Japanese automaker Nissan at the motor show in Hanover presented a concept SUV Navara Dark Sky, which should suit the tastes of anyone who enjoys and is engaged in professional astronomy, as well as those who are on duty often have to travel from one place to another. The beauty of this concept is that the car is equipped with a trailer, in which is mounted a telescope PlaneWave.
The development of the car and the telescope was carried out jointly with the European space Agency (ESA). The trailer has cooled the interior, which stabilizes the performance of the telescope. Also, here’s a trailer with a telescope equipped with two rechargeable batteries and can transmit the collected data via Wi-Fi network. The stabilization system will keep the operation of the device even after driving on a bad road.
Trailer with PlaneWave, and also the car have a red light, which minimizes light pollution, and the driver assistance system ProPilot will choose the most suitable place for observing celestial bodies in the night sky.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the telescope PlaneWave Nissan and ESA have used it in the mission Gaia. In the framework of this mission, astronomers used the Gaia satellite to create detailed maps of our galaxy and in it the stars for further observation of them from the Earth. However, these observations should be carried out in a very dark, remote from sources of light pollution areas, which is sometimes not so easy to get to, especially with highly sensitive and fragile telescope in the back of the car. The concept car Dark Sky, in turn, equipped with a stabilization system that will keep the operation of the device even after driving on a bad road.
“Mobile telescopes such as the PlaneWave, will help to better understand the celestial bodies in our galaxy by astronomers enthusiasts who will be able to join the process. It was an amazing adventure, really showed what happens when there are innovations and astronomy,” commented Fred Jansen, curator of the mission Gaia of the European space Agency.
Would like to have one? Please share your opinion in our Telegram chat.
Nissan and ESA presented the SUV for astronomers, equipped with a telescope
Nikolai Khizhnyak