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UPDATE 10.29.09: Although my intentions were pure, I’ve taken down the link because of security concerns. The KML overlay of world-wide observatories on Google Earth is no longer publicly available. If you wish your observatory to be listed in the IAU Minor Planet Center database, or if you wish to correct or obscure the exact location of your observatory already listed, please contact the?IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams or the IAU Minor Planet Center through this link.
So what was I doing today, you ask? My friends at MIT Planetary Astronomy Lab are thinking about ?another occultation expedition. Like last time, ?finding observatories on or close to the path is a challenging?exercise?- usually one would have to rely on memory, directories of all sorts, web searches, email and phone calls. Since the occultation path data is already plotted on Google Earth, why not make an overlay of known observatories engaged in minor planet or asteroid research and use both sets of data to narrow the search? But where to get a list?
Our?friends?at?the?International Astronomical Union (IAU) (you know, the people that demoted Pluto to a Minor Planet?) have put together such a list. It contains 1218 world-wide observatories with the latitude/longitude and altitude of each. Of course I added to it the world-famous Edward Knight Observatory at the ATMoB site in Westford.
It took only a short time to learn about Google Earth overlays. KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile. KML uses a tag-based structure with nested elements and attributes and is based on the XML standard. Basically it’s XML with some custom tags that the Google apps understand.
It took a little time to format IAU data into a spreadsheet and then generate the KML file, but it’s done and you can have it too! If you have Google Earth installed just click here and depending on your browser security settings you may be prompted to save the file or it will open in Google Earth. If you save it, then find the file on your hard drive and double-click to open it. I hope you find it useful next time you plan a trip, or an occultation expedition.
Also, as a service to my readers (all 5 of them!) I’m happy to list your observatory on the map also. Just send me your Observatory Name, latitude/longitude, altitude (optional), Sine & Cosine (for determining occultation intersections – optional) and web or email address (optional). I’ll be doing periodic updates and when I think it’s complete I’ll post it to Google for approval as a public KML file.
Hey, if you’re traveling somewhere check this data, find a close observatory, call ahead and get a tour, or maybe a night of comet chasing! That’s what I’d do…
Bruce
October 28th, 2009 - 21:17
Nice job Bruce. Usable by the entire world.
October 29th, 2009 - 08:12
Bruce,
Even though this seems to be a worthwhile project, I would be very concerned about security. Most private observatories are not secure and many of my astronomer friends that have web sites purposely do not publish there precise latitude and longitude to prevent having their observatories broken in to and equipment stolen.
In the case of the two observatories you have marked in Utah, the coordinates are sufficiently in error I don’t think it would be a problem. You might want to consider the potential misuse of your listing overlay.
October 29th, 2009 - 09:03
I have removed the link and wish to thank the members of IOTA for their logical concerns.
Bruce
February 23rd, 2010 - 17:33
[...] with IOTA. If one searches the MPC international observatory list they would notice a dearth of sites in Brazil, and most of those sites are in the southern part of [...]
February 23rd, 2010 - 17:33
[...] with IOTA. If one searches the MPC international observatory list they would notice a dearth of sites in Brazil, and most of those sites are in the southern part of [...]