清晰图像见下一楼，像素达15000以上。视频可以看下面这个链接（内嵌的flash，我一时还找不出源文件来），提供虚拟的身临其境的体验——360°水平全景和180°垂直视野：
http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/Videos/Paranal/VLT-milkyway-qtvr.mov.html#

上图的最高清晰版本：
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/vlt-mw-potw-fullres.tif   我未下载过，大小未知，上楼提到，15000像素以上，估计＞100MB

高清大图
http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/200706-5/vlt-mw-potw-hires.tif   8000x2431，31.0MB，Credit: ESO/H.H. Heyer
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/vlt-mw-potw.jpg，同上，7.3MB。

下面是一个高清的jpg，2.5MB

                               
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瑰丽的宇宙姿态万千、无奇不有！

16 November 2009: Weather balloons on Paranal in support of the E-ELT
2009.11.16：帕拉纳尔山，释放一个气象气球用于E-ELT项目

                               
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A probe was launched last Friday (13 November 2009) from ESO’s Paranal observatory in northern Chile — home of the Very LargeTelescope (VLT) — aboard a weather balloon. Such probes, called radiosondes, measure various atmospheric parameters and transmit them to a receiver on the ground. Researchers from ESO, the University of Lethbridge (Canada) and Universidad de Valparaiso (Chile) are currently in the middle of a 12-day programme, during which they plan to launch 29 radiosondes. Each night, parallel observations with the VLT instruments UVES, CRIRES and VISIR are carefully orchestrated to coincide with two additional radiosonde launches, while an infrared radiometer provides continuous coverage. This powerful combination of instruments and methods will provide a better understanding of the distribution and amount of water vapour in the atmosphere above Paranal, which is highly relevant for astronomical observations. The knowledge gained from these data can be used to optimise science operations at the VLT and, in the future, at the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT).
在上周五2009.11.13，在智利北部ESO的的帕拉纳尔天文台——甚大望远镜（VLT）之家，一个气象探针挂在气球下升空。这种探针称为无线电探空仪，测量各种大气参数并把其传输到地面接收机。来自ESO、加拿 Lethbridge大学和智利Valparaiso大学的的研究者，正在进行一项为期12天的项目，他们计划升空29个无线电探空仪。每个晚上，VLT的数个仪器UVES、CRIRES和VISIR等精心调节到与两个无线探空仪协同平行观测，另外一个红外辐射仪则进行持续测量。这些设备的强大组合方法了解能够更好的帕拉纳尔山上方的水汽含量和分布，这对天文观测很重要。得自这些数据的知识将用于优化VLT的科学观测，并用于未来的欧洲极大望远镜（E-ELT）。
The team members are: Arlette Chacón, Lissette Cortes, and Lizett Illanes (Universidad de Valparaiso), Richard Querel and Greg Tompkins(University of Lethbridge), and Gerardo Avila, Gordon Gillet, CarlosGuirao, Reinhard Hanuschik, Florian Kerber, Gaspare LoCurto, MarkSarazin, and Alain Smette (ESO).
观测团队成员：瓦尔帕莱索大学的Arlette Chacón, Lissette Cortes 和 Lizett Illanes；莱斯布里奇大学的Richard Querel、Greg Tompkins；ESO的Gerardo Avila, Gordon Gillet, CarlosGuirao, Reinhard Hanuschik, Florian Kerber, Gaspare LoCurto, MarkSarazin 和Alain Smette 等。

This image is  available in high resolution in the image archive.
本图的高清晰版本见下楼。
An image of  part of the team is also available in the image archive.
观测团队的图片见更下一楼。

上图的高清大图
http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/215687-3/IMG_4773-potw.tif，1728x2624，7.1MB， Credit: ESO/G. Gillet

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/img_4773-potw.jpg，同上，1.1MB

探空测量组团队成员照片http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/ESOPIA/EELT/IMG_4736-potw.tif.html

话说现在当地应该是春末，但团队所在地海拔2600米，所以还很冷。
http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/215680-4/IMG_4736-potw.tif，3474x2336，11.8MB，Credit: ESO/G. Gillet
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/img.jpg，同上，2.1MB

                               
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::0022::perfect~~

23 November 2009: The Moon in Conjunction with Venus and Jupiter
2009.11.23：帕拉纳尔山顶，月球穿行在金星、木星间

                               
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This dramatic triptych shows the Moon rise from left to right through the night sky over ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) observatory at Paranal in northern Chile. Already aloft in the heavens and glowing in the centre of the image is Venus, Earth’s closest planetary neighbour. Shining to Venus’s right, the giant, though more distant planet, Jupiter appears as a small orb that seems to rotate around Venus as time passes. Such apparent celestial near misses — although the heavenly bodies are actually tens to hundreds of millions of kilometres apart — are called conjunctions.
引人注目的三幅一组的照片，显示了月亮从智利北部的帕拉纳尔山左方升起并向右运行的美丽夜景，图中的地景是位于山顶的ESO的甚大望远镜（VLT）天文台。图中，高悬头顶的亮星是离地球最近行星——金星；位于金星的右方的小亮点是遥远的巨行星——木星，随着时间流逝，它貌似在围绕金星旋转。这种看上去天体靠近得要相撞了的天象称为“合”——虽然它们的实际距离差了亿万公里以上。
Still other sights delight in the sky over Paranal. The radiant, reddish plane of the Milky Way smoulders on the horizon, with massive bands of dust giving this bright region a mottled complexion. On the ground, an 8.2-metre VLT Unit Telescope on the right and a 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescope to the left silently witness the splendour above, while probing the sky to address some of astronomy’s remaining mysteries.
图中帕拉纳尔山上，还有其他美丽的风景。在地平线上燃烧的红色云带是银河系，巨量的尘埃带使明亮的银河五色斑斓。在地面上，8.2米的VLT主镜（UT）和1.8米的辅助望远镜（AT）静静地伫立左右，等待探测星空以解天文学家的未知谜团。
This image is available in high resolution in the image archive.
本图的高清晰版本见下楼。

http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/217592-5/moonvenuscon-potw.jpg  8124x2000，7.7MB，Credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/moonvenuscon-potw.tif，同上，22MB
3.6MB的jpg大图：

                               
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Photo Properties：图像属性
Colour Space：  sRGB
色彩空间： 标准RGB格式（更详细内容请自学下面提到的CS4 help）
Software：  Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
编辑软件： Windows版本的Photoshop CS4
Date/Time： Mon 23 Nov 2009 11:21:40 CET
拍摄时间：欧洲中部时间（CET）2009.11.23周一中午 11:21:40

虽然欧洲是中午，但智利时间更晚，所以那里是凌晨。不过这里的时间也可能是编辑时间。

话说银河在地平线上，我是第一次看见，这个景象实在壮观哦！

30 November 2009: GalileoMobile Completes Exciting Journey
2009.11.30：伽利略移动望远镜完成令人兴奋的旅行

                               
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After almost two months of life-changing experiences, bringing the excitement of astronomy to young children in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, the journey of the GalileoMobile Project has come to an end.
经历了近2个月的人生体验、把令人激动的天象带给智利、玻利维亚和秘鲁的小孩，伽利略移动望远镜项目即将完成。
As illustrated in this image, the astronomers and educators in the Galilomobile team visited numerous schools and villages during their expedition, engaging young students in educational activities about astronomy and science, and offering amazing stargazing opportunities to the local communities, in a region with one of the clearest skies on Earth.
就像图中表示的那样，这次远征中，伽利略移动望远镜团队的天文学家和教育家走访了无数的学校和村庄，把天文科普带给这些迷人的年轻学生，在地球上最纯净的天空之一，把对宇宙的神奇幻想带给当地社区。
Last week the team visited ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), then continued to Taltal, the closest town to the VLT’s home, Cerro Paranal. Around sunset on 26 November, the GalileoMobile team showed the community of Taltal the highlights of the whole voyage, a voyage that covered around 5000 kilometres through the Andes. The GalileoMobile was received with great enthusiasm by the people of Taltal. Hundreds of students took part to a ceremony that took place in the main square in Taltal, led by Guillermo Hidalgo, the town’s Mayor. The event ended up with a massive star party, which marked the perfect closing of this Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
上周团队参观了ESO的甚大望远镜（VLT），然后访问了离VLT所在的帕拉纳尔山最近的村镇——Taltal。11.26黄昏，团队在Taltal社区展示了旅程集锦，整个旅程在安第斯山脉绵延达5000km。伽利略移动望远镜受到了当地居民的热烈欢迎。数以百计的学生参加了由镇长Guillermo Hidalgo主持的、在镇中心广场举行的庆祝节目，并以一个大型的观星盛宴完美结束了这个2009年国际天文年特别活动项目。
The GalileoMobile is supported by the European Southern Observatory, whose host country is Chile, the Max Planck Society (MPG/MPE/MPA/MPS), NORDITA, Regione Molise and the Optical Society of America.
伽利略移动望远镜项目由欧洲南方天文台（ESO）提供支持，举办单位包括：智利，马克斯.普朗克研究院（MPG/MPE/MPA/MPS），北欧理论原子物理研究所(NORDITA)，（意大利）Molise大区和美国光学学会（OSA）等。
More information on the GalileoMobile project can be found in the ESO Press Release 37/09
伽利略移动望远镜项目的更多信息链接： http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-37-09.html

                               
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This image is available in high resolution in the image archive.
本图的高清晰版本见下一楼。

http://www.eso.org/gallery/d/218535-4/galileomobile-potw.tif，3531x2556，18.9MB，Credit: GalileoMobile/ESO
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/galileomobile-potw.jpg，同上，3.8MB。
这些小孩穿得倒还好，但可以看到，那里其实很穷，连鞋子都买不起。

伽利略移动项目的大图下载：
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso0937a.tif，4000 x 2250，9.1MB，
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/eso0937a.jpg，同上，2.0MB

07 December 2009: Transporting an Auxiliary Telescope
2009.12.7：运输辅助望远镜

                               
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ESO astronomer Yuri Beletsky captured images of the transport of one of the 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) that compose, together with their larger 8.2-metre companions, ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) array. The AT was moved with the utmost care from the base camp, where it had been undergoing maintenance, including the recoating of its mirrors, back to the VLT platform on top of Cerro Paranal.
ESO的天文学家尤里.Beletsky拍下了辅助望远镜（AT）搬移的照片，1.8米的AT是为ESO的8.2米甚大望远镜（VLT）阵列配套的。AT在基地做了维护，包括重新喷主镜涂层等，然后极为小心的运回帕拉纳尔山顶。
The ATs form part of the VLT Interferometer (VLTI), allowing this unique facility to operate every night. The ATs are mounted on tracks and can be moved between precisely defined observing positions, collecting light that is then combined in the VLTI. The ATs are very unusual telescopes, as they are self-contained in individual ultra-compact protective domes, and travel with their own electronics, ventilation, hydraulics and cooling systems. Each AT has a transporter that lifts the telescope and moves it from one position to the next. Although for the transfer down to base camp, ESO engineers and technicians rely on a more traditional means of transport, the truck.
AT是VLT干涉仪（VLTI）的组成部分，这个独特的干涉仪每晚都在使用。AT都安装在轨道上，可以精确移动到最佳观测位置，以收集星光组成干涉。AT是非常独特的望远镜，各自独立安装在极为紧凑的保护圆罩内，并具有完备的供电、空调、供水和制冷系统。AT都有一个运输机构，以便抬升望远镜，从一个观测点移到另一个点。不过要搬到基地去维护，ESO的工程师和技师还是使用了更传统的运输工具——卡车。
This image in high-resolution is available in the image archive.
本图的高清晰版本见下楼。
Credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky
版权：ESO和摄影者。

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/yb-at-potw.tif，3617 x 2597，8.8MB

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/yb-at-potw.jpg，同上，1.6MB

搬运的其他照片，ESO的上个链接中提到的。

http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso-vlt-at-yb-1977/

                               
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http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso-vlt-at-yb-1977.tif，3888 x 2592，11.2MB

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/eso-vlt-at-yb-1977.jpg，同上，2.2MB

http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso-vlt-at-yb-1992.tif，3888 x 2592，10.4MB
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/eso-vlt-at-yb-1992.jpg，同上，2.2MB

背景是VLT的主镜（UT），地面上有AT移动的轨道。

                               
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http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso-vlt-at-yb-2007.tif，3888 x 2592，10.4MB
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/eso-vlt-at-yb-2007.jpg，同上，1.9MB

AT正在搬下。

                               
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http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso-vlt-at-yb-2062.tif，3835 x 2557，12.1MB
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/large/eso-vlt-at-yb-2062.jpg，同上，2.5MB

1#和3#AT。

                               
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