BOOTES (Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System) is a global network of robotic astronomical observatories with sites in Spain, New Zealand, China, Mexico, South Africa, and Chile. Managed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) in collaboration with the University of Málaga, BOOTES was fully deployed in 2022 as the first robotic telescope network spanning all continents. It provides rapid automated follow-up observations of transient events like Gamma Ray Bursts, using various camera types for wide and narrow fields. Scientific aims include monitoring variable stars, detecting optical flashes, and discovering comets, meteors, asteroids, and supernovae, making BOOTES a unique tool for transient astronomy worldwide.
BOOTES sites
- BOOTES-1 – El Arenosillo, Spain – 37°06′16″N 06°43′58″W / 37.10444°N 6.73278°W / 37.10444; -6.73278.
- BOOTES-2 – Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, Algarrobo Costa, Spain – 36°45′33″N 04°02′27″W / 36.75917°N 4.04083°W / 36.75917; -4.04083. The 0.6m telescope is named "TELMA" (TELescope MAlaga) following the nearby town of Málaga in southern Spain.
- BOOTES-3 – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Lauder, New Zealand – 45°03′13″S 169°40′24″E / 45.05361°S 169.67333°E / -45.05361; 169.67333. The 0.6m telescope is named "Yock-Allen Telescope" (YAT) in honour of both the kiwi astrophysicist Phil A. Yock (b. in 1940) and the kiwi engineer William H. Allen (b. in 1939).
- BOOTES-4 – Yunnan Astronomical Observatory, Lijiang, China -26°41′43″N 100°01′47″E / 26.69528°N 100.02972°E / 26.69528; 100.02972. The 0.6m telescope is named "María Eva Telescope" (MET) in honor of the Spanish lady María Eva Alcoholado Feltström (b. in 1967).
- BOOTES-5 – Observatorio Astronómico Nacional en la Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Mexico 31°02′39″N 115°27′49″W / 31.04417°N 115.46361°W / 31.04417; -115.46361. The 0.6m telescope is named "Javier Gorosabel Telescope" (JGT) in memory of the Spanish astrophysicist Javier Gorosabel Urkia (1969-2015).
- BOOTES-6 – Boyden Observatory, South Africa - 29°02′20″S 26°24′20″E / 29.03889°S 26.40556°E / -29.03889; 26.40556. The 0.6m telescope is named "Dolores Pérez-Ramírez Telescope" (DPRT) in memory of the Spanish astrophysicist Dolores Pérez-Ramírez (1968-2015).
- BOOTES-7 – San Pedro de Atacama Space Observatory, Chile - 22°57′09″S 68°10′49″W / 22.95250°S 68.18028°W / -22.95250; -68.18028.
External links
References
Hu, Y.-D.; Fernández-García, E.; Caballero-García, M. D.; Pérez-García, I.; Carrasco-García, I. M.; Castellón, A.; Pérez del Pulgar, C.; Reina Terol, A. J.; Castro-Tirado, A. J. (2023). "The burst observer and optical transient exploring system in the multi-messenger astronomy era". Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences. 10. arXiv:2302.06565. doi:10.3389/fspas.2023.952887. ISSN 2296-987X. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffspas.2023.952887 ↩
"BOOTES global network of robotic telescopes | UCD Research". www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 2024-02-01. https://www.ucd.ie/research/news/2023/bootesglobalnetworkofrobotictelescopes/body,669337,en.html ↩
Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Soldán, J.; Bernas, M.; Páta, P.; Rezek, T.; Hudec, R.; Sanguino, T. M.; Morena, B. de la; Berná, J. A.; Rodríguez, J.; Peña, A.; Gorosabel, J.; Más-Hesse, J. M.; Giménez, A. (1999-09-01). "The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES)". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 138 (3): 583–585. doi:10.1051/aas:1999362. ISSN 0365-0138. https://aas.aanda.org/articles/aas/abs/1999/15/r17/r17.html ↩