Desperta, és un nou dia, la llum del sol llevant, vell guia pels quiets camins del fum. No deixis res per caminar i mirar fins al ponent. Car tot, en un moment, et serà pres.	Salvador Espriu Cançó d'albada

OBSERVATORY

Telescope of 41 cm and the 3 meter dome

Located in Mollet del Vallès, a city near Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). The observatory is a private facility integrated in the network of observatories of the Grup d'Estudis Astronòmics (GEA).

INSTRUMENTAL FACILITIES

The observatory houses in a dome a 41 cm F/4.5 Newtonian telescope, an F/6.3 26_cm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and two 8 cm refracting rich field telescopes, the three last ones installed in contiguous terraces by the dome. All equatorial mounts are automatic, two of commercial desing and two following Mel Bartels'. The telescopes are remotely commanded from a control room. In order to make a good use of observating time, several or all the telescopes are simultaneously used.

Accessories: CCD cameras and photoelectric photometers. Filters UBVRI (Johnson and Cousins, Strömgren and Wing).

Software: LUCAS, LAIA, AVE and GUIDE.

The 41 cm telescope.

Detail of control room.

OBSERVING CONDITIONS

It is an urban observatory with severe light pollution. Average seeing is 1.5 ". Useful nights per year: 130-140, equivalent to 3800 hours of observation if the production of all telescopes is added up.

OBSERVATIONAL WORK

Two are the main goals: routine patrolling of planets Jupiter and Saturn for the detection of extraordinary phenomena, and UBVRIuvby photometry of variable stars (identification and characterization of new variables). An important part of the planetary work has also been developed from professional observatories, mainly from Teide Observatory (IAC) and Pic du Midi Observatory. Among the obtained results are the detection of several disturbances in Jupiter and Saturn and the discovery of half a hundred variable stars.

 

AFFILIATIONS AND HONORS

 Foundig member of the Grup d'Estudis Astronòmics
  Foundig member of the Esteve Duran Observatory Foundation
  Foundig member of the Casal Cultural de Mollet
  Member of the Agrupación Astronómica de Sabadell
  Member of the Sociedad Española de Astronomía
  Honorific member of the Agrupació Astronòmica de Barcelona, ASTER
  President of the Grup d'Estudis Astronòmics (GEA)
  Director of the Esteve Duran Observatory
  Award Ajuntament de Sabadell
  Award Société Astronomique de France
  Award Casal Cultural de Mollet

 

OPERATOR:

Josep M. Gómez Forrellad   

 

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 

Solar System:

Phénomènes mutuels des satellites de Jupiter en 1985, Gómez Forrellad, J.M., Supp. Annales de Physique, 12, 79 (1987).

A catalogue of the observations of the mutual phenomena of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter made in 1985 during the PHEMU85 campaign, Arlot, J.E et al., entre ellos Cano Gorini, J., Gómez Forrellad, J.M., Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 82, 151 (1992).

The Life Cycles of the Jovian SEB and New Phenomena Observed during the April 1993 Outburst, Sánchez-Lavega., A., Gómez, J.M., Miyazaki, I., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Laques, P., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 25, nº 3 (1993).

Study of a new form of activity within the Jovian North temperate eastward jet, García-Melendo, E., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Parker, D., Miyazaki, I., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 26, nº 3 (1994)

A new long-lived anticyclonic vortex in the south tropical zone of Jupiter, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Parker, D., Miyazaki, I., Gómez, J.M., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 26, nº 3, (1994).

Observations of the SL9 impact on Jupiter from 0.4 to 2.16 microns at Pic-du-Midi Observatory, Gómez, J.M., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Laques, P., Rouan, D., Tiphene, D., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 26, nº 3, (1994).

IAU Circular nº 6059 (1994): New polar storm in Saturn.

IAU Circular nº 6079 (1994): New equatorial storm in Saturn.

IAU Circular nº 6080 (1994): About the new equatorial storm of Saturn.

IAU Circular nº 6129 (1995): Spokes in the Saturn's rings.

Morphology and Motions of the SL9 Impact Clouds (July 1994 - April 1995), Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Gómez, J.M., Laques, P., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., IAU Colloquium 156, Baltimore, May 1995.

Motions of the SL9 impact clouds, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Gómez, J.M., Laques, P., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Geophysical Research Letters 22, 1761 (1995).

The South Equatorial Belt of Jupiter. 1. Its life cycle, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Icarus 121, 1 (1996).

The South Equatorial Belt of Jupiter. II. The onset and development of the 1993 disturbance, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Guarro, J., Icarus 121, 18 (1996).

Large-Scale Storms in Saturn's Atmosphere During 1994, Sanchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Gómez, J.M., Colas, F., Laques, P., Noll, K., Gilmore, D., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Science 271, 611 (1996).

Temporal Evolution on the SL9 Impact sites: July 1994- August 1995, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Laques, P., Gómez, J.M., Rojas, J.F., Acarreta, J.R., García-Melendo, E., International Conference on the SL9-Jupiter Collision, Paris, July 1996.

A catalogue of the observations of the mutual Phenomena of the Galilean satellites made in 1991 during the PHEMU91 campaign, Arlot, E, J. et al , entre ellos Cano, J.A., Gómez Forrellad, J.M., Guarro, J., Vidal, J., Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement Series 125, 399-405 (1997)

Evolución temporal de los sitios de impacto del SL9 con Júpiter: Período Julio 1994 a Agosto 1995, Sánchez Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Laques, P., Gómez, J.M., Rojas, J.F., Acarreta, J.R., García Melendo, E., Revista de la Sociedad Española de Astronomía 7, 35 (1997)

The activity of the southern zone of Saturn in 1995 and 1996, Sánchez Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M. et al., Annales Geophysicae Supplement, Vol. 15 (1997)

The Extraordinary Activity of the Southern Equatorial Zone of Saturn during 1996, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Acarreta, J.R., Gómez, J.M., García, E., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 29, 996 (1997)

The History of the Long-lived South Tropical Oval that Interacted with the GRS in May 1997, Hueso, R., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Gómez, J.M., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Bulletin of de American Astronomical Society, Vol. 29, 1019 (1997)

Temporal Evolution of the Features Created by the Collisions of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter: July 1994-September 1996, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Rojas, J.F., Acarreta, J.R., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Hueso, R., Arregui, J., Icarus 131, 341 (1998)

Dynamics and Interaction between a Large-Scale Vortex and the Great Red Spot in Jupiter, Sánchez-Lavega, A., Hueso, R., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Rojas, J.F., Gómez, J.M., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Icarus 136, 14 (1998)

An Overview of Saturn's Equatorial Storms: 1990 - 1997, Sanchez-Lavega, A., Acarreta, J.R., Hueso, R., Rojas, J.L., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Gomez, J.M., en Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics, J. Gorgas y J. Zamorano editores, Kluwer Academic Publishers, (1999)

Discrete cloud activity in Saturn's Equator during 1995, 1996 and 1997, Sanchez-Lavega, A., J. Lecacheux, F. Colas, J.F. Rojas, J.M. Gomez, Planetary and Space Science Vol. 47 (10-11) pp. 1277-1283 (1999).

An Overview of Saturn's Equatorial Storms: 1990 - 1997, Sanchez-Lavega, A., Acarreta, J.R., Hueso, R., Rojas, J.L., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Gomez, J.M.,  Astrophysics and Space Science 261, 351-354 (1999). 

Recientes estudios de vórtices en las atmósferas de los planetas gigantes: I. Júpiter, A. Sánchez-Lavega, J.F. Rojas, E. García-Melendo, R. Hueso, J.R. Acarreta, J.M. Trigo, R. Morales, J.M. Gómez en XXVII Reunión Bienal de la Real Sociedad Española de Física, M.V. Castillo, A. Ferrer, E. Higón editores, Universitat de València (1999).

The 90 day oscillation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot revisited, J.M. Trigo-Rodríguez, A. Sánchez-Lavega, J.M. Gómez, J. Lecacheux, F. Colas, I. Miyazaki, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 31, n° 4 (1999).  

Long-Lived Vortices and Profile Changes in the 23.7N Hig-Speed Jovian Jet, García-Melendo, E., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Parker, D., Miyazaki, I., Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 31, n° 4 (1999).  

The 90 day oscillation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot revisited, J.M. Trigo-Rodríguez, A. Sánchez-Lavega, J.M. Gómez, J. Lecacheux, F. Colas, I. Miyazaki,  Planetary and Space Science 48, 331 (2000).

Long-Lived Vortices and Profile Changes in the 23.7°N High-Speed Jovian Jet, García-Melendo, E., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Gómez, J.M., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Miyazaki, I., Parker, D., Icarus 146, 514 (2000).

Variable stars:

1987 Amplitude Changes of II Peg Light Curve, Cano, J.A., Casas, R., Gallart, C., Gómez, J.M., Jariod, E., Peracaula, M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 3107 (1987).

1988-89 observations of II Peg, Casas, R., Gómez, J.M., Tomàs, Ll., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 3330 (1989).

SAO 139174 is an eclipsing binary star, Casas, R., Gómez, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 3337 (1989).

Photoelectric Photometry of the RS CVn binary EI Eridanii = HD26337, Hooten, J.T., Strassmeier, K.G., Hall, D.S. et al. (Casas, R., Gallart, C., Gómez, J.M.), Astrophysics and Space Science, 155, 45 (1989).

I.A.P.P.P. Spanish Wing Report 1990, Gomez Forrellad., J.M., I.A.P.P.P. Communications, 39 (1990).

The eclipsing binary NSV 02980, Guarro-Flo, J., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E.,Vidal-Sainz, J., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4246 (1995).

Observations of NSV 06836, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4247 (1995).

Observations of NSV 13191, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4248 (1995).

The overcontact binary system NSV 05798, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4257 (1995).

Improved ephemeris and photometric elements for HY Virginis, García-Melendo, E., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Vidal-Sainz, J., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4272 (1995).

Photometric observations of NSV 13368, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4275 (1995).

Photometric observations of NSV 01651 and the new variable star GSC 0669.0468, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4282 (1995).

Photometric observations of the new bright classical Cepheid SAO 25009 = HD 32456, Campos-Cucarella, F., Guarro-Flo, J., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4317 (1996).

NSV 05256, a low amplitude RRab star in Camelopardalis, Campos-Cucarella, F., Nomen-Torres, J., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4323 (1996).

The new overcontact system GSC 3273.0761 in Andromeda and a star showing an optical transient, Vidal-Sainz, J., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4324 (1996).

NSV 07968 is an overcontact eclipsing binary star, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4364 (1996).

NSV 03438, a new detached eclipsing binary star in Canis Minor, García-Melendo, E., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4410 (1996).

Research on Variable Stars during 1995 and 1996, Gómez Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., International Conference on Blazars, Black Holes and Jets, Girona, September 1996.

Identificación y caracterización de nuevas estrellas variables, Gómez Forrellad, J.M., García Melendo, E., Revista de la Sociedad Española de Astronomía 7, 30 (1997).

NSV 02541, a detached eclipsing binary star in Orion, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4423 (1997).

NSV 00361 is an overcontact binary system in Pisces, Vidal-Sainz, J., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4424 (1997).

A new Beta Lyrae variable, SAO 56342, and two new possible irregular stars: BD+32o0599 and SAO 56366, Campos-Cucarella, F., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4426 (1997).

NSV 00821, a new overcontact eclipsing binary system in Triangulum, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Garrigós Sánchez, A., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4427 (1997).

Two variable stars in Auriga: The new classical Cepheid NSV 01771 and the new eclipsing binary system GSC 2906.0213, García-Melendo, E., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Garrigós Sánchez, A., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4436 (1997).

Improved ephemeris and new observations of NSV 02980, Moschner, W., Garrigós Sánchez, A., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Kleikamp, W., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4468 (1997).

Photometric results on three HIPPARCOS variables: The new eclipsing binary systems HD 125488 and HD 126080, and the star HD 341508, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4469 (1997).

Observations of selected HIPPARCOS variables, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, J. Guarro-Flo, J. Nomen-Torres, J. Vidal-Sainz, Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4702 (1999)

HD 182844: a new low amplitude variable star, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4703 (1999)

The New EB System GSC 4741_1263, Garrigós- Sánchez, A., Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., García-Melendo, E., Vidal-Sainz, J., Juan-Samsó, J., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4885 (2000).

BD+62°2167: a New Eclipsing Binary in the Field of CW Cep, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4923 (2000).

SAO 23170, a New Beta Cep in the Stellar Cluster H VI 33, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4924 (2000).

HD 218179: a New Long Period Bright EB in Cepheus, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4931 (2000).

GSC 156 1365, a New EB Eclipsing Binary Star in Monoceros, Gómez-Forrellad, J.M.; Henden, A.A.; Guarro-Flo, J., Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4972 (2000).

NSV 01756: a Red Variable in Eridanus, Gómez-Forrellad, Josep M.; Henden, Arne A. Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4973 (2000).

Astronomical equipment:

La photometrie à photodiode, Gómez Forrellad, J.M., Supp. Annales de Physique 12, 83 (1987).