The Whole Earth Telescope (WET), a network of worldwide observatories by the University of Delaware, is synchronizing telescope tubes to provide 'around the world' information about a star cooling down. The star is fading away during the 'downturn' of life, scientists hope this will bring new insights into our planet and the other mysteries of the galaxy.
The star is "dead", a white dwarf star symbolized WDJ1524-0030, located in the constellation phiuchus in the southern sky, is losing its light as it cools down. The star will be continuously controlled by WET, a global telescope-based cooperation program in 1986 from May 15 to June 11.
Observers at Mt. Cuba in Greenville, Del., Will focus and photograph this star until dawn, then the McDonald's observers at Fort Davis, Texas and at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Ariz., Will continue to follow the stars, followed by observatories in New Zealand, Australia, China and many other countries around the globe.
Thousands of photos of this white star made by WET will be sent to the command center at Mt. Cuba is operated by University of Delaware researchers, for analysis using the new "star vibration" technology known as asteroseismology.
Judi Provencial, professor of physics and astronomy at UD and director of the Asteroseismic Delaware Research Center (DARC), said: 'A white star is about the size of the Earth and is as dense as the Sun. This star vibrates when energy waves run through it - its outer surface moves from side to side, like a sea wave. '
Provencal emphasizes: 'What we notice is the shape of these vibrations. From there, we can determine the movement of the atmosphere on such stars, as well as what happens within them. '
There are thousands of white stars in our galaxy, but only about 30% are bright enough for researchers to use asteroseismic to determine the age, temperature and chemical composition of a star from its oscillation and brightness.
Provencal said WDJ1524-0030 is one of 20% of stars in the universe that has an atmosphere containing helium and not hydrogen. The WET team hopes to find the chemical composition of the star's nucleus, whether hydrogen or oxygen.
This process will take up to two years to incorporate type images together, analyze and process data with input from the WET community and report the results. Finally, these findings will be applied to other stars, including the sun, and our planet.
Provencal said: 'We do not understand the weather on Earth, the transport of energy. We do not understand convection. Hopefully, this new field of research will help to understand all aspects of astronomy '.
Focus telescope
The organization of all telescopes working together seems like the arrangement of planets. More than 20 telescopes participate in this program. Provencal and Susan Thompson, co-director of DARC, have to submit applications for some major telescopes several years ago.
Only 1 in 5 proposals were selected by the William Herschel prospectus in the Canary Islands. With a lens of 4.2 meters in diameter, this telescope is the largest involved in the project.
Before the Internet was born, Provencal said she and her colleagues at the command center often had to call observatories.
Provencal said: 'In South Africa, we have to call an international switchboard, the only place to contact the observatory with a hand-held phone. The Internet lessens the interest, but France still wants to be called daily '.
While the Whole Earth Telescope project board was funded by the Crystal Trust, observers were not paid.
She said: 'Without them, all of this cannot happen. That is the common effort of the community '.
The telescope participates
The following observatories participated in the Whole Earth Telescope observation program to control the white dwarf WDJ1524-0030. Lens diameter in parentheses:
Beijing (BAO) Observatory, China (2.1 m / 6.9 ft)
Bohyunsan Optical Observatory (BOAO), Korea (1.8 m / 5.9 ft)
Observatory Cerro Tololo (CTIO), Chile (0.9 m / 3 ft)
Observatory Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik Tübingen, Germany (0.8 m / 2.6 ft)
Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA (2.1 m / 6.9 ft)
Las Cumbres Observatory California, USA
Lulin Observatory, Taiwan (1 m / 3.2 ft)
McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA (2.1 m / 6.9 ft)
Moletai, Lithuania Observatory (1.5 m / 4.9 ft)
Mt. Abu, India (1.2 m / 3.9 ft)
Mt. Cuba, Delaware, USA (0.6 m / 2 ft)
Mt. John of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (1 m / 3.2 ft)
Mt. Suhora, Cracow Pedagogical University, Poland (0.6 m / 2 ft)
Observatoire de Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP), France (1.93 m / 6.3 ft)
Observatrio del Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (0.6 m / 2 ft)
Observatory Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Italy (1.5 m / 4.9 ft)
Peak Terskol Observatory, Russian Federation (2 m / 6.6 ft)
South Africa Observatory (SAAO), South Africa (1 m / 3.2 ft)
Southern Telescope (SOAR), Chile (4.2 m / 13.8 ft)
Paul and Jane Meyer Observatory, Texas, USA (0.6 m / 2 ft)
Southeastern Observatory (SARA), Florida, USA (1 m / 3.2 ft)
Vienna, Austria Observatory (0.68m / 2.2 ft)