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OPTIMA Campaign 2012 at Skinakas, Crete
(2012-07-18  to  2012-08-19)

Objects:
Simultaneous optical/X-ray observations of Galactic X-ray binaries binaries.
GRB follow-up observations.
Long-term studies of Polars

Instrument:
This campaign at the 1.3 m telescope applied the OPTIMA-Burst hardware version that is used since 2007.  Also the 2011 developed state of the art data processing and data storage software which enables online data analysis during measurements was used.
Observers:
Gottfried Kanbach, Arne Rau, Fritz Schrey, Robert Salamon, Aga Slowikowska

Observed Objects:
AE Aqr, BL Lac, DQ Her, EQ Peg, HU Aqr, NN Ser, OT Lyr, V404 Cyg, (Aql X-1),
1RXS J184542+483134, NSVS14256825, HS2231+2441, WASP-21b, CLR2688,
Swift J1910.2-0546 (MAXI J1910-057), CSS120813:203938-042908, CSS120812:221823+344509,
PSR 0531+21 (Crab Pulsar)

Observed Bursts:

GRB GCN Detection time since first BAT alert (T0)
120811C   13622   no transient found (W)*   2.5 hours
120816A 13654 optical transient found:
    T0 +249 s : ~17.8 mag ("R")*
    T0 +4844 s : > 19.1 mag ("R")*
-> GCN 13657
  249 s (4.2 min)
   4844 s (= 1 h 20.7 min)
*   (W): unfiltered;
     (R): R filter;
     ("R"): unfiltered exposure compared to R filter image of comparison star;


2011-07-26   Skinakas Observatory celebrates 25th anniversary

2011-07-26   Skinakas Observatory celebrates 25th anniversary

July 26, 2011


The Skinakas Observatory has been in existence for 25 years and this was celebrated end of May on top of the Ida mountains. Founded in 1986 by the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas FORTH and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, it is used both for the training of students and basic astronomical research.

   

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OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2011 at Skinakas
(2011-06-15   to   2011-07-15)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece

Observers:

Gottfried Kanbach, Arne Rau, Fritz Schrey, Aga Slowikowska, ....

Objects:

  • High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.
  • Other Objects:
    .......

Instrument:

This campaign will apply the OPTIMA-Burst hardware version that is used since 2007. New this time is the newly developed state of the art data processing and data storage software which enables for the first time online data analysis during measurements.


(June 20, 2011)

 

OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2010 at Skinakas
(2010-05-09 to 2010-07-30)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece
Observers:
Gottfried Kanbach, Fritz Schrey, Ilham Nasiroglu, Aga Slowikowska
Remote support: Alexander Stefanescu
Objects:
  • High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.

    Observed Bursts:

    GRB GCN Detection Time delay after first Swift trigger
    GRB100614A 10837 no ~ 1470 s   (24.5 min)
    GRB100713 10951 no ~ 17000 s   (4.8 h)
    GRB100728B 11009 no ~ 90000 s   (25 h)

  • Other Objects

    V2069 Cyg, V2362 Cyg, CR Boo, GRO J1944+26, SAX J2103, Her X-1, V884 Her, HU Aqr, AE Aqr,
    TrES_3, PKS B1222, 4U1954, Cyg X-2, BD+38 4058, BD+28, BD+38, VB10, CLR 2688, TVLM 513,
    TVLM 315, SGR 1833-0832, EQ Peg B, UFO J2055+25_a, UFO J2055+25_b


(July 30, 2010)

 

OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2009 at Skinakas
(2009-06-01 to 2009-07-31)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece
Observers:
Gottfried Kanbach, Fritz Schrey, Helmut Steinle, Ilham Nasiroglu, Aga Slowikowska, Andrzej Szary, Bartek Gauza, Dainis Dravins, Hannes Jensen, Natalia Lewandowski
Remote support: Alexander Stefanescu
Objects:
  • High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.

    Observed Bursts:

    GRB GCN Detection Time delay after first Swift trigger
    GRB090618 9512 probably yes! ~39000 s (~650 min; 10.85 hours)
    GRB090621B 9545 no ~180 s

  • Other Objects

    TrES 3,
    BD_64_pol, GC 319, Aql X-1, BD+38 4058,
    HU Aqr, GP Com, AM CVn, Her X-1, KL Dra, SDSS J1702+3229,
    VB9, VB10, EV Lac,
    PSR J1744-1134, Mkn 501,
    SAX 2103.5+4545, GRO J2058+42,
    ....


(June 24, 2009)

 

OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2008 at Skinakas
(2008-09-01 to 2008-11-07)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece
Participants:
Alexander Stefanescu, Gottfried Kanbach, Fritz Schrey, Helmut Steinle (all MPE)
Aga Slowikowska, Natalia Primak (University of Crete)
Adria Updike (Clemson University),
Natalia Lewandowski (Hamburger Sternwarte)
Objects:
  • High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.

    Observed Bursts:

    GRB GCN Detection Time delay after first Swift trigger
    081102 8463 no 18 minutes

  • Other objects

    SGR0501, EXO2030+375, HU Aqr, BL Lac, 2S0114+65, PSR0501+21 (Crab Pulsar), SAX2103, V0332+53, LSI+61303, 4U0115+63, EV Lac, WD_2345+304, SwiftJ2319, EQ Peg, UV Cet, ....


(November 10, 2008)

 

Artist's impression of the observed object

Image Credit: A. Stefanescu, MPE

Surprising Flashes from a possible Magnetar
Observations of optical flares reveal limits of established theories on magnetars

By means of the high-speed photometer OPTIMA of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), a team of MPE scientists might have detected an unexpected new sub-category of astronomical objects. It appears to be a magnetar with bursts in the visible part of the spectrum, in contrast to the X-ray and gamma flashes, which are considered to be characteristic for magnetars.

Original paper:
Nature 455, 503-505 (25 September 2008)
"Editor's Summary" of the Nature issue that contains the paper
(September 24, 2008)

 

OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2007 at Skinakas
(2007-05-31 to 2007-08-31)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece
Participants:
Alexander Stefanescu, Gottfried Kanbach, Fritz Schrey, Sven Duscha, Helmut Steinle (all MPE)
Aga Slowikowska, Zach Ioannou (University of Crete)
Objects:
  1. High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.

    Observed Bursts:

    GRB GCN Nachweis Time delay after first Swift trigger
    070610 6492 variable source - most probably a X-ray transient 28 s (57 s after Burst)
    070621 6564 no detection;   > 20.6 (R)* 2233 s (37.2 minutes)
    070808 6723 no detection;   > 22.0 (R)* 3.3 hours
    *   (W): white light;   (R): R filter;   ("R"): white light exposure compared to R;

  2. Other objects (including observations for colleagues from MPE, A. Slowikowska, Z. Ioannou)

    Results of the M31 Nova search:

    - ATel 1131,   2007-07-06
    - ATel 1141,   2007-07-11
    - ATel 1146,   2007-07-19
    - ATel 1156,   2007-07-26
    - ATel 1162,   2007-07-29
    - ATel 1198,   2007-08-30
    - ATel 1201,   2007-09-01

(September 03, 2007)

 

OPTIMA-burst Campaign 2006 at Skinakas
(2006-06-22 to 2006-09-30)

Observatory:

Skinakas, Crete, Greece
Participants:
Alexander Stefanescu, Gottfried Kanbach, Fritz Schrey, Martin Mühlegger, Sven Duscha, Helmut Steinle, Natalia Prymak
Objects:
  1. High time resolution photometry and polarimetry of Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection with the satellite Swift. Burst alert via internet.

  2. Other objects (including observations requested by colleagues from MPE)
    -   Nova Search in M31 ( ATel 884, 2006-09-17;)

Observed Bursts:

GRB GCN Detection Time delay after first BAT alert
060707 5291   20.3 ± 0.5 mag   (W)*   (10 min) 3 hours
060714 5314
5315		   19.9 ± 0.5 mag   (W)*   (10 min) 4.7 hours
060717 5333 > 21 mag (W)*   (3 x 10 min) 9.8 hours
060801 5383 > 22 mag   (R)*   (20 min) 7 hours
060805 5405 > 21.5 mag   (R)*   (30 min) 14 hours
060807 5417 > 20 mag   (W)*   (20 min) 5 hours
060904B 5541   16.90±0.12 ...... 17.90±0.14   ("R")*
  light curve,   comparison stars		 502 s - 1802 s     (8.5 min - 30.0 min)
alert via SMS (Internet outage)
060912 5564   21.6 ± 0.2 mag   (R)* 5.5 hours
060926 5614, 5623   20.3±0.5 ..... 21.1±0.7 mag   (R)* 35.4 min - 101.2 min
(bad weather)
*   (W): white light;   (R): R filter;   ("R"): white light exposure compard to R;

(September 28, 2006)

 


Scientists of the MPI für extraterrestrische Physik and of the MPI für Astrophysik achieved the

best simultaneous observation of a black hole candidate in optical and X-rays

using OPTIMA and RXTE.

MPG press information (in German language)       article in Nature

MPA Highlight

(November 8, 2001)

 

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