TORITOS

WHAT IS THE TORITOS PROJECT?

     Cordon Macón is a new site. As such a series of observations beyond the characterization already performed by Argentina and European astronomers for ESO, are needed. The TORITOS project consists in deploying a small telescope in Cordon Macon to start testing operability at the site.Additionally during the austral winter (June) scientists and students from Texas A&M 2013 with the participation of scientists and students from IATE and UT Bronwsville will be sustaining a 10 days campaign observing at the site.

TORITOS Instrument

     The instrumentation to be deployed at Macón for the TORITOS project consists in a Meade LX200 16” telescope and an Apogee U10 camera with a filter wheel. This instrument has already reached Argentine customs at Buenos Aires and after inspection, and adjustments it will be deployed at Cordon Macón becoming the first instrument to work at the site in this pilto project for TOROS. The TOROS collaboration expects to determine the most suitable instrument for study of transients,particularly those associated with kilonovae explosions by the end of 2013. The key science target in this phase will be a survey of nearby galaxies for the early discovery of nearby supernovae for follow-up observations with large telescopes. This is a much needed activity for supernova astronomy, since all current southern hemisphere supernova surveys focus on cosmological supernovae and nearby ones are often missed.