- Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory
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Asteroids discovered: 58 8721 AMOS January 14, 1996 9651 Arii-SooHoo January 7, 1996 10193 Nishimoto August 8, 1996 10863 Oye August 31, 1995 11104 Airion October 6, 1995 12426 Racquetball November 14, 1995 12443 Paulsydney March 15, 1996 13168 Danoconnell December 6, 1995 14942 Stevebaker June 21, 1995 (20128) 1996 AK January 7, 1996 27870 Jillwatson November 12, 1995 31000 Rockchic November 11, 1995 31020 Skarupa March 17, 1996 32943 Sandyryan November 13, 1995 37692 Loribragg November 12, 1995 (39671) 1996 AG January 7, 1996 48628 Janetfender September 7, 1995 (52525) 1996 PJ August 8, 1996 58365 Robmedrano July 27, 1995 85386 Payton July 26, 1996 90817 Doylehall September 1, 1995 90818 Daverichards September 14, 1995 90820 McCann September 20, 1995 (100425) 1996 HM April 17, 1996 (185670) 1995 RS September 14, 1995 (225308) 1996 HH April 17, 1996 The Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing (AMOS) observatory is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) operating location on Maui with a twofold mission. First, it conducts the research and development mission on the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS) at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC). Second, it oversees operation of the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC). AFRL's research and development mission on Maui was formally called AMOS; the use of the term AMOS has been widespread throughout the technical community for over thirty years and is still used today at many technical conferences.
Contents
Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS)
The accessibility and capability of the Maui Space Surveillance System provides an unequaled opportunity to the scientific community by combining state-of-the-art satellite tracking with a facility supporting research and development.
The Maui Space Surveillance System, is routinely involved in numerous observing programs and has the capability of projecting lasers into the atmosphere.
Virtually year-round viewing conditions are possible due to the relatively stable climate. Dry, clean air and minimal scattered light from surface sources enable visibility exceeding 150 km. Based on double star observations, seeing is typically on the order of one second of arc.
Situated at the crest of the dormant volcano Haleakala (IAU code 608), the observatory stands at an altitude of 3058 metres, latitude 20.7 degrees N, and longitude 156.3 degrees W. It is essentially co-located with IAU code 566, Haleakala-NEAT/GEODSS.
In the process of accomplishing its mission, the observatory has discovered a number of asteroids.
Optical Assets
Spanning over 30 years, the evolution of the Maui Space Surveillance System has demonstrated several stages in the history of space object tracking telescopes. Currently, through its primary mission for Air Force Space Command, the Maui Space Surveillance System combines large-aperture tracking optics with visible and infrared sensors to collect data on near Earth and deep-space objects.
The 3.67-meter telescope, known as the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS), owned by the Department of Defense, is the United States' largest optical telescope designed for tracking satellites. The 75-ton AEOS telescope points and tracks very accurately, yet is fast enough to track both low-Earth satellites and ballistic missiles. AEOS can be used simultaneously by many groups or institutions because its light can be channeled through a series of mirrors to seven independent coudé rooms below the telescope. Employing sophisticated sensors that include an adaptive optics system, radiometer, spectrograph, and long-wave infrared imager, the telescope tracks man-made objects in deep space and performs space object identification data collection.
AEOS is equipped with an adaptive optics system, the heart of which is a 941-actuator deformable mirror that can change its shape to remove the atmosphere's distorting effects. Scientists are expected to get near diffraction-limited images of space objects.
Other equipment at MSSS includes a 1.6-meter telescope, two 1.2-meter telescopes on a common mount, a 0.8-meter beam director/tracker, and a 0.6-meter laser beam director. The telescopes accommodate a wide variety of sensor systems, including imaging systems, conventional and contrast mode photometers, infrared radiometers, low light level video systems, and acquisition telescopes.
In addition to these assets, the site has a machine shop, optics laboratories, and electronics laboratories. A Remote Maui Experimental (RME) site at sea level houses additional optics and electronics laboratories. This secondary observation station at Kihei bears IAU code 625 and is located at 20°44′46″N 156°25′54″W / 20.74611°N 156.43167°W.
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AEOS 3.67m telescope
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1.6m telescope
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1.2m twin telescope
Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC)
The Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) is an Air Force Research Laboratory center currently managed by the University of Hawaii and is located in the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei.[1] The MHPCC is a leading computing resource of the Department of Defense research and development community and operates numerous computer clusters, including a 5,120 processor Dell Poweredge cluster named "Jaws" which, as of November 2006, was the 11th most powerful computing systems in the world.[2][3]
Chartered to sustain a broad base of users in the Department of Defense, government, academic, and commercial communities, MHPCC provides access to parallel computing hardware, advanced software tools and applications, high bandwidth communications, and high performance storage technologies. In addition, MHPCC offers a variety of services from its expert staff, including application support, parallel code development, large system management, and training and education programs.
References
- ^ "About MHPCC". Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20080621073956/http://www.mhpcc.hpc.mil/about.html. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
- ^ Maui Supercomputing Center to Reach 60 Teraflops
- ^ TOP500 List - November 2006 (1-100) | TOP500 Supercomputing Sites
External links
Coordinates: 20°42′30″N 156°15′29″W / 20.70833°N 156.25806°W
Categories:- Astronomical observatories in Hawaii
- Asteroid discoverers (observatories)
- United States military research facilities
- Buildings and structures in Maui County, Hawaii
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