[SME-A] Lunch Session: New Robotic Telescope Community Lunch

New Robotic Telescope Community Lunch

Organiser(s):

Helen Jermak, Iain Steele, Chris Copperwheat, Robert Smith, Joao Bento, David Heffernan

Session type:

Specialist Lunch

Description:

The New Robotic Telescope (NRT) is an STFC-part-funded project to build the world's largest (4-metre class) fully autonomous optical telescope on the outstanding observatory site of Roque de los Muchachos on the Canary Island of La Palma. The NRT will join the Liverpool Telescope to create a joint observatory for exploring the rapidly changing universe and build on its legacy as the third most efficient spectroscopy classification observatory for transient science (Kulkarni 2020). 

In addition to the traditional time allocation science programs, the NRT's rapid follow-up of transient sources will be optimised through the SPEC survey key science program which will provide classification spectra to all NRT-users through a community-led identification program.

Following a successful preliminary design review in 2021 and the completion of the first component critical design review (science fold mirror assembly) in 2022, the NRT project team are continuing towards the critical design review in early 2024. A key focus of the team is the software associated with the rapid, optimised observing program, including a purpose-built user interface which will be deployed and tested on the Liverpool Telescope in 2023. 

The NRT team are pleased to present this community session to showcase their progress and engage with future users. The session offers an opportunity for NAM attendees to interact with the project team and provide feedback about some of the core activities being developed in 2023 including the SPEC survey, user interface, science programs, transient follow-up scheduling and engagement activities.

Topic:

Professional

This session is sponsored by:

New Robotic Telescope, Liverpool John Moores University