3 research outputs found
The Centurion 18 telescope of the Wise Observatory
We describe the second telescope of the Wise Observatory, a 0.46-m Centurion
18 (C18) installed in 2005, which enhances significantly the observing
possibilities. The telescope operates from a small dome and is equipped with a
large-format CCD camera. In the last two years this telescope was intensively
used in a variety of monitoring projects.
The operation of the C18 is now automatic, requiring only start-up at the
beginning of a night and close-down at dawn. The observations are mostly
performed remotely from the Tel Aviv campus or even from the observer's home.
The entire facility was erected for a component cost of about 70k$ and a labor
investment of a total of one man-year.
We describe three types of projects undertaken with this new facility: the
measurement of asteroid light variability with the purpose of determining
physical parameters and binarity, the following-up of transiting extrasolar
planets, and the study of AGN variability. The successful implementation of the
C18 demonstrates the viability of small telescopes in an age of huge
light-collectors, provided the operation of such facilities is very efficient.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, some figures quality was degraded, accepted for
publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc
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Constance E. Lieber, Theodore R. Stanley, And The Enduring Impact Of Philanthropy On Psychiatry Research
Neuropsychiatric disorders constitute the single greatest source of the global burden of disease, but it seems that philanthropy and advocacy aimed at supporting research to alleviate the burden of these disorders often are overshadowed by corresponding efforts in many other areas of medicine. For example, the United States public donates five times more money to cancer than to mental health research, and for the United Kingdom public, the equivalent figure is a staggering 900 times more. In this context, it is particularly sobering that we recently lost two towering mental health advocates and philanthropists, Constance E. Lieber and Theodore R. Stanley. These two individuals made an enormous and enduring impact through the initiatives that they created and sustained, through their personal contributions, and through their ability to mobilize others. For the editors, editorial board members, and editorial committee members of Biological Psychiatry who constitute the authors of this commentary, the losses are personal. Each of us has received research support made possible through the actions of these unique individuals. In acknowledging our gratitude, we hope that our collective efforts to advance the understanding of mental illness and its treatment are a lasting testament to their impact