The GATTINI-DomeA Project
The percentage and duration of dark time for optical astronomy is a critical value for ascertaining the quality of Dome A as a site for a future optical observatory. The GATTINI instrument consisted of a CCD camera for the measurement of optical sky brightness, detection of bright aurora, cloud cover, and variability of airglow of the winter sky above Dome A. The camera was located on the roof of the original PLATO observatory for several years from 2009 and pointed towards the South Pole, taking images of the night sky every few minutes. Gattini took wide field images (90°) using several filters including a long pass red filter for the detection of airglow.
Gattini installed on the roof of the instrument module (Jan 2009)
Refereed papers from Gattini
- Sims, G., Ashley, M. C. B., Cui, X., Everett, J. R., Feng, L., Gong, X., Hengst, S., Hu, Z., Lawrence, J. S., Luong-Van, D. M., Moore, A. M., Riddle, R., Shang, Z., Storey, J. W. V., Tothill, N., Travouillon, T., Wang, L., Yang, H., Yang, J., Zhou, X., and Zhu, Z., 2012, Airglow and Aurorae at Dome A, Antarctica, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 124, 637–649.
- Yang, H., Allen, G., Ashley, M.C.B., Bonner, C.S., Bradley, S., Cui, X., Everett, J.R., Feng, L., Gong, X., Hengst, S., Hu, J., Jiang, Z., Kulesa, C.A., Lawrence, J.S., Li, Y., Luong-Van, D., McCaughrean, M.J., Moore, A.M., Pennypacker, C., Qin, W., Riddle, R., Shang, Z., Storey, J.W.V., Sun, B., Suntzeff, N., Tothill, N.F.H., Travouillon, T., Walker, C.K., Wang, L., Yan, J., Yang, J., York, D., Yuan, X., Zhang, X., Zhang, Z., Zhou, X., and Zhu, Z., 2009, The PLATO Dome A Site-Testing Observatory: Instrumentation and First Results, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 121, 174–184.
SPIE instrumentation papers from Gattini
- Anna M. Moore, Sara Ahmed, Michael C. B. Ashley, Max K. Barreto, Xiangqun Cui, Alex Delacroix, LongLong Feng, Xuefei Gong, Jon Lawrence, Daniel M. Luong-van, D. Christopher Martin, Reed Riddle, Nicole Rowley, Zhaohui Shang, John W. V. Storey, Nick F. H. Tothill, Tony Travouillon, Lifan Wang, Huigen Yang, Ji Yang, Xu Zhou, and Zhenxi Zhu, 2010, Gattini 2010: Cutting Edge Science at the Bottom of the World, Proc. SPIE, 7733, 77331S–77331S-12.
- A. Moore, G. Allen, E. Aristidi, M. Ashley, T. Bedding, C. Beichman, R. Briguglio, M. Busso, M. Candidi, D. Ciardi, Xiangqun Cui, G. Cutispoto, E. Distefano, P. Espy, J. Everett, Longlong Feng, Jingyao Hu, Zhaoji Jiang, S. Kenyon, C. Kulesa, J. Lawrence, B. Le Roux, T. Leslie, Yuanshen Li, D. Luong-Van, A. Phillips, Weijian Qin, R. Ragazzoni, R. Riddle, L. Sabbatini, P. Salinari, W. Saunders, Zhaohui Shang, D. Stello, J. Storey, Bo Sun, N. Suntzeff, M. Taylor, G. Tosti, N. Tothill, T. Travouillon, G. Van Belle, K. Von Braun, Lifan Wang, Jun Yan, Huigen Yang, Xiangyan Yuan, Zhu Zhenxi, Xu Zhou, Gattini: a multisite campaign for the measurement of sky brightness in Antarctica, Proc. SPIE, 7012, (2008), 701226–701226-10.
- Moore, A., Aristidi, E., Ashley, M., Busso, M., Candidi, M., Everett, J., Kenyon, S., Lawrence, J., Luong-Van, D., Phillips, A., Le Roux, B., Ragazzoni, R., Salinari, P., Storey, J., Taylor, M., Tosti, G., and Travouillon, T., 2006, The Gattini cameras for optical sky brightness measurements in Antarctica, Proc. SPIE, 6267, 62671N-1–62671N-11.
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Conference papers from Gattini
- Moore, A. M., Yang, Y., Fu, J., Ashley, M. C. B., Cui, X., Feng, L. L., Gong, X., Hu, Z., Lawrence, J. S., Luong-Van, D. M., Riddle, R., Shang, Z., Sims, G., Storey, J. W. V., Tothill, N. F. H., Travouillon, T., Wang, L., Yang, H., Yang, J., Zhou, X., Zhu, Z., 2013, Winter sky brightness and cloud cover at Dome A, Antarctica, IAU Symposium, 288, 34–37.
Gattini-Dome A fabrication team
| C. Kulesa |
Steward Observatory |
| A. Moore |
Caltech Optical Observatories (PI) |
| R. Riddle |
TMT (co-PI) |
| W. Saunders |
AAO |
| N. Tothill |
Uni Exeter (co-PI) |
| T. Travouillon |
Caltech (co-PI) |
| Z. Zhenxi |
Purple Mountain Observatory |
| G. Allen |
Solar Mobility Pty.Ltd. |
Gattini-Dome A financial contributions
| National Science Foundation |
SGER Astronomy/OPP |
| Apogee CCDs Inc. |
Sacramento, CA |
| C. Beichman |
JPL/MSC |
| P. Espy |
BAS |
| N. Suntzeff |
Texas A&M |
