Comprehensive characterization of astronomical sites

Kislovodsk, Russia. 4–9 October 2010

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Results of ELT site testing programs - I

E-ELT - Merit function for site selection

EELT site testing results: meteorological conditions and related issues (clouds, dust, extinction, useful time...).

We present a statistical and temporal analysis of the ground meteorological properties recorded at the five selected sites for hosting the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT). Measurements are recorded by ground Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) equipped by standard meteorological sensors providing the air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction of each site. We investigate the statistical distributions of whole, annual and monthly meteorological conditions, day and night-time separately. The meteorological properties are analysed in terms of geography of each site. This project has been performed under the Sixth Framework Program (FP6) funded by the European Union.

Site Testing For The E-ELT: A Review

The organization and development of the E-ELT site testing campaign by ESO are described. Particularities will be developed such as the numerous partners involved leading to a wide panoply of instruments and the choices made to address ELT specific questions like surface layer turbulence, outer scale and coherence time.

• PDF [5.4 MB]

Coffee break

The E-ELT Site Testing in Northern Chile and Argentina

The E-ELT Site Testing activities in northern Chile and Argentina are reviewed, and pioneering explorative campaigns are illustrated. The purpose of this presentation is to explain the work on site beyond the scientific goals. Logistics, instrumentation setting, and observations methods and purposes are shown, pointing out the difficulties we faced and the ways we dechifered them.

• PDF [6.4 MB]

Discussion