This page contains useful astronomical information for observers at the Allan I. Carswell Observatory.
Observatory Properties:
Longitude = -79° 30' 7.83" W = -79.5006061 W = 280.499394 E
Latitude =43° 46' 13.81" N
Altitude = 209m
Instrument FOVs:
1m focal length 6000mm
1m STXL: 15.9x10.6 arcminutes, 0.62 arsec/pixel (2x2)
1m Spectrograph: TBA
60cm focal length 9854mm
60cm STXL: 9.669x6.45 arcminutes
60cm Quail: TBA
Telescope Times
Greenwich Local Sidereal Time 03:48:18
York University Local Sidereal Time 22:30:17
LOCAL
Visibility chart usage:
Copy the coordinate set below and paste into the object visibility calculator.
Coordinate set for Object Visibility [LON(E) LAT (N) Alt (m) UT offset (h)]:
280.499394 43.770503 209 -5
*note UT offset may need to change with daylight savings, check the clock above.
Visibility Calculator:
Search the Observatory Logs:
A tool created by AICO member Denelle O'Neil using Python and HTML in 2025 to search our observatory logs and RETURN what days your object was observed (if any). To see more on Denelle's amazing code you can check out her gitub page here.Helpful Links
THE SKY TONIGHT (CLEAR DARK SKY)
Weather:
Satellite Track TLE:
Asteroid Tracking/ephemeris:
Target Tools:
- The Sky Live: ephemerides, coords, finder charts and more
- Horizons System JPL: get RA DEC for tons of objects
- Exoplanet Targets Var2Astro
- Coordinates: Platesolve
- Jupiter Moon Tool
- Jupiter Red Spot Transit Calculator
- Saturn Moons Now Tool
- Mars Surface Now Tool
- Triton Moon Tracker Tool
- Moons of Uranus Finder
- Moon Phases Tool
- Algol Minima: calculate the date/times when the eclipsing variable star Algol should be at its dimmest
Dr. Hyde's favorite handheld starchart
Make a finder chart for your object:
Select object name, use 2MASS catalog and adjust FOV to match instrument:
Precessed Coordinates Calculator:
Find the coordinates TODAY from your J2000 coordinates:
Data Reduction:
Designated Dark-Sky Sites in Canada
Learn more about the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's designated Dark-Sky Sites
