OPTIMA

OPTIMA mounted at the Skinakas telescope

Meanwhile it is used to observe also other rapid variable objects from observatories world wide.

A detailed description is available in Kanbach und Straubmeier (2002) and more recently in Kanbach et al. (2008).

New developments include the possibility to measure with high time resolution also the polarisation of objects (OPTIMA photo-polarimeter (Kellner (2002), Kanbach et al. (2003)) and spectral colors in several bands simultaneously.

A special version - OPTIMA-burst - was used in 2006 and 2007 during 3-month campaigns at the Skinakas observatory (Crete, Greece) to observe Gamma Ray Bursts immediately after detection by the Swift satellite.
Again in 2008, 2009, and 2010 this instrument was installed at Skinakas observatory for campaigns of 2 months duration. Again, in June/July 2011 an Observing campaign will take place there (see "news").

H. Steinle

G. Kanbach

Arne Rau