Looking at the stars through someone else’s telescope!

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

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

At the top of 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 broadcasts 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 (2160mm 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 focal length of 4000 mm and an 85-mm diameter APO refracting telescope with a focal length of 480 mm in Dome 2

The organization will soon be adding an additional 14-inch SCT with a 2100mm focal length, as well as a 34mm-diameter refractor with a 135mm focal length. Members can control the 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 quests to the wonders of the universe.

The site is good for someone new to astronomy and for avid hobbyists and enthusiasts, 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 per year.

To ensure its visitors only the best experience, SLOOH tests your Internet connection speed and accepts only 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 plug-in. Before reaching its interface, SLOOH checks if your browser has the latest Flash Player installed and prompts you to download it if you don’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 only an optional feature. For more information, you need to click on the Chat button on the mission interface.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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