LightBuckets is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. H ...

formerly located in

Rodeo, New Mexico Rodeo is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States, at . It lies less than from the border with Arizona on New Mexico State Road 80. As of the 2010 census, the population of Rodeo was 101. History Founded in ...

and now located in France, which rents time on its telescopes to customers around the world via a

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on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a ''internetworking, network of networks'' that consists ...

, including amateur and professional astronomers. It is an online astronomy platform with live-views, and hosts an image gallery of astronomy images. Recognized scientific uses include the confirmation of supernova and discovery of asteroids. LightBuckets along with other online telescope rentals were suggested for use in the ''Target Asteroids!'' program along with Sierra Stars Observatory Network and iTelescope, as an alternative to those that access to an Internet connected computer but not a telescope of sufficient power for that program.

Description

LightBuckets was founded in 2007 by Steve Cullen, a former software executive, and the observatories became active on June 12, 2008. In 2011, he returned to the software business, and LightBuckets went through a period of change. Time on the telescopes is sold either by a subscription or pay as you go. The cost of using one of the telescopes in its global network varies depending on the model. Compared to its contemporaries, LightBuckets allows new images of the sky to be observed, as opposed to Microsoft

WorldWide Telescope WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is an open-source set of applications, data and cloud services, originally created by Microsoft Research but now an open source project hosted on GitHub. The .NET Foundation holds the copyright and the project is managed ...

Google Sky Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and GIS data onto a 3D globe, allowing users ...

, which use stored images. It is more similar to

Slooh Slooh is a robotic telescope service that can be viewed live through a web browser. It was not the first robotic telescope, but it was the first that offered "live" viewing through a telescope via the web. Other online telescopes traditionally e ...

, which also allows live-views from telescopes located in places such as Chile and Spain. Cassie Rodenberg, "The Best in Armchair Astronomy", Popular Mechanics (March 22, 2010) - Accessed October 2010
/ref>

2008-2011

LightBuckets went through an ownership transition in 2011, resulting in a turn-over in what instruments and sites were available. Before then, LightBuckets instruments included Ritchey-Chrétiens by

RC Optical Systems RC Optical Systems was a high-end American telescope and optics manufacturer that specialized in Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with hyperbolic mirrors. RC also made related mounts and systems for the telescopes, with a focus on open and close ...

including a 0.61 m (24”) f/8 designated LB-0001 and a 0.37 m (14.5") designated LB-0003 both located at the company's observatory in

. This site is recorded as ''H11 Rodeo'' by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...

. LightBuckets also offers a wide-field observatory (LB-0002) in Rodeo, NM which includes a 0.2 m (8") AstroSysteme Austria N8 Newtonian Astrograph. Other instruments are imaging cameras from

Apogee Instruments An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any ellip ...

including a high quantum efficiency Alta U42 (LB-0001), a large CCD Alta U16M (LB-0003), and an Alta U8300 (LB-0002). Each camera is equipped with a filter wheel containing a full complement of broadband (LRGB) and narrowband (Ha, SII, and OIII) filters. LB-0001 also offers photometric Johnson/Cousins (from Astrodon) V and Ic filters for researchers. In 2009 LightBuckets partnered with

International Year of Astronomy The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the pu ...

. They were a part of 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project. LightBuckets is known to have used domes made by Astro Haven Enterprises in their telescope installations.

Post-2011

Lightbuckets is now located in France with a new 32 inch robotic telescope (LB-0001) and four other telescopes: LB-0002 a 17" planewave telescope - LB-0003 a FLT 110mm refractor - LB-0004 a TMB 175 mm refractor and LB-0005 an ASA 12" Newtonian telescope on an ASA direct-drive mount.

Activities

Puckett Observatory Supernova Search Puckett Observatory is a private astronomical observatory located in the state of Georgia. It is owned and operated by Tim Puckett. Its primary observation goals are the study of comets and the discovery of supernovae. To facilitate the latter go ...

discovered supernova SN 2008gr in IC 1579 which was confirmed using LightBuckets telescopes at Rodeo, New Mexico, in 2008.Daniel W. E. Green, IAU Electronic Telegram No. 1557 (2008 October 30)
/ref> * By October 2009 LightBuckets LB-0001 in Rodeo, NM had been used to discover at least 17 new asteroids with provisional designations. LightBuckets LB-0001 was recorded as a ".68m f/8 Ritchey-Chrétien" by the

at ''H11 Rodeo''.MPC 68175-68624 (2010 January 30), Page 175, "H11 Rodeo"
/ref> * In September 2010, LightBuckets LB-0001 was part of a group of instruments to confirm gamma ray burst (GRB) GRB100901A. * On May 18, 2011, LightBuckets announced that it will be ceasing operations in Rodeo, NM in the near future. LightBuckets had imaged for over 4,300 hours, had executed more than 5,400 customer imaging runs, and had over 680 customers. *A new telescope, LB-0006, a 0.43m (17") 0.43m (17") Dall Kirkham, in France, South Alpen appears on startsite in August 2011.

References

External links

*
LightBuckets opening news release
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lightbuckets American companies established in 2007 Astronomical observatories in New Mexico Buildings and structures in Hidalgo County, New Mexico