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Vote On What the Very Large Telescope Observes
arisvega writes "The Slashdot crowd may be aware of VLT, the Very Large Telescope array (a collaboration between several European countries). It's located at the Atacama desert in Chile, operating at the visible and infrared wavelengths and producing some very detailed images and exciting new science. It has been significantly boosting astronomy and astrophysics research for the past couple of years without the hassle and the expenses of orbital observatories. Now, and for the first time in its history, there is a public invitation calling you to vote on which of the 16 proposed locations you would like the array to be pointed at, without the need for a scientific proposal. Astronomers are standing by to do your bidding!"
That way I dont look creepy looking through mine any more :-)
Insert obligatory Uranus joke here...
...hehe...suckers!
The target will not be observed with the array of four telescopes, rather just one of the telescopes will do the observation. Taking data simultaneously with all four telescopes is a tricky procedure and yields data, while extremely useful scienfically, it's very different from the pretty pictures that this contest is after.
The facility is in the southern hemisphere so the Magellanic Clouds are observable.
Compile monthly or weekly observations of Eta Carinae that can be edited into a video or slideshow.
Part staring contest, part engineering contest.
What is the most interesting? Closest?
Gum 19 — star-forming region with variable star V391 Velorum
Have gnu, will travel.