houses
two telescopes in separate enclosures connected to a common "warm
room". The observatory is located 25 km east of the center of Edmonton,
Alberta (pop. 800 000+). Typical seeing is 3" with a visual magnitude limit
of 5.0 - 5.5.The King's University College Observatory is a modest research site geared
to undergraduate research. It presently houses
two telescopes in separate enclosures connected to a common "warm
room". The observatory is located 25 km east of the center of Edmonton,
Alberta (pop. 800 000+). Typical seeing is 3" with a visual magnitude limit
of 5.0 - 5.5.
At the present time the instruments of TKUCO are a 0.31 m F/4.8 reflector (housed in the main observing shed) and a 0.25 m F/4.5 reflector housed in the small annex behind the main building. Each instrument is computer controlled (thanks to Mel Bartels) and uses CB 245 cameras as the principal detectors. TC 211 autoguiders are available for each. As well, the observatory is equipped with a 1992 vintage LYNXX II and UBVRI Optec photometer. Plans are under way for the construction of a BVRI photometer for the CB245 camera on the 0.31 m. We are also in the early stages of fabricating a 0.45 m reflector to replace the 0.25 m instrument.
The main observing shed is a split-roof design (10' X 10') with an attached
warm room ( 10' X 6'). The smaller shed (visible in the top figure) is a hinged-roof
design and measures 8' X 8'. 
Since typical winter temperatures range from -15C to -30C (and summertime mosquitoes can be worse!) an observing room is a necessity! The TKUCO warm room provides comfortable control of both the 0.31 m and 0.25 m telescopes. Guidance and imaging computers for each telescope and CCD are contained within the warm room as well as room enough for two operators. The observatory is used primarily by B. Martin and R. Iwanika but is also available to students from the King's University College and the University of Alberta.
the
telescope |
the
RA friction/worm drive |
the
DEC friction/worm drive |