F. Huppert | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

PROVIDENCE: a ground station for space observation

PROVIDENCE is an ONERA-led project to install a new-generation optical ground station at the Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP) in South of France. Built around a 2.5-meter aperture, the station addresses five core science cases: space domain awareness, astronomy, laser activities and communications, atmospheric characterization, and instrumental prototyping. The project is organized into three parallel subprojects covering the telescope (Providence T), the building (Providence B), and the instruments (Providence I), the latter including the facility's first-light adaptive optics instrument, INTERSTELLAR. This paper presents the scientific motivation, the project architecture, the telescope technical specifications, the civil-engineering challenges associated with replacing the existing T152 equatorial telescope, and the station layout designed to host multiple co-active instrument teams. The project roadmap targets First Light in 2029, timed to track the close-approach flyby of asteroid Apophis.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Multi-purpose InSTRument for Astronomy at Low-resolution: MISTRAL@OHP

MISTRAL is the new Faint Object Spectroscopic Camera mounted at the folded Cassegrain focus of the 1.93m telescope of Haute-Provence Observatory. We describe the design and components of the instrument and give some details about its operation. We emphasise in particular the various observing modes and the performances of the detector. A short description is also given about the working environment. Various types of objects, including stars, nebulae, comets, novae, galaxies have been observed during various test phases to evaluate the performances of the instrument. The instrument covers the range of 4000 to 8000A with the blue setting, or from 6000 to 10000A with the red setting, at an average spectral resolution of 700. Its peak efficiency is about 22% at 6000A. In spectroscopy, a limiting magnitude of 19.5 can be achieved for a point source in one hour with a signal to noise of 3 in the continuum (and better if emission lines are present). In imaging mode, limiting magnitudes of 20-21 can be obtained in 10-20mn (with average seing conditions of 2.5 arcsec at OHP). The instrument is very users-friendly and can be put into operations in less than 15mn (rapid change-over from the other instrument in use) if required by the science (like for Gamma-Rays Bursts). Some first scientific results are described for various types of objects, and in particular for the follow-up of GRBs. While some further improvements are still under way, in particular to ease the switch from blue to red setting and add more grisms or filters, MISTRAL is ready for the follow-up of transients and other variable objects, in the soon-to-come era of e.g. the SVOM satellite and of the Rubin telescope.

astro-ph.IM↗