Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute
Introduction
 Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute (PARI) is
 A public not-for-profit public
foundation
 dedicated to providing
research and educational
access to radio and optical
astronomy for a broad crosssection of users

PARI has the infrastructure and
building space available for:
 Astronomers, Physicists,
Engineers, Post-Docs, Graduate
Students
 Use as a base for science and
environmental education and
studies.
 Astronomical Observations
 Technology Research &
Development
 Student Research Projects
History and Location


PARI is located on 200 acres
in the Pisgah Forest near
Asheville, NC
The site is relatively free of
light and radio
interference.
* PARI

NASA began building the
facility in 1962 for Gemini
and Apollo space mission
communications.

In a bowl shaped valley
that serves to shield the
antennas within. The
remote location and 3100
feet elevation also
enhances the sky
darkness for optical
astronomy.

It is now the home of
PARI.
Observatory Details





Two 26m (85 ft.) antennas
12.2m (85 ft.) in a radome
4.6m (15 ft.) “Smiley”
Jupiter/Solar 17-30MHz Antennas
Five optical telescopes
Front of Building One – the Control
Center of PARI
Front of Building One
MultiMedia
Room





Seating for 50
Ethernet throughout
IBM & Sun workstations
Physics class demo materials
LCD projector for DVD,VHS,
S-VHS, tape, viewgraph,
computer, wireless mikes
and 6.1 surround sound
Control Room

Main control center
for all antennas and
optical instruments
26m Radio Telescopes
26 Meter Radio Telescopes
The PARI campus has
two 26-m (85 ft.) radio
telescopes that have
recently been modified
for precise pointing and
sidereal tracking. Each
telescope has a suite of
feeds and receivers.
26 East
These telescopes can be
controlled together as an
interferometer or
operated separately from
the master control
center.
26 West

327 MHz pulsar feed

1420 MHz hydrogen

4.8GHz formaldehyde

6.7GHz methanol

Dual 15hp motors per
axis for sidereal
tracking and improved
efficiency.
Engineers taking a
bucket truck to one of
the 26m Telescope’s
Feedbox
26 m Radio Telescope Feed
12.2 m Radio Telescope

Radome is a pseudo random
pattern to reduce the dome’s
structure effects of the
antenna pattern

Precision 0.4mm antenna
surface supports operations
to 60 GHz.

This radio telescope may
become the Microwave
Astrophysics for Science
Education Research (MASER)
Observatory designed to
survey the Galactic Plane for
water masers occurring in
regions of star formation.
Smiley 4.6m
Radio Telescope
TheThe4.6-m
Radio
Telescope
“Smiley”
Smiley
20 MHz Receiver
To study the powerful radio
emission variations as a function of
frequency, R. Flagg, and Jim Sky
(Radio Sky Publishing) have
designed hardware to work with a
pair of M-Squared 17-30LP7 log
periodic yagis to be used between
17 and 30 MHz.
Solar energy bursts are being
measured during the day using this
antenna facility.
20 MHz Receiver
PARI ALSO HAS SEVERAL
ATMOSPHERIC AND
ENVIRONMENT
MONITORING DEVICES
Earthquake Monitor
Cosmic Ray Monitor
Seismometer
Cosmic Ray Monitor
Seismometer and Cosmic Ray Monitor
Lightning Detector
Weather
Lightning
Detector
Weather Station
Lightning detector and weather station
Optical Astronomy

A 44 inch mirror will serve as an
addition for our optical research
facilities. Funding is being
actively sought to complete
construction of this telescope.

Several 20cm to 50cm
optical telescopes are
involved in variable star
and gamma ray burst
optical counterpart
research.
PARI Optical Ridge
• Location: Optical observatories
are 500 m from the PARI Main
Campus and runs East-West
with sharp N-S drop-offs
• Altitude 910 m, Latitude 35O
11.8’ N, Longitude 82O 52.3’ W
• Horizon: Lowest point is 0.25O
and highest point is 5O
• Skies: Average of two nights
per week for spectroscopy,
differential photometry,
astrometry
• Ideal for long-term and survey
work
Optical Telescope Ridge
OVIEW: Two
12.5 to
cmdirect
telescopes
These telescopes
are used
live images of
the Sun and Moon to the Internet
Solar and Lunar Telescopes
These are roll-off roof observatories. The one on the left
(North) is used for gamma ray burst observations and the
other (South) is used for variable star observations.
Roll-off Roof Observatories
Telescope inside the
South Observatory
0.30m Optical Telescope
Present Activities

Astronomers come to PARI to use radio telescopes for their research

Graduate students conduct their doctoral research at PARI

Undergraduates work with PARI staff scientists on research projects

High school students complete senior research projects at PARI

High school science teachers attend education workshops at PARI

K-12 students enjoy using the 4.6 m (15 ft.) radio astronomy antenna

K-12, supported by PARI staff, use the STARLAB Planetarium resources

PARI facilitates astronomy workshops and regional society meetings
PARI
Research
and
II. Overview
of Programs
Education
Programs
and Initiatives
Education
Research
STARLAB
Planetarium
Program
Teacher
Workshops
SGRA, PFI,
WCU, Keenan
UNC-Chapel
Hill Survey
of Galactic
Plane
UNCA Undergrad
Research
Polaris Telescope
School of
Galactic Radio
Astronomy
Progress Energy
NASA IDEAS
Grant:
Morehead
Planetarium
PARSEC
UNC Center
at PARI
Furman Univ.
Pulsar Timing
Program
Duke
Talent
Identification
Program
Professional
Astronomer
Workshops
UNC-Chapel
Hill Gamma
Ray Afterglow
Observatory
UNCA Undergrad
Research
Be Star
Spectroscopy
Janirve Grant
ScienceZone
UNCA Undergrad
NSF IPSE Grant
5 UNCA Students
The Radio Sky
Program
Visiting
Astronomers
Hubble Space
Telescope:
Study of Young
Stellar Objects
SPACE
Observatory
HST Education/
Public Outreach
UNCA Undergrad
Earth
Science
South Carolina
State University
PAIR
Program
StarLab


23ft diameter x 13 feet
high inflated portable
planetarium
Have given shows to
more than 25,000
children in Western NC
STARLAB Planetarium
Inside the STARLAB Planetarium
Dr. Hayward sets
up STARLAB
Checking out the
projector
Guests enter the
STARLAB
The show begins
Smiley 4.6m

School of Galactic Radio
Astronomy (SGRA) Internet
Classroom

Remotely controllable via
the Internet

Teacher workshops to use
lab workbooks for
classroom student training

Radio astronomy
electronics and software
projects

1.4 , 4.8, 12 GHz
frequencies now in use
PARI hosts professional
astronomer workshops and
symposia
More than 200 Volunteers work side-byside with PARI Engineers and Scientists
PARI has entered into a partnership with the University of North
Carolina 16 campus system to form the Pisgah Astronomical
Science Research, and Education Center (PARSEC).
The goals of PARSEC are to:
  Strengthen the existing bond with the UNC system;
  Foster new opportunities for research and education within
the system;
  Ensure the future availability of PARI’s resources regionally,
nationally, and for the University of North Carolina system.
PARSEC: A UNC Center at PARI
View of Main Campus from the
Optical Telescope Ridge
w w w . p a r i . e d u