Bronberg Observatory

Index:

Current Info; Summary; History; Astronomers; Programmes; Instruments; Sources; Links:

Current Information:

Private Observatory, also known as CBA Pretoria
2001 - present

Current Information:
Owner: Berto Monard
Telephone no.:
Fax no.:
P.R.O. e-mail: LAGMonar@csir.co.za
Website:
Related websites: CBA: http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/
SN: http://www.RochesterAstronomy.org/snimages/
CV's: http://icarus.stsci.edu/~downes/cvcat/
News on discoveries:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2003/03-78.htm
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1025_1.asp
http://www.aavso.org/news/grb030725.shtml
http://astronomy.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/446efugc.asp
Physical address: Plot 39, Rietfofntein Pretoria
Postal address:

Location:
Longitude: 28 26 44East
Latitude: 25 54 48South
Altitude: 1 590m (5 216ft)

In Brief:

Noted for:
Berto Monard has discovered twelve supernovas. He has discovered twelve of the thirteen supernovas that have been discovered from Southern Africa.
He is also credited as the first amateur astronomer to discover the afterglow of a gamma ray burst.

Summary:
This is a private Observatory outside Pretoria. Berto Monard, an engineer at CSIR, owns it. This Observatory is dedicated to studying Cataclysmic Variables (CV's), mainly unstudied ones. Mr. Monard is also a member of the Centre for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA); a global network of small telescopes dedicated to photometry of CV's. Bronberg Observatory, also known as CBA-Pretoria is the only dedicated African participant of this network.

Historical background:

History:

The Observatory went into operation in 2001 and Mr Monard has discovered three supernovas at this site. Jack Bennet in M83 made the only other supernova discovery from Southern Africa, in 1968.

List of Discoveries:

SN 2001el: 17 September 2001 in NGC 1448
: 9 March 2002 in ESO 373-G 5 in Antlia.
2002cy: 8 May 2002 in NGC 1762.

Astronomers:

Programmes:

Instruments:

Link to the Telescope Manufacturers.

Meade 12 inch LX 200 fitted with a SBIG ST 7E CCD camera.
Meade 12.5 inch Starfinder for visual observations.

Sources:

Link to the Main Bibliography Section and more information about Sources.

Pictorial Sources:

Bibliography:

Gamma ray burst source located by South African amateur; MNASSA October 2003, Vol. 62 nos. 7 & 8, p. 192
Supernova from the Centre for Backyard Astrophysics-PTA, MNASSA, Vol. 61, No's 7 & 8, August 2002, pp.92 - 93.

Links:

Related websites: CBA: http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/
SN: http://www.RochesterAstronomy.org/snimages/
CV's: http://icarus.stsci.edu/~downes/cvcat/
News on discoveries:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2003/03-78.htm
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1025_1.asp
http://www.aavso.org/news/grb030725.shtml
http://astronomy.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/446efugc.asp

Interesting Links:
Link to Objects Lost and / or Found.
Link to a short History of Astronomy in Southern Africa.
Link to a Time Line to see how Events on this page relates to the bigger time dimension.
Link to view the Achievements and other Interesting Aspects of Southern African Astronomers.
Link to the Telescope Manufacturers.
Link to the Main Bibliography Section and more information about Sources and the Archive.

Director Historical Section: Chris de Coning - siriusa@absamail.co.za

Webmaster: Christian Hettlage - webmaster@assa.saao.ac.za