Gazing at the stars with someone else’s telescope!

SLOOH is a robotic observatory in the Canary Islands. Every Monday, conditions permitting, you can participate in various SLOOH “missions” over the course of a one-hour session.

What does SLOH mean? Apparently it’s about putting the OOH in SLEW!

High on Mount Teide, in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, the SLOOH telescopes are located among the facilities of a professional astronomical observatory. SLOOH is a subscription-based website that streams live images of dozens of celestial objects seen by its telescopes every clear night over the Internet.

SLOOH currently uses several 3-megapixel CCD cameras and four telescopes (in two domes):

• a high-magnification 14-inch diameter (2,160mm focal length) Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and wide-field lens system with a focal length of 135mm at f/5.6 in Dome 1
• 14-inch diameter Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) with a 4000mm focal length and an 85mm diameter APO refractor telescope with a 480mm focal length in Dome 2

The organization will soon add an additional 14-inch SCT with a 2,100mm focal length, as well as a 34mm-diameter refractor with a 135mm focal length. Members can control scopes from their own computer. Bringing the rhythms and wonders of space exploration to people of all ages, SLOOH’s telescopes are the centerpiece of Live interactive missions to the wonders of the universe.

The site is good for someone new to astronomy and for avid and enthusiastic hobbyists, first-time observers of all ages, and parents who want to introduce their children to the cosmos without buying, assembling, and learning to use telescopes. Aspiring astronomers can view live images of the night sky, but in the comfort of their own homes. Predetermined missions are broadcast live, with brief interruptions as telescopes and CCD cameras move from one celestial body to another.

The $49 annual basic membership package gives you unlimited access to group missions and the ability to log in anytime you want during mission hours. This basic package also gives you 15 minutes per year of solo time where you decide where to point your scopes. While the basic membership has some restrictions, the all-you-can-eat option is available for $99 a year.

To ensure its visitors only the best experience, SLOOH tests the speed of your Internet connection and only accepts visitors with connection speeds of 40 kbps (40k) or higher.

SLOOH makes extensive use of the latest version of Macromedia Flash Player, a web browser plugin. Before reaching its interface, SLOOH checks to see if your browser has the latest Flash Player installed and prompts you to download it if it doesn’t.

While missions are running, SLOOH operators often chat with visitors in the SLOOH chat room. You can join them if you have AOL’s Instant Messenger (AIM) software installed. This is just an optional feature. For more information, you need to click the Chat button on the mission interface.

If you arrive early, the mission will automatically start at the scheduled time. If he arrives while the quest is running, he will join the quest in progress.

SLOOH also runs a user group on Yahoo so you can see what people have to say about it.

SLOOH version 2 was launched on March 18, 2006. After a year of development, this version has inspired its users’ commitment to live astronomy. In addition to the existing features, SLOOH 2 offers some new, bold and novel elements.

that will attract an even larger membership from around the world.

SLOOH 2.0 is designed to empower its users (from over 60 countries) to share their enthusiasm for

astronomy with the largest public. Chief among the changes is the new member channel, which allows members to broadcast their solo missions to other members of the audience. A new desktop alert system will also be introduced, notifying members when special missions are lined up with a live host narrating specifically about the celestial object in view.

When you consider the price of buying a telescope comparable in size to those used at SLOOH versus the low fees they charge, it really is a no-brainer. And, although it may be cloudy outside where you live, the skies in the Canaries are virtually clear. SLOOH can give you your dose of skygazing, wherever you live in the world.

Gary Nugent recommends that you check out the SLOOH review at http://www.nightskyobserver.com/Articles/SLOOH.php where you can also see photos of the SLOOH interface, the observatory, and some sample images taken by the SLOOH telescopes.