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)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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.
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.
Researchers have observed the X-ray emission of the most luminous quasar seen in the last 9 billion years of cosmic history. Significant changes in the quasar’s emission give a new perspective on the inner workings of quasars and how they interact with their environment. The study was led by Dr Elias Kammoun, a postdoctoral researcher at the…
When stars like our Sun use up all their fuel, they shrink to form white dwarfs. Sometimes such dead stars flare back to life in a super-hot explosion, called a “nova”, and produce a fireball of X-ray radiation. Using the eROSITA telescope on the SRG space observatory, a research team led by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)…
Using the SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey data, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have found two previously quiescent galaxies that now show quasi-periodic eruptions. The nuclei of these galaxies light up in X-rays every few hours, reaching peak luminosities comparable to that of an entire galaxy. The origin of this…
Gigantic hot-gas structures above and below the galactic disc are probably due to shock waves generated by past energetic activity in the center of our Galaxy.
A study led by Alejandra Yrupe Fresco (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics) during her stay at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has revealed the dim core and the jet structure in the nuclear region of M87, the brightest galaxy in the Virgo cluster. The observations were acquired in early April 2017, almost simultaneously…
Additional images from the first all-sky survey by the eROSITA X-ray telescope. You are free to use the images for your eROSITA reporting, please give the appropriate credit with each image.
Launched from Baikonur on July 13th 2019 to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2), the Russian-German SRG mission has now started its main task. On December 8th, after an extensive program of commissioning, calibration and performance verification of its two X-ray telescopes (ART-XC and eROSITA), the satellite has begun observing the sky in…
First Light images by the eROSITA X-ray telescope. You are free to use the images for your eROSITA reporting, please give the appropriate copyright with each image.
The scientific performance demonstrated in the first weeks of operations of the eROSITA X-ray telescope promises a breakthrough in our understanding of the energetic Universe.
