Manastash Ridge Observatory History by Julie Lutz

MRO Site Survey:

Western Washington has a well-deserved reputation for clouds and rainy weather. Hence, the desirability of an observatory for professional astronomers in Washington state was not instantly obvious. However, a drive to the east side of the Cascade mountains yields much better weather. Long time University of Washington (UW) astronomer Theodor Jacobson started thinking about convenient telescope access for faculty and students when the university decided to expand astronomy dramatically in the mid-1960s. When the first UW astronomy department chair George Wallerstein arrived in 1965, he immediately started a campaign to get a research telescope. Wallerstein came to UW from Berkeley where faculty and Ph.D. students had ready access to telescopes, including a productive 20-inch. He felt strongly that a high-quality research telescope in Washington state would help create a high-quality astronomy department. A grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) provided enough money to purchase automated cameras for a site survey and a 16-inch Boller and Chivens telescope. The eastern side of the Cascade mountains was the obvious region to survey for the best telescope location. The site had to be within reasonable driving distance of the UW Seattle campus and have road access on at least a dirt/gravel track. Founding telescope engineer and jack-of-all-trades Ed Mannery surveyed severall locations during 1965/66. The best site turned out to be Manastash Ridge on US Forest Service land southwest of Ellensberg. However, Rattlesnake Mountain on the Hanford Reservation (owned by the US Department of Energy) outside of Richland had a developed road and readily-available electricity. It was a longer drive from Seattle (5 hours) than Manastash Ridge (3 hours), but the site also had a building available already where observers could sleep and cook meals. In 1967 a 16-inch Boller and Chivens telescope was installed in a dome built atop Rattlesnake Mountain with NSF grant funds and observing began. Faculty and graduate students began to use the telescope equipped with a DC photometer and a Brown chart recorder for research projects and theses. By 1970 a scanning spectrometer covering wavelengths from 3000 to 10,000 A was added. The 16-inch was moved to the current MRO building in spring 1971 and used there for about a year.

MRO Beginnings:

Wallerstein and his faculty colleagues aspired to replace the 16-inch at Rattlesnake Mountain with a larger telescope at Manastash Ridge as soon as possible. A drawback of the Rattlesnake Mountain location was the restriction on access to the Hanford Reservation. Plus, there were high winds (once clocked at 100 mph), not to mention the rattlesnakes! In 1971 Wallerstein was on sabbatical at Berkeley. He was at the time Principal Investigator on a proposal to the NSF to install a telescope at Manastash Ridge. Wallerstein discovered that Berkeley's Hat Creek Radio Observatory had an unused 30-inch optical mirror. Wallerstein engineered what he refers to as a “horse trade”. Berkeley gave UW the 30-inch mirror. UW got some funding from NSF. UW provided additional funds and traded in the 16-inch telescope to Boller and Chivens. The Berkeley 30-inch mirror was installed in a Boller and Chivens mount, and the observatory building and dome were designed and constructed. David Nordfors of the UW was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the building and dome. The idea was that observers would need to be self-sufficient in the remote site. Cooking facilities, a living room, bathrooms and sleeping rooms were all part of the design. The building construction started in spring 1970 and was completed in October of that year. The 16- inch telescope was moved to Manastash Ridge and was used for observing until the 30-inch was installed. An observing techniques course (Astronomy 581) was offered each summer quarter for graduate students. The course included taking some data at MRO and doing data reductions and analysis.

The 30-inch telescope was installed in October 1971 and a dedication ceremony was held on May 22, 1972. The name Manastash Ridge Observatory (MRO) was the simple and natural choice for the facility. Telescope and Equipment:

The telescope itself hasn't changed much over the years. The control system has been updated several times as hardware and software improve. People who used MRO long ago may have some not-so-fond memories of trying to get the dome closed or the filter slide jamming. MRO users today still know the joys and pains of using a “real” telescope system, one that can have a major failure or minor hassle at any time, but usually behaves itself. MRO started out with a dry-ice-cooled photometer, a spectrum scanner and a simple spectrograph that used photographic plates. Because of the latter, there is a small darkroom in the observatory, now used for storage. Wallerstein was interested in high-dispersion spectroscopy, so a room that could accommodate a coude spectrograph was put into the building, but this was never installed. Back in the early 1970s there weren't a lot of photometric filter systems in use. MRO had UBVr and Stebbins and Whitford 6-color filters available for users. However, in the late 1970s MRO played a key role in observations to establish a new filter system that would enable photometric studies of the metal abundances of stars, Washington photometry. It was first discussed in a paper by UW graduates Hugh Harris and Ron Canterna in a 1979 paper in the Astronomical Journal. Old-timers will recall the logo “Washington Photometry: Abundances You Can't Refuse” emblazoned on t-shirts. This photometric system remains in use by various groups world-wide today. Later, narrow-band filters to observe emission line objects were added to the filter inventory. The SDSS filter set (ugriz) has been in constant use in recent years. In addition to the photometer, MRO had a spectrum scanner. A basic spectrograph was available to train graduate students in spectral classification and the joys of handling glass photographic plates. The scanner and the spectrograph faded from view by the late 1970s and photometry dominated for many years. The photometer was upgraded several times with better detectors (pulse-counting and then CCDs), cooling devices (liquid nitrogen, Cryotiger) and instrument control software. Current MRO information is available at http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/laws/MRO/home.page/mro.html MRO Support and Infrastructure:

The Directors and Associate Directors George Wallerstein, (UW Emeritus Professor of Astronomy) was Director of MRO from 1972 until 1990. The position then passed to Paula Szkody (UW Professor of Astronomy) who served until 2002. Paula has been a user of MRO since she was in graduate school at UW in the early 1970s. Over the years she had many students, both graduate students and undergraduates, doing observations of cataclysmic variables at the observatory. Julie Lutz (UW Emeritus Research Professor of Astronomy) has directed MRO from 2002 to the present. Julie used the scanner at MRO in the mid-1970s to observe symbiotic stars and has since had undergraduates and high school teachers doing photometry of symbiotics and a search for planetary nebulae in open star clusters. Chris Laws (UW Astronomy Lecturer) was appointed Associate Director in 2004. Chris was a TA at MRO during his graduate student years at UW and has taught the undergraduate observing techniques course several times.

The Engineers Founding MRO Engineer Ed Mannery was followed by David Jenner, Pat Waddell and Jeff Morgan, all top-notch technical people devoted to keeping MRO a state-of-the-art astronomical facility, even with restricted budgets and manpower. As UW astronomy got involved in larger telescopes (3.5-m and SDSS), it was increasingly difficult to justify a state-supported engineering salary for MRO while the university was providing major funding for other astronomical facilities. This difficulty was solved several years ago by having the MRO Associate Director Chris Laws' funding tied to the academic budget in recognition that MRO is an integral part of undergraduate education in astronomy. The Roads:

There used to be two approach roads to MRO, the north road and the south road. The north road was the shorter way to the observatory. In 2004 the state Department of Fish and Wildlife closed the north road. That road crosses a creek right after turning off the main paved road. Fish and Wildlife contended that cars on this road kick up dirt that might damage the salmon (?!) in the creek. No comment. So we are left with the south road, about a 45-minute longer drive. The following adjectives can be applied to the MRO access road at various times: rutted, muddy, dusty, snow covered, slippery, icy and rocky. Quite a few tires have developed punctures while navigating the access roads. One vehicle fell off a steep slope and another caught on fire going up the north road. Cars have been mired in the mud and snow. Getting to MRO has always been part of the adventure.

MRO Security:

For many years MRO has been surrounded by a fence with a padlocked gate, but that hasn't stopped occasional break-ins on the property. In particular, thieves have taken tools that are kept at the observatory to facilitate repairs and replacements. Shooting at the MRO building or at the sign on the fence has been another popular activity. In the early years observers often kept the building door open at night and received occasional visitors, but currently the practice is generally to lock the gate and the door.

Living at MRO:

The MRO site is isolated, so observers must be able to cook, eat and sleep in the building. The kitchen has remained pretty much the same over the years. Extensive bookshelves that used to house various almanacs, journals and astronomical books have been removed as such information became available on the internet. In 2005 the fireplace was finally removed to make more living space, and various upgrades (new paint, new furniture) were made so the living space is now comfortable for a group of about 8 people. The 3 sleeping rooms now have bunk-beds and the living-room houses a double bed. Observers bring their own bedding. A barbecue and a patio make outside meals possible during warm weather. Showers have been a no-no for a long time due to limited water supply. Additional water is usually hauled up in large jugs by observers so that the times between expensive fillings of the water tank can be stretched out as much as possible. Problems and Issues:

MRO has enjoyed generally smooth operations despite a very constrained budget, the remoteness of the site and the broad base of observers. Major glitches are rare, but they have occurred. On one occasion about 8 years ago the astronomy department chair proposed closing MRO so that money could be re-directed to Apache Point Observatory and SDSS. Protests ensued from undergraduates in particular, which caught the attention of the UW Daily newspaper. A major article in the Daily mentioned the idea of having undergraduate majors work with “simulated data.” Former director George Wallerstein was quoted as saying “Using simulated data is akin to having simulated sex—it just isn't the same as the real thing.” The observatory was not closed. Another glitch happened in the fall of 2004 when the Cryotiger system used to cool the ccd camera was destroyed during an observing run. Repairing or replacing a Cryotiger (which has been acquired on special grant funding) was beyond the means of MRO's budget. The observatory was closed for the rest of the season and during the summer of 2007. Astronomy 481 students took data at Dominion Astrophysical Observatory that summer. An electronically-cooled ccd system was acquired by using funds from the Friends of MRO. This system has been very reliable. Of course the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption in May 1980 affected the observatory. Doug Geisler's account of being stuck up at MRO during the event was the opening round. Doug put plastic over the telescope and auxiliary equipment to protect the observatory. Fortunately, the weeks following the eruption were rainy, so a lot of the ash was washed off and tamped down. The observatory didn't sustain any major damage and operated normally during most of the summer of 1980. Strange things can happen on any front. In 2005 Director Julie Lutz discovered that the lease from the state department of Fish and Wildlife on the MRO site had expired 5 years previously and UW hadn't paid the rent for about 30 years. Original MRO Director George Wallerstein recalled that the UW Real Estate Office was supposed to pay the rent, but evidently that never happened. After major begging and pleading, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School split the costs of the back rent and a new lease was negotiated. Keeping MRO up and running has always been a challenge. The UW has occasionally granted some special funding for repairs, but new issues are always surfacing. If it isn't the filter slide, it's the water tank. If it isn't the dome closing switch, it's the internet connection. A multitude of thanks go to the MRO support people, the physical plants of UW and Central Washington University and the many undergraduates who help with projects for keeping MRO humming along.

Research at MRO:

About 100 papers based all or in part on data obtained at MRO have been published in the refereed astronomical literature. Other MRO studies have been presented at conferences or reported in IAU Telegrams or in the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. Variable stars are natural targets for small, well-equipped telescopes. From the beginning MRO has been used for observing a variety of variable star types: cataclysmic variables, Cepheids, RR Lyrae variables, symbiotic stars, eclipsing binaries, novae and supernovae. Discovery of one of the first known binary central stars of a planetary nebula was made at MRO. Early observations of the X-ray binary HZ Her were done with the 0.75-m telescope. Some of the MRO observers have been part of multi-telescope campaigns such as the NOAH project which observed the cataclysmic variable BY Cam for 40 nights. MRO has also been a part of multi-wavelength (optical, ultraviolet, X-ray) campaigns to observe cataclysmic variables. Star clusters have been another favorite target of MRO observers, especially when the Washington photometry system was developed to distinguish temperatures and metallicities of stars. The wide field-of-view of the telescope provides a particular advantage for studying the more extensive open and globular clusters. H II regions and planetary nebulae have been occasional targets employing MRO's complement of narrow-band filters. Galaxies were targets in one thesis done early-on by Karl Kreinke, but most observers have stayed within the Milky Way galaxy. A few studies encompassed solar system objects such as asteroids, comets and planetary satellites. One asteroid (1466 Hodge) was discovered by Mark Hammergren at MRO and named for long-time faculty member Paul Hodge. Mike Braunstein of Central Washington observed Comet Hale-Bopp from MRO. In the past two decades MRO has been used to complement the work done by UW astronomers on the 3.5-m Apache Point telescope and the SDSS. Follow-up observations on RR Lyra variable candidates identified in SDSS have engaged many undergraduate astronomy students. Projects such as calibrating colors of cool stars, monitoring flares on M-type dwarf stars, follow-up studies of new cataclysmic variables and searching for planetary nebulae in open star clusters have enriched the education of undergraduate students and resulted in papers given at meetings and/or refereed publications.

Astronomy isn't the only thing done at MRO. The observatory also hosts the Manastash Ridge Radar (MRR), founded by John Sahr of the UW Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. MRR is a bistatic passive radar that uses FM broadcasts as a signal source. It has been used for auroral studies and to track airplanes and meteors. Learn more about the MRR at http://rrsl.ee.washington.edu/Projects/Manastash/

MRO in Graduate and Undergraduate Courses:

Astronomy 581 (Techniques in Optical Astronomy) was started in the early 1970s so that UW graduate students could learn how to both obtain and reduce astronomical research data. At the inception of the course this meant mostly optical spectroscopy and photometry, both done at MRO. During the 1970s and early 1980s many UW graduate students used MRO to take all or part of their thesis data or to do other research projects with faculty. As time went on, other wavelength regions opened up to astronomical exploration and new facilities came online, such as the Apache Point Observatory and the SDSS. Graduate students are still exposed briefly to MRO as part of Astronomy 581 and a few still choose to make use of the facility for part of their thesis research or for other projects. Most recently, MRO was used in a thesis on M-dwarf flare stars. In 1996 Astronomy 480 (Introduction to Astronomical Data Analysis) and Astronomy 481 (Introduction to Astronomical Observations) were established as permanent courses. Astronomy 480 covers photometric and spectroscopic data reductions using IRAF. In summer quarter students can enroll for Astronomy 481, which is based at MRO. Students work on research projects at MRO in small groups. They have to plan and execute the observations and then do the data reductions and present the results. Papers in refereed journals have resulted from some of the summer projects. Students sometimes continue the research or are hired on other MRO projects after the course is finished. Astr 481 instructors have included Ana Larson, Lee Homer, Guillermo Gonzalez and Chris Laws. MRO has been the site for Astronomy 499 projects for undergraduates and a source of paid employment for some students. For example, undergraduates have been hired on grant funds to monitor cataclysmic variables and to follow-up on SDSS variable star candidates. Occasionally undergraduates initiate research projects of their own, as was the case with a recent search for planetary nebulae in open star clusters. This project provided data to a research group in the department's Pre-MAP program for under-represented minority students. Some undergraduates also get paid to help with engineering projects at MRO and go through the UW Physics Shop course to get appropriate training. Undergraduates also participate in work parties that get MRO ready to open up in the spring.

MRO Outreach : The last few miles of the road to MRO is not paved, so events for the general public have been infrequent. During the 1970s there were a few public open houses at MRO that were advertised in and around Ellensburg. However, the road conditions are unpredictable, so the UW became concerned about inviting the public up to the site, especially when it involved driving in the dark. Occasional drop-in visitors have been welcomed by observers: hunters, hikers, campers, off-road vehicle drivers. Very occasionally school groups made it up to see the telescope. In recent years MRO has had small groups stay overnight. For example, several workshops for high school teachers have been conducted at the observatory. Teachers who attended workshops have subsequently brought students to the site. Three high school teachers have conducted summer research programs at MRO with funding from the Murdock Charitable Trust Partners in Science program. Amateur astronomy groups such as the Seattle Astronomical Society have held star parties at the observatory. Faculty and students from Washington State University(WSU), Central Washington University(CWU) and Evergreen College have used MRO over the years. Collaborations have proven fruitful for the observatory. CWU physical plant has helped with building repairs. Narrowband filters were purchased jointly by WSU and UW. Evergreen College obtained funding from NSF for the Cryotiger. John Sahr of UW EECS and his students in the MRR project have contributed to the infrastructure and make trips to the observatory on cross-country skis in the winter. Acknowledgments:

The University of Washington has supported the observatory with an operating budget for many years. We wish it could be more, but we are determined to make every penny count! Special thanks to the University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School for multi-year funding to renovate the MRO infrastructure. Donors to the Manastash Observatory Fund have consistently helped by providing funding for instrumentation, the current camera (Spidercam) being the latest example. John Sahr of UW EECS and the MRR folks are to be thanked for their many contributions. The Kenilworth Fund has supported undergraduate research and infrastructure improvements. We also thank the many undergraduates and graduate students who have put “blood, sweat and tears” into using and maintaining MRO. If YOU would like to support MRO, just follow this link: https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift?page=funds&source_typ=2&source=EBN and select Manastash Observatory Fund.