Mount_John_University_Observatory | TriviaQuestions.online

⭐ Core Definition: Mount John University Observatory

University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory (UCMJO), previously known as Mt John University Observatory (MJUO), is New Zealand's premier astronomical research observatory. It is situated at 1,029 metres (3,376 ft) ASL atop Mount John at the northern end of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island, and was established in 1965. There are many telescopes on site including: one 0.4 metre, two 0.6 metre, one 1.0 metre, and a 1.8 metre MOA telescope. The nearest population centre is the resort town of Lake Tekapo. Approximately 20% of nights at UCMJO are photometric, with a larger number available for spectroscopic work and direct imaging photometry.

UCMJO is operated by the University of Canterbury, and is the home of HERCULES (High Efficiency and Resolution Canterbury University Large Echelle Spectrograph), and the observational wing of the Japanese/New Zealand MOA collaboration (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) led by Yasushi Muraki of Nagoya University. A Japanese funded, 1.8 metre telescope was used initially by the MOA Project, before handover to the University of Canterbury at the conclusion of the MOA Project in 2012.

↓ Menu

👉 Mount John University Observatory in the context of Light curve

In astronomy, a light curve is a graph of the light intensity of a celestial object or region as a function of time, typically with the magnitude of light received on the y-axis and with time on the x-axis. The light is usually in a particular frequency interval or band.

Light curves can be periodic, as in the case of eclipsing binaries, Cepheid variables, other periodic variables, and transiting extrasolar planets; or aperiodic, like the light curve of a nova, cataclysmic variable star, supernova, microlensing event, or binary as observed during occultation events. The study of a light curve and other observations can yield considerable information about the physical process that produces such a light curve, or constrain the physical theories about it.

↓ Explore More Topics

In this Dossier

⭐ Core Definition: Mount John University Observatory
👉 Mount John University Observatory in the context of Light curve
Mount John University Observatory in the context of Lake Tekapo (town)
Mount John University Observatory in the context of Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics

Mount John University Observatory in the context of Lake Tekapo (town)

Lake Tekapo (often known simply as Tekapo (Māori: Takapō) to avoid confusion with the lake itself) is a small township located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. It had 558 residents according to the 2018 census, being one of five settlements in the sparsely populated Mackenzie Basin.

State Highway 8 runs directly through the township – 227 kilometres (141 mi) from Christchurch and 256 kilometres (159 mi) from Queenstown. Daily shuttle services link Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and Queenstown. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township. Lake Tekapo Airport is located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of the town where local tourism operator Air Safaris is based. Twizel lies 60 km (39 minutes drive) south of Lake Tekapo via Lake Pukaki and Burkes Pass lies 21 km (15 minutes drive) west along State Highway 8.

↑ Return to Menu

Mount John University Observatory in the context of Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics

Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) is a collaborative project between researchers in New Zealand and Japan, led by Professor Yasushi Muraki of Nagoya University. They use microlensing to observe dark matter, extra-solar planets, and stellar atmospheres from the Southern Hemisphere. The group concentrates especially on the detection and observation of gravitational microlensing events of high magnification, of order 100 or more, as these provide the greatest sensitivity to extrasolar planets. They work with other groups in Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Observations are conducted at New Zealand's Mt. John University Observatory using a 1.8 m (70.9 in) reflector telescope built for the project.

In September 2020, astronomers using microlensing techniques reported the detection, for the first time, of an earth-mass rogue planet unbounded by any star, and free floating in the Milky Way galaxy. In January 2022 in collaboration with Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) they reported in a preprint the first rogue BH while there have been others candidates this is the most solid detection so far as their technique allowed to measure not only the amplification of light but also its deflection by the BH from the microlensing data.

↑ Return to Menu

Mount John University Observatory in the context of "Light curve"

⭐ In the context of light curves, Mount John University Observatory utilizes these graphs to study which of the following astronomical events?

⭐ Core Definition: Mount John University Observatory

👉 Mount John University Observatory in the context of Light curve

Mount John University Observatory in the context of Lake Tekapo (town)

Mount John University Observatory in the context of Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics


This trivia question is sourced from Wikipedia/wiki/Mount_John_University_Observatory under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (opens in new tab)