PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

'Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute' ('PARI') (pronounced Perry) is an astronomical observatory located in the United States in Balsam Grove, North Carolina. It is operated as a not-for-profit public foundation. PARI is in the Pisgah National Forest of Western North Carolina at an elevation of 914 m (3,000 ft). The observatory is affiliated with the University of North Carolina system through the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Science Educational Center ('PARSEC') and also hosts research and study programs with Furman University, Clemson University, Virginia Tech, South Carolina State University and Duke University. PARI operates multiple radio telescopes and optical telescopes for research and teaching purposes. The foundation also sponsors astronomy educational programs using the portable StarLab planetarium. This program has been presented to over 40,000 people of all ages in Western North Carolina.
PARI is home to the North American Astronomical Photographic Plate Preservation & Digitization Center('Plate Center') a site to help preserve astronomical photographic plates. These plates were the primary recording medium for astronomy data from the late 1800s until the 1980s. It is estimated that over two million of these invaluable plates exist in astronomy facilities around the world and are in jeopardy of being destroyed because of a lack of storage facilities.

Contents

General information

See also

External links

General References

General information

'Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute'
'Organization'	Not-for-Profit Public Foundation
'Location'	Rosman, North Carolina, United States
'Coordinates'	Lat. 35.1996°N, Long. 82.8724°W
Google Map
'Altitude'	914 m (2985 to 3070 ft)
'Web page'	http://www.pari.edu/
' ★ ★ Optical Telescopes ★ ★ '
Solar Telescope	Coronado Solarmax 40
Polaris Telescope	10 cm refractor
Space Telescope	10 inch Cassegrain
Furman / PARI Telescope	0.35 meter Cassegrain
PARSEC Telescope	16 inch Cassegrain
' ★ ★ Radio Telescopes ★ ★ '
26 meter East	327 MHz MHz for Pulsar research
26 meter West	1.4 and 4.8 GHz
12 meter	Precision Surface 20 GHz
4.6 meter	Smiley 21 cm (1.42 GHz)
Sun / Jupiter Array	Automated tracking at 17 to 30 MHz
VLF Loop antenna	8 to 300 kHz
Eight Meter Transient Array	Joint Virginia Tech / PARI project

PARI is located at the site of the former Rosman Satellite Tracking Station founded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ('NASA') in 1962. The site was part of a worldwide satellite tracking network and an integral communications link for Project Gemini, and Project Apollo - the manned space programs. The facility was transferred from NASA to the Department of Defense('DOD') in 1981 and was used as an intelligence gathering facility for the United States. The site was officially closed by the DOD in 1995 and turned over to the United States Forest Service. After several years of inactivity, the government proposed to dismantle the facility. Recognizing the potential future use of this site a small group of interested scientist and businessmen formed a not-for-profit public foundation and was able to acquire the site in January 1999. Capital investment continues allowing updates of the equipment for astronomical purposed and maintaining a staff of professional astronomers, engineers, and other scientist. Friends of PARIhelps support the educational and research goals of PARI.
The principal radio research instruments at PARI are two 26 meter radio telescopes and a 4.6 meter radio telescope named Smiley. These have been adapted for precision tracking of celestial radio sources using multiple frequencies. Smiley is used for remote classroom teaching of astronomy by students in the US and worldwide. Smiley was given its pleasant face around 1982 as a greeting to over flying foreign surveillance satellites.
The PARI site has hosted several professional astronomy meetings including 'The Small Radio Telescope Conference' in August 2001, and the 'Gamma-Ray Bursts Today and Tomorrow Conference' in August 2002.

See also

★ List of observatories

★ List of radio telescopes

External links

★ Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI)

★ Pisgah Astronomical Research and Science Education Center (PARSEC)

★ University of North Carolina Astronomy and Astrophysics

★ Furman / PARI Telescope Project

★ Virginia Tech Eight Meter Transient Array

★ Duke University Talent Identification Program

★ Clemson University Department of Physics & Astronomy

★ South Carolina State University PARI program

★ National Radio Astronomy Observatory

General References

★ Goldman, Stuart J. "Mission Possible: The Promise of Pisgah." Sky and Telescope Magazine. October 2001:42

★ Hargreaves, Lynley. "Spy Station Retooled into Astronomy Institute." Physics Today. March 2001 Volume 54, Number 3