Uncooled Microbolometer Arrays for Ground Based Astronomy

We describe the design and commissioning of a simple prototype, low-cost 10 μm imaging instrument. The system is built using commercially available components including an uncooled microbolometer array as a detector. The incorporation of adjustable germanium reimaging optics rescale the image to the appropriate plate scale for the 2 m diameter Liverpool Telescope. From observations of bright Solar system and stellar sources, we demonstrate a plate scale of 0.75 arcsec per pixel and confirm the optical design allows diffraction limited imaging. We record a ∼10 percent photometric stability due to sky variability. We measure a 3σ sensitivity of 7 × 103 Jy for a single, ∼0.11 s exposure. This corresponds to a sensitivity limit of 3 × 102 Jy for a 60 s total integration. We present an example science case from observations of the 2019 January total lunar eclipse and show that the system can detect and measure the anomalous cooling rate associated with the features Bellot and Langrenus during eclipse

Successful observation of orangutans in the wild with thermal-equipped drones

We investigated the efficacy of a drone equipped with a thermal camera as a potential survey tool to detect wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and other tropical primates. Using the thermal camera we successfully detected 41 orangutans and a troop of proboscis monkeys, all of which were confirmed by ground observers. We discuss the potential advantages and limitations of thermal-equipped drones as a tool to complement other methods, and the potential of this technology for use as a future survey tool