2025-08-03 –, Kuiper Space Sciences Lecture Hall (308)
The Alice P. Lennon Telescope and the Thomas J. Bannan Astrophysics Facility, informally the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), dedicated in 1993, is located on Mount Graham in Arizona. It is an aplanatic Gregorian telescope with an f/1 primary and an f/9 full system optics. In 2024, the mount control system was overhauled and a complete facility control system was implemented by ProjectSoft HK (Czech Republic). The new system, named ‘Don’, in honor of Donald M. Alstadt (1921-2007), uses PLCs. Together with new absolute encoders and drives, the telescope provides 3 arcsec rms pointing, and unguided tracking >1 hr. ‘Don’ will allow for remote and/or scripted operation, with no need for on-site operators. We are currently working on automated collimation and focusing. Procurement of a new imaging camera is also in process.
Fr. Paul Gabor, S.J., Ph.D. studied particle physics at Charles University in Prague, worked at CERN and in Grenoble, then joined the Society of Jesus. He studied philosophy in Cracow and theology in Paris, where he also earned a doctorate in astrophysics. Since 2012, he is the Vice Director of the Vatican Observatory in charge of its branch in Arizona. His main research interests are exoplanets and instrumentation. He also teaches history of astronomy and philosophy of science at the University of Arizona.