Instrument/Model Description

The Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory is located in Tbilisi, Georgia (41.8? N, 42.8? E; ~1700m msl alt). There are several instruments that collect nighttime optical observations, spectrographs and photometers, with the earliest observations made in 1942. The spectrograph data is on film and the older photometrical data for the red/green [O] lines are on paper charts. However, the length of the data set makes it attractive for long-term studies if the data could be digitized.

Nighttime brightness observations come from:

1. Spectrograph (light scattering) is all on film
   1. 1942-1957
   2. 1957-1992 (new instrument?)
   3. 1992-1999 gap
   4. 1999-present
2. Photometer with filters for [O] green (557.7nm) and red (630.0nm)
   1. 1957-1974 resolution about 30 min on paper charts
   2. 1974-1993 resolution 3 min for each filter used (3 filters with the OH band filter (8-3) R1(??) branch centered on 726.4 nm(???))
      OH(8-3) R1 from Chamberlain, p 370, Physics of the Aurora and Airglow
      K''=1 724.48
      K''=2 723.98
      K''=3 723.80
      K''=4 723.92
      K''=5 724.42
      K''=6 725.33
      K''=7 726.51 1993-2000 gap 2000-present same 3 min resolution
3. Na doublet (????nm) from 1957 to present (gaps? changes in instruments or filters?)
4. Photometer OH bands (filters for 6-1, 9-3, etc??) from 1957-1974, intermittent thereafter. Sometimes used 1 filter, 2 filters, or 3 filters (??).
   1. 1958-1970 (missing 1965-1967) OH(9-3) and OH(6-1) P1 branches (J=3/2) centered at 635 nm and 660 nm (? kindats 6350 and 6600): Have arbitrary brightness for entire night (Fishkova et al REF???) Second nm numbers are from Chamberlain, p 370, Physics of the Aurora and Airglow
      OH(9-3) OH(6-1)
      P1 628.7 628.76 653.3 653.31
      P2 630.6 630.68 655.4 655.37
      P3 632.9 632.92 657.4 657.73
      P4 635.6 635.51 660.3 660.41
      P5 638.6 638.44 663.3 663.42
      P6 642.0 641.69 666.7 666.75
   2. 1987-1993 OH(6-1) R1 branch centered at 647.3 nm (kindat=6470) between 64?.? nm and 64?.? nm (or wavenumber) every 3 min pointed at azimuth 180 (geographic south) and 42 deg elevation angle above the horizon with a field-of-view of ???.
      OH(6-1) R1 from Chamberlain, p 370, Physics of the Aurora and Airglow
      K''=1 647.10
      K''=2 646.60
      K''=3 646.36
      K''=4 646.38
      K''=5 646.69
      K''=6 647.28
      K''=7 648.17
5. Geocorona H alpha resonance line (???? nm)
   1. 1958-1993
   2. 1993-? gap
6. O3 total content from 1965-1993

Many of the early observations from 1957-1993 were made by Prof. L. Fishkova and Dr. N. Marcvaladze. After the mid 1970's, they used the Einstein Transition Probabilities from Mies (1974).

References:

Fishkova, L. and N. Marcvaladze, ??? in what (Russian only?) journals?

Mies, F. H., Calculated vibrational transition probabilities from OH ... ?? J. Molec. Spectroscopy, 53, 150-188, 1974.

Summary Plots for Abastumani OH(6-1) P1 Branch (P2 peak) Relative Brightness

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1958 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1960 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1961 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1962 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1963 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1964 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1968 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1969 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1970 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1958 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1959 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1960 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1961 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1962 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1963 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1964 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1968 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1969 All data for this period

Jan 01-Dec 31, 1970 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 05, 1987 All data for this period

Mar 06-May 04, 1987 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1987 All data for this period

Jul 04-Sep 01, 1987 All data for this period

Sep 02-Oct 31, 1987 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1987 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 04, 1988 All data for this period

Mar 05-May 03, 1988 All data for this period

May 04-Jul 02, 1988 All data for this period

Jul 03-Aug 31, 1988 All data for this period

Sep 01-Oct 30, 1988 All data for this period

Oct 31-Dec 29, 1988 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 05, 1989 All data for this period

Mar 06-May 04, 1989 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1989 All data for this period

Jul 04-Sep 01, 1989 All data for this period

Sep 02-Oct 31, 1989 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1989 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 05, 1990 All data for this period

Mar 06-May 04, 1990 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1990 All data for this period

Jul 04-Sep 01, 1990 All data for this period

Sep 02-Oct 31, 1990 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1990 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 05, 1991 All data for this period

Mar 06-May 04, 1991 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1991 All data for this period

Jul 04-Sep 01, 1991 All data for this period

Sep 02-Oct 31, 1991 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1991 All data for this period

Mar 05-May 03, 1992 All data for this period

May 04-Jul 02, 1992 All data for this period

Jul 03-Aug 31, 1992 All data for this period

Sep 01-Oct 30, 1992 All data for this period

Oct 31-Dec 29, 1992 All data for this period

Jan 05-Mar 05, 1993 All data for this period

Mar 06-May 04, 1993 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1993 All data for this period

Jul 04-Sep 01, 1993 All data for this period

Sep 02-Oct 31, 1993 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1975 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1975 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1975 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1975 All data for this period

May 05-Jul 03, 1975 All data for this period

Nov 01-Dec 30, 1975 All data for this period

Combined Daily Listing for Optical Instruments

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-Revised 26 Dec 2003 by emery@ucar.edu