PBS Broadcast, 'Seeing in the Dark' Sparks an Offer that Can't be Refused From GRAS to Those with a Burning Desire to do it for Themselves!

A recent PBS broadcast aired in the US highlighted advances in remote astronomy technology. The RAS Observatory of New Mexico (RASO) has been engaged in this activity for several years and can provide immediate access to sophisticated advance research systems at unbelievably friendly reasonable costs.

We are engaged in developing individual and collaborative research efforts, in both, the northern and southern hemisphere. Many of our US and internationally based observers are pursuing asteroid research, the study of exoplanets, cataclysmic variables, and binary stars as part of the current activities.

Fountain Valley, Ca. (Issues Wire / PRWEB) October 22, 2007 -- Dr. Ed Wiley, the director of the RAS (Remote Astronomical Society) Observatory (Remote Astronomical Society of New Mexico, announced today that a new membership program is now available to amateur astronomers, professional astronomers and the general public. This exciting program provides global access to both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Horsehead

Now for the first time in the history of mankind, anyone with an internet connection can connect to the GRAS Telescope Network http://www.Global-Rent-a-Scope.com and control a remote ground-based, space telescope-like remote observatory.

Arnie Rosner, the creator of GRAS quipped, "Not even most of the professional astronomers get to do that!" With a big grin he added, "This experience will absolutely astound you!"

Arnie went on to say, "Hey! But don't take my word for it! Check out the recent personal experience of one of our newest subscribers, John Tissavary who made his own video description: http://www.arnierosner.com/rent-a-scope/Overview/overview.html and John even has his own observatory."

The 15th GRAS system is just being commissioned in Moorook, Australia within the next 2 weeks. We will make a suitable announcement at that time. Watch for it!

Part of the uniqueness of the network is the variety of field of views and focal lengths. It is like having a camera with a whole bunch of very specialized lenses. Each system is equipped with sensitive chilled detectors some of these systems have been used to discover asteroids that were fainter than 20th magnitude.

Every clear night (normally about 250 nights a year) hundreds of CCD (Charged Coupled Devices) images are captured under the direction and control of both individual and groups of observers operating the RAS Observatory (RASO) telescopes from computers located all over the globe. At the end of each exposure, the images are downloaded from the cameras (also referred to as detectors), compressed and transferred to strategically located, high-speed servers. The researchers then connect to the high-speed servers via the internet and retrieve their science data.

Dr. Wiley quipped, "It is really quite amazing...in some cases the researchers will have captured and retrieved their personal data, begin analyzing, documenting and reporting their latest findings to various scientific data repositories within hours. The faint stream of photons they captured may have been traveling through space for over thousands of light years."

Wiley, went on to comment, "Professional astronomers have many resources available to them provided by universities and other research facilities funded in part by grants. Now amateur astronomers will also be able to participate in a similar fashion and at reasonably inexpensive rates."

The RAS Observatory has negotiated a special arrangement with Global-Rent-a-scope, (www.global-rent-a-scope.com), the premiere international service provider of internet access to the GRAS remote telescope network. The GRAS network provides observing resources to members of the RAS Observatory (www.ras-observatory.org) at special research rates.

Asked about future plans, Dr. Wiley responded, "We are engaged in developing individual and collaborative research efforts, in both, the northern and southern hemisphere. Many of our US and internationally based observers are pursuing asteroid research, the study of exoplanets, cataclysmic variables, and binary stars as part of the current activities."

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