The Bareket observatory Israel - operates for educational and scientific purposes and is developing the most unique and sophisticated educative and teaching astronomical materials in the region.

About the observatory :

The Bareket Observatory is located in Israel.  We are an educational observatory; our mission is to act as an educator’s resource for schools and educational institutions. 

 The observatory is open to anyone who has an interest in the night sky and wishes to have fun learning about the universe in a scientific manner.

 We maintain many astronomy courses and classes within the educational system as an integral part of the observatory's activities.  Our main objective is to light that "intuitive spark"

by presenting the heavens in all its glory to those students that represent the next generation of researchers. 

We are committed to introduce the universe for every one, no matter where they live or from where they come.

From time to time we produce live free astronomical web casts of selected cosmological events, as solar eclipses, meteor showers the lunar surface, transits etc.

http://bareket-astro.com/club/transs.htm

Besides the regular activities that are taking place at the observatory, we also set up public observations in remote areas for schools and individuals

that don't have the ability of going to an observatory (physically / financially).  Once a year we make the Astronomical Olympics for schools.

Our main goals:

        Develop new methods of communication.

        Develop new techniques to improve multicultural cooperation.

        Promote and distribute the latest technological advances within the educational system

 at that the use ofAdapt the use of new astronomical, technological and scientific tools to enhance the learning experience.

        Enable all students with equal opportunity to benefit from all of the advances in our research program. 

Main projects and outreach :

1. Astronomy educational Olympics :

http://bareket-astro.com/en/olympics.htm

More than 200 kids from 11 different schools have been selected to participate at the first stage.

The school's teams were gathered and got a full list of resources and topics from the observatory's library. Each of the students had a test which indicates his / her knowledge in astronomy. The tests were examined by the observatory staff.

Those who passed the first stage made a second, tougher exam, in order to sustain with the most qualified kids.

The third stage was a great production and took a place at the municipality hall of Modiin city, the largest city in the area.

At the Olympic competition there were present: The science teachers, schools principles, the Mayor, student's parents, Israel educational system representatives as well as journalists and television reporters.

2. Astrotop, astronomy labs :

The astrotop enables the selected students to perform scientific research work in astronomy and planetary sciences.

Expose the students for a highly advanced equipment, data analysis, collection, and experiments.

The selected students control our remote telescopes from within the classroom and analyzing the data in real time!

3. Mars Station Project – red rover remote robotic control :

http://bareket-astro.com/en/red_rover.htm

Visitors to the Bareket's Mars Station website simply log in to the Mars Station computer and operate the rover – through the web!

A control panel interface allows the user to drive the rover, with an image panel showing the visitor the rover’s perspective of its environment.

Photo: The observatory's Mars diorama - a true prespective of:Olympus mons, vallis marrinaris and tharsis bulge.

4. Live astronomical web casts – through our telescopes :

http://www.bareket-astro.com/view_en.html

From time to time we produce live free astronomical web casts of selected cosmological events, as solar eclipses, meteor showers the lunar surface, transits and more. At the 2003 solar eclipse more than 100,000 viewers watched the live web cast, who took about 3 hours.

5. Interactive solar system tour :

http://bareket-astro.com/en/system.htm

An interactive FLASH based tool, which walk the student / teacher through the wonders of our solar system. Including images, movies and explanations.

6. Live Mars-Earth dial :

http://bareket-astro.com/en/project/dial.htm

On the Spirit & opportunity Mars rover there is a miniature sun dial, which used for scientific and educational purposes.

The Bareket observatory's staff has engraved a large model of this special sun dial which is located at the observatory and different schools in Israel.

Our Earth dial is being broadcasts through the web.

The Mars dial is then broadcasts live feed to the internet, where the students are capable of making great amount of projects with different groups among the country and across the globe.

Our main teaching interests at the Earth Dial project:
- To be a part of a large scale information gathering of Earth Dials at different latitudes around the world.
- Demonstration the differences between the north and South Pole.
- Measuring time on Earth and on Mars.
- Learning about the seasonal changes.
- Teaching astronomy with an emphasis on planetary science.

7. Remote Internet Telescope – state of the art web telescope control : http://bareket-astro.com/en/telescope_internet.htm

The Israeli students (and researchers) are using the observatory's remote controlled telescope, which consist of a highly sophisticated 15" f/2.8 custom Astrograph and 14"Scass f/8.7, Temperature comprehended focuser ST8XE CCD camera, 10 position filter wheel with photometric and narrow band filters on a Paramount ME mount.

The telescope, mount, focuser, camera etc' are than being controlled via the web by the students and teachers!

We already have a great success in verity of areas, such as: Asteroids detection and follow ups, SN survey, spectra analyses and much more.

There is already a start of a process that meant to bring students from all around the globe to collaborate together with this wonderful tool. (see the following section for further information).

You can observe some of the student's images with the internet telescope in the following link :

http://www.bareket-astro.com/BAREKET_GALLERY/in.scope/base0.html

Photo: The Veil nebula. Taken by students remotely - with the internet telescope.

Photo: the

Internet Telescope 15".

8. International High school Astronomical conference –

Chicago-Israel high school astronomical video conference, made via the web.

During the conference the students from Chicago (U.S) and Jerusalem (IS) controlled the Bareket observatory's remote telescope and took images of the universe, including imaged of comet Holmes 17P, who was present in the sky at that time.

After the conference the students processed the data and continued to keep in touch. The main purpose of the web conference was to bond the two groups, which share a mutual love to astronomy despite the big geographic distance, while assisting them to feel more comfortable with astronomical data gathering & processing.

Photo : The IS group during the conference.

Photo: M42 nebula, one of the astronomical images that were taken by the students during the conference.

Photo: Comet 17P Holmes, one of the astronomical images that were taken by the students during the conference.

9. Dark skies awareness -

http://www.bareket-astro.com/ida/light_pollution_en.htm

As a part of the observatory's voluntarily activities we are the official Israeli Dark sky association section

Light pollution steals the stars light Starlight is our natural heritage. It connects us, fuses us, to all our ancestors and their dark and crystal night sky.

Join us in our efforts to save Israel night sky.

The observatory's team is working recklessness in order to arise the light pollution affects in the Israeli community.

We are developing lesson plans, brochures and lectures on this topic.

We are trying to increase the awareness to the subject. So far with great success. You can see the full list at the above link.

10. Asteroid International Astronomical Search Collaboration

The International Astronomical Asteroid Search Collaboration is an educational outreach program for high schools and colleges, provided at no cost to the participating schools.

11. Public Astro @ Images program –

The project's goal is to involve the general public with astronomy subjects, youngest and adults alike. We made a high quality prints of astronomical that taken at the observatory and put it in public places (malls, shopping centers etc') with written explanations. We hope that in this way more and more people will be attracted to the beauty and magic of astronomy. The prints sizes are between 50X70cm and up to 150X200cm (!).

Image : M16, the eagle nebula. Taken with the observatory's internet telescope.

12. Space news and members club –

Monthly on-line astronomical magazine in Hebrew. We also collaborate with JPL's "what's up" monthly video.

http://www.bareket-astro.com/space1_news.htm

13. Virtual telescope –

On-line application that calculates the observable object generates sky maps and observing plans automatically.

http://bareket-astro.com/virtualtelescope/

1. Open public observations –

From time to time, when there are special astronomical events – we are making public observations, which are open to all the interested.

We make interactive presentations on giant screens with a lot of big scopes.

Those kinds of events usually attract hundreds of participants.