BOOTES-2 Observatory

BOOTES-2 Observatory sits near Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, in southern Spain, as the second station of the international Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System network.

About BOOTES-2 Observatory

The station is a collaboration between the Institute of Astronomy (IAA-CSIC), the University of Málaga (UMA), and the Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea (IHSM/UMA-CSIC). Its scientific purpose is to follow up on gamma-ray bursts as part of a global network with stations in Spain, New Zealand, China, Mexico, South Africa, and Chile.

Telescopes & research

Its primary instrument is TELMA (TELescope MAlaga), a 0.6-metre Ritchey-Chrétien fast-slewing robotic telescope, fitted with an EMCCD camera at the Cassegrain focus and a set of filters. TELMA replaced the station's original 0.3-metre Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope in 2009.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located near Algarrobo-Costa on the Málaga coast in southern Spain, part of the wider BOOTES robotic telescope network that spans several continents.

Visiting BOOTES-2 Observatory

As a robotic research station built for rapid, automated gamma-ray burst follow-up, it is not primarily set up for public visits; check with the BOOTES network or its partner institutions for any current access arrangements.

See your named star from here

TELMA's fast-slewing telescope is built to point at precise coordinates within seconds, the same kind of precision used to locate a named star. Name a star or check the catalogue for its exact position in this Málaga sky.