Characteristics of this Search

The aim has been to produce statistics of visual supernova searching with a 1 m class telescope that could be compared with what can be achieved using a smaller telescope, and also with the performance of a professional automatic search.

The method is simply to observe as many different galaxies as possible as regularly as possible. At least two people have been needed all the time on the 40 inch telescope: one to operate the telescope and one to observe. Those who gave more of their time than others were John Shobbrook, Tom Cragg and Samantha Beaman. Optically we found that this telescope is an excellent instrument for this work. The most difficult and time-consuming part of the operation was locating the next object. This problem arises from the particular control system which is presently used with this telescope, related to the fact that it is thirty years old. We took our share of bright moonlight and bad weather which naturally reduced the potential of the large telescope visual search. This highlights the desirability of using a dedicated telescope which would allow darker nights and better conditions to be chosen.

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997