NSO: Filter problems hamper Venus observations

Instrument problems have kept the team at the Dunn Solar Telescope from observing the planet Venus as they had hoped.

“The filter on our infrared camera is leaking thermal radiation and keeping us from observing the planet,” said Dr. Nancy Chanover, the principal investigator from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. “Basically, we have excess heat shining on the detectors. We have exhausted all possibilities for working around this after a valiant effort by the Dunn Solar Telescope staff.”

Chanover believes that the technique for observing Venus using a solar telescope and adaptive optics is sound, and hopes to attempt the observations again after resolving the problems with the filter. Dates for another attempt have not been set.

The original story on the observation plans is posted at: http://www.nso.edu/press/venus06/

For more information, contact:

Dave Dooling
Education and Public Outreach Officer
National Solar Observatory
1-505-434-7015 or dooling@nso.edu

or

Karl Hill
University Communications
New Mexico State University
MSC 3K, Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
1-505-646-1885 or khill@nmsu.edu