Liverpool Telescope Operations 2014-2016
Lead Research Organisation:
Liverpool John Moores University
Department Name: Astrophysics Research Institute
Abstract
The Liverpool Telescope (LT ) (http://telescope.livjm.ac.uk/) is the world's largest and most sophisticated (in terms of range of science programmes, flexibility of scheduling, and sophistication of instrumentation) robotic telescope with a dual role to carry out internationally competitive research and deliver the key observing resource to the National Schools Observatory. The NSO offers school children near-immediate access to a world-class observatory. Since its launch in 2004, this has led to over 70,000 observing requests from schools and the NSO currently works with over 4000 teachers throughout the UK and Ireland. At the core of the NSO is the website which provides support material for a range of subjects and receives well over 1 million hits each year.
Since operations began in 2004, LT has specialised in delivering high impact results in time domain astrophysics. Indeed, the observatory is unique in actively encouraging rapid-response and difficult-to-schedule monitoring projects from the U.K. and Spanish communities. Refereed publications that include LT data typically average 36 citations/paper; to date 14 such papers have appeared in the high-profile journals Nature or Science, these having on average 86 citations/paper.
From the outset, the goal has been to provide a wide variety of instrumentation to cater for the broad interests of the LJMU and U.K./Spanish communities. Currently, optical photometry, spectroscopy and polarimetry are offered with instruments and a software environment that are capable of sampling timescales from ~10 milliseconds to ~10 years. A continuous programme of instrument upgrades has been aggressively pursued throughout the last decade. Over the next 12 months we aim to complement the existing suite of five instruments with a new, high-throughput optical spectrometer and a two-band, near-infrared imager. Together these seven instruments will keep the facility competitive and ensure its position at the forefront of time domain astronomy for at least the next five years.
This application is for an STFC contribution over the period 2014-2016 (at a reduced level to previous years) to the funding for the maintenance and operation of the Liverpool Telescope, and hence the continuation of its role as a major resource both for the LJMU Astrophysics Research Institute and the wider UK community.
Since operations began in 2004, LT has specialised in delivering high impact results in time domain astrophysics. Indeed, the observatory is unique in actively encouraging rapid-response and difficult-to-schedule monitoring projects from the U.K. and Spanish communities. Refereed publications that include LT data typically average 36 citations/paper; to date 14 such papers have appeared in the high-profile journals Nature or Science, these having on average 86 citations/paper.
From the outset, the goal has been to provide a wide variety of instrumentation to cater for the broad interests of the LJMU and U.K./Spanish communities. Currently, optical photometry, spectroscopy and polarimetry are offered with instruments and a software environment that are capable of sampling timescales from ~10 milliseconds to ~10 years. A continuous programme of instrument upgrades has been aggressively pursued throughout the last decade. Over the next 12 months we aim to complement the existing suite of five instruments with a new, high-throughput optical spectrometer and a two-band, near-infrared imager. Together these seven instruments will keep the facility competitive and ensure its position at the forefront of time domain astronomy for at least the next five years.
This application is for an STFC contribution over the period 2014-2016 (at a reduced level to previous years) to the funding for the maintenance and operation of the Liverpool Telescope, and hence the continuation of its role as a major resource both for the LJMU Astrophysics Research Institute and the wider UK community.
Planned Impact
Industrial Engagement
The LT project at Liverpool JMU has a long tradition of strong industrial engagement. The initial build of the telescope was based around the establishment of a spinout company (TTL, Telescope Technologies Ltd) which was subsequently sold in 2005 to an ex-Google employee to build a global network of small (0.4 and 1 metre) robotic telescopes.
The project has ongoing strong links with a number of local engineering companies. Much of the precision engineering required for LT instrumentation is done in collaboration with the SME engineering firm "Senar". Through the Liverpool Telescope project Senar were contracted by the university-owned company TTL to build several parts for the telescope, causing the company to upgrade its skills and machinery to deliver the high precision needed for astronomical instrumentation. The contract safeguarded a number of jobs at the time and the company received a grant from MAS (Manufacturing Institute, via the local council organization Wirral Direct) for the purchase of a new, more accurate, CNC lathe for precision machining. Their ongoing work for LT also features as part of their advertising, using the telescope as an example of a high-profile/high-technology client. Their reputation in precision engineering for astronomical applications over the past 10 years has led to contracts with other international observatories (e.g., the new WHT Auxiliary camera and a potential WEAVE contract) and with CERN, producing the chain links that carry cooling pipes and electrical cables for the LHC.
Skills and knowledge transfer are furthered by the direct involvement of students (undergraduate and postgraduate) in development projects. The LT team has consistently included undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students in instrument and software design and development with these projects forming the basis of several PhD theses. Most of these students have left academic research for wider industry.
We have also had success in licensing software and hardware developed for the telescope to the Faulkes/LCOGT organization. License income of £160k plus telescope time worth an additional £180k on the LCO telescopes has been received by LJMU from this activity.
Public Engagement
The LT is a focus for a significant fraction of the extensive Public Engagement programme in Astrophysics at LJMU. As well as many talks and workshops to schools and the general public (e.g. in 2012/13 over 150 talks to over 10,000 people were given based on the LT) the LT is also key to the success of a suite of Distance Learning courses in Astronomy that attract around 200 students a year, many of whom have little or no prior experience of Higher Education.
The LT is also an important element in the Spaceport visitor attraction on the banks of the river Mersey. The attraction regularly exceeds visitor number predictions (currently at around 70,000 per year) and brings considerable income into a regeneration area. Using the standard STEAM model (Digest of Tourism Statistics, Dec. 2009 - The Mersey Partnership) for determining the economic benefits of tourism in the City Region for day visitors, this equates to a net gain of more than £2m per year. Spaceport also contributed towards the success of Mersey Ferries being ranked 1st in the City Region in 2008 - when Liverpool was European Capital of Culture - for a paid tourist attraction and an independent MORI Poll from 2006 found that 97% of visitors to Spaceport were either satisfied or very satisfied with their visit. Due to this success, the original targets for the regeneration have been met or exceeded. These include the creation of an estimated 50 new jobs, both direct and indirect, which equates to a gross value added of £1.4m pa to the City Region.
The LT project at Liverpool JMU has a long tradition of strong industrial engagement. The initial build of the telescope was based around the establishment of a spinout company (TTL, Telescope Technologies Ltd) which was subsequently sold in 2005 to an ex-Google employee to build a global network of small (0.4 and 1 metre) robotic telescopes.
The project has ongoing strong links with a number of local engineering companies. Much of the precision engineering required for LT instrumentation is done in collaboration with the SME engineering firm "Senar". Through the Liverpool Telescope project Senar were contracted by the university-owned company TTL to build several parts for the telescope, causing the company to upgrade its skills and machinery to deliver the high precision needed for astronomical instrumentation. The contract safeguarded a number of jobs at the time and the company received a grant from MAS (Manufacturing Institute, via the local council organization Wirral Direct) for the purchase of a new, more accurate, CNC lathe for precision machining. Their ongoing work for LT also features as part of their advertising, using the telescope as an example of a high-profile/high-technology client. Their reputation in precision engineering for astronomical applications over the past 10 years has led to contracts with other international observatories (e.g., the new WHT Auxiliary camera and a potential WEAVE contract) and with CERN, producing the chain links that carry cooling pipes and electrical cables for the LHC.
Skills and knowledge transfer are furthered by the direct involvement of students (undergraduate and postgraduate) in development projects. The LT team has consistently included undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students in instrument and software design and development with these projects forming the basis of several PhD theses. Most of these students have left academic research for wider industry.
We have also had success in licensing software and hardware developed for the telescope to the Faulkes/LCOGT organization. License income of £160k plus telescope time worth an additional £180k on the LCO telescopes has been received by LJMU from this activity.
Public Engagement
The LT is a focus for a significant fraction of the extensive Public Engagement programme in Astrophysics at LJMU. As well as many talks and workshops to schools and the general public (e.g. in 2012/13 over 150 talks to over 10,000 people were given based on the LT) the LT is also key to the success of a suite of Distance Learning courses in Astronomy that attract around 200 students a year, many of whom have little or no prior experience of Higher Education.
The LT is also an important element in the Spaceport visitor attraction on the banks of the river Mersey. The attraction regularly exceeds visitor number predictions (currently at around 70,000 per year) and brings considerable income into a regeneration area. Using the standard STEAM model (Digest of Tourism Statistics, Dec. 2009 - The Mersey Partnership) for determining the economic benefits of tourism in the City Region for day visitors, this equates to a net gain of more than £2m per year. Spaceport also contributed towards the success of Mersey Ferries being ranked 1st in the City Region in 2008 - when Liverpool was European Capital of Culture - for a paid tourist attraction and an independent MORI Poll from 2006 found that 97% of visitors to Spaceport were either satisfied or very satisfied with their visit. Due to this success, the original targets for the regeneration have been met or exceeded. These include the creation of an estimated 50 new jobs, both direct and indirect, which equates to a gross value added of £1.4m pa to the City Region.
Publications
Copperwheat C
(2015)
Liverpool telescope 2: a new robotic facility for rapid transient follow-up
in Experimental Astronomy
Copperwheat C
(2016)
Liverpool Telescope follow-up of candidate electromagnetic counterparts during the first run of Advanced LIGO
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Abbott B
(2016)
LOCALIZATION AND BROADBAND FOLLOW-UP OF THE GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE TRANSIENT GW150914
in The Astrophysical Journal
Stewart A
(2015)
LOFAR MSSS: detection of a low-frequency radio transient in 400 h of monitoring of the North Celestial Pole
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bours M
(2016)
Long-term eclipse timing of white dwarf binaries: an observational hint of a magnetic mechanism at work
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Levitan D
(2015)
Long-term photometric behaviour of outbursting AM CVn systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Steele I
(2016)
LOTUS: a low-cost, ultraviolet spectrograph
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Spiro S
(2014)
Low luminosity Type II supernovae - II. Pointing towards moderate mass precursors
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Polshaw J
(2016)
LSQ13fn: A type II-Plateau supernova with a possibly low metallicity progenitor that breaks the standardised candle relation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nicholl M
(2015)
LSQ14bdq: A TYPE Ic SUPER-LUMINOUS SUPERNOVA WITH A DOUBLE-PEAKED LIGHT CURVE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Darnley M
(2016)
M31N 2008-12a-THE REMARKABLE RECURRENT NOVA IN M31: PANCHROMATIC OBSERVATIONS OF THE 2015 ERUPTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aleksic J
(2014)
MAGIC gamma-ray and multi-frequency observations of flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1510-089 in early 2012
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Aleksic J
(2014)
MAGIC observations and multifrequency properties of the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 in 2011
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Schlindwein W
(2018)
Mapping the accretion disc of the short period eclipsing binary SDSS J0926+3624
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pastorello A
(2015)
Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium - IV. Transitional Type Ibn supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pastorello A
(2015)
Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium - IX. SN 2014av, and characterization of Type Ibn SNe
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pastorello A
(2015)
Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium - VI. Observations of two distant Type Ibn supernova candidates discovered by La Silla-QUEST
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pastorello A
(2015)
Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium - VII. The metamorphosis of ASASSN-15ed from a narrow line Type Ibn to a normal Type Ib Supernova
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lipunov V
(2017)
MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1/M31LRN 2015 luminous red nova in M31: discovery, light curve, hydrodynamics and evolution
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Li W
(2018)
Matter effect of light sterile neutrino: an exact analytical approach
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Fraija N
(2017)
Modeling the High-energy Emission in GRB 110721A and Implications on the Early Multiwavelength and Polarimetric Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Zhang Q
(2015)
MODELING THE MULTI-BAND AFTERGLOW OF GRB 091127: EVIDENCE OF A HARD ELECTRON ENERGY SPECTRUM WITH AN INJECTION BREAK
in The Astrophysical Journal
Rousselot P
(2014)
Monitoring of the cometary activity of distant comet C/2006 S3 (LONEOS)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ricci D
(2017)
Multi-filter Transit Observations of HAT-P-3b and TrES-3b with Multiple Northern Hemisphere Telescopes
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Uttley P
(2014)
Multi-Wavelength Variability Accretion and Ejection at the Fastest Timescales
in Space Science Reviews
Kelly K
(2018)
Multimessenger astronomy and new neutrino physics
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
IceCube Collaboration
(2018)
Multimessenger observations of a flaring blazar coincident with high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Wei J
(2017)
Multimessenger tests of the weak equivalence principle from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterparts
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Carnerero M
(2015)
Multiwavelength behaviour of the blazar OJ 248 from radio to ?-rays?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ho W
(2017)
Multiwavelength monitoring and X-ray brightening of Be X-ray binary PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 on its approach to periastron
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ahnen M
(2017)
Multiwavelength observations of a VHE gamma-ray flare from PKS 1510-089 in 2015
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Williams S
(2017)
Multiwavelength observations of the 2015 nova in the Local Group irregular dwarf galaxy IC 1613
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Balokovic M
(2016)
MULTIWAVELENGTH STUDY OF QUIESCENT STATES OF Mrk 421 WITH UNPRECEDENTED HARD X-RAY COVERAGE PROVIDED BY NuSTAR IN 2013
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chianese M
(2018)
Neutrinophilic Dark Matter in the epoch of IceCube and Fermi-LAT
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Gil-Merino R
(2018)
New database for a sample of optically bright lensed quasars in the northern hemisphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Simpson C
(2014)
No excess of bright galaxies around the redshift 7.1 quasar ULAS J1120+0641
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Darnley M
(2017)
No Neon, but Jets in the Remarkable Recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a?- Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy of the 2015 Eruption
in The Astrophysical Journal
Zhang T
(2019)
Observations of a Fast-expanding and UV-bright Type Ia Supernova SN 2013gs
in The Astrophysical Journal
Skowron J
(2015)
OGLE-2011-BLG-0265Lb: A JOVIAN MICROLENSING PLANET ORBITING AN M DWARF
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fukui A
(2015)
OGLE-2012-BLG-0563Lb: A SATURN-MASS PLANET AROUND AN M DWARF WITH THE MASS CONSTRAINED BY SUBARU AO IMAGING
in The Astrophysical Journal
Dominik M
(2019)
OGLE-2014-BLG-1186: gravitational microlensing providing evidence for a planet orbiting the foreground star or for a close binary source?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ryu Y
(2017)
OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb: The First Spitzer Bulge Planet Lies Near the Planet/Brown-dwarf Boundary
in The Astronomical Journal
Anderson J
(2015)
On the environments of Type Ia supernovae within host galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Inserra C
(2018)
On the nature of hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stewart A
(2018)
On the optical counterparts of radio transients and variables
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Williams S
(2014)
ON THE PROGENITORS OF LOCAL GROUP NOVAE. I. THE M31 CATALOG
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Williams S
(2016)
ON THE PROGENITORS OF LOCAL GROUP NOVAE. II. THE RED GIANT NOVA RATE OF M31
in The Astrophysical Journal
Monageng I
(2017)
On the relationship between circumstellar disc size and X-ray outbursts in Be/X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kankare E
(2015)
On the triple peaks of SNHunt248 in NGC 5806
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ergon M
(2014)
Optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2011dh - The first 100 days
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Description | Successful operation of the Liverpool Telescope |
Exploitation Route | Scientific Exploitation by UK STFC and international users of the telescope data. |
Sectors | Other |
URL | https://telescope.ljmu.ac.uk/ |
Description | The National Schools' Observatory (NSO) is a major educational website, established by Liverpool John Moores University, to allow schools to make their own observations alongside professional astronomers with the world's largest fully-robotic telescope - the Liverpool Telescope. The NSO also provides educational resources to help with the challenging task of teaching science, technology and mathematics in the classroom environment. It has long been known that astronomy creates a sense of excitement and wonder in pupils of all ages. The NSO taps into that interest to further the pupil's knowledge of science and mathematics, while at the same time improve computer literacy and communications skills, strengthen critical thinking and provide experience the real-world application of science and technology. Using astronomical telescopes is the most important feature of this website and schools registered with the Schools' Observatory have the opportunity to make their observations using the LT. Over the past 10 years, over 100,000 observations have been taken for schools. Once the observing request has been completed, pupils are able to download the telescope data and use special Image Processing software (LTImage) to analyse the resulting images. |
First Year Of Impact | 2004 |
Sector | Education |
Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
Title | robotic astronomy |
Description | procedures, hardware and software systems for the automation of astronomical observations. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | widespread adoption of robotic observing |
URL | https://telescope.livjm.ac.uk/ |
Description | Collaboration with University of Oxford |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Scientific Expertise, Access to telescope time |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific Expertise, Financial Contribution |
Impact | Collaboration on followup of LOFAR radio transients starting in early 2014. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Title | Telescope Robotic Control Software |
Description | Robotic Control Software for telescopes |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | Used for robotic control of Liverpool and Faulkes Telescopes |
URL | https://github.com/LivTel/robotic-control-system |
Description | National Schools Observatory |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Over 100,000 Liverpool Telescope observations delivered into over 2,500 schools in the UK, with supporting curricular material etc. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 |
URL | http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk |