Red Buttes Observatory is a 24 inch ( 0.6 meter) telescope located 9 miles south of Laramie.  The scope and control system were designed by the engineering company DFM.  The two main objectives of the telescope are for undergraduate and graduate studies.    

 

The observatory was completed in October of 1994, funded by a $344,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.  The department uses the facility as a primary objective for the undergraduate astronomy curriculum by offering student researchers a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled telescope that is easy to use.  Use of this facility allows  undergraduates to have a unique opportunity to learn to operate a professional telescope and build observing projects.  The secondary objective is for graduate students to have the opportunity to obtain data useful in publishing papers and thesis projects.

 

The facility can also be used as a rapid imaging tool useful for slewing to objects in a short period of time.  The quick movement of the telescope allows observers to image objects very quickly when necessary, or to take a large quantity of pictures throughout the night without needing to wait long for repositioning.  UW researchers primarily use the telescope for stellar studies including projects from transformation equations to stellar population studies.  Additional types of studies have included asteroid lightcurve analysis, planetary phenomena and GRB responses.  Overall the facility provides a high tech opportunity for both learning opportunities and advancement in astronomical research.