ROSA Remote Observatories Southern Alps is a site with actually six remote controlled observatories located in an area with low light pollution in Southern France. After initially two domes in 2008, ROSA has grown over the years to four domes and two roll-off roof observatories. All members are enthusiastic deep sky astrophotographers originating from four different countries in Europe.
Meet the ROSA – Members
Bart Delsaert
I discovered astrophotography back in 2008 and was instantly hooked. To me it is a nice blend of technology, astronomy and the great outdoors. Although I still enjoy hauling gear to dark sites, having a remotely controlled observatory allows for many more imaging opportunities… and it’s a cool challenge!
Bram Goossens
My astronomical journey starts very early, my grandmother taught me to observe the moon and the brightest planets traveling between the stars. When I was 12, I got my first Newtonian and since then I have built a lot of telescopes. Remote observing of the beautiful sky was the next big step for me!
David Bender
My interest in astronomy was awakened at school by the astronomy lessons. I gained my first astronomical experiences with a 4 inch Newton on an equatorial mount. My favorit targets in astrophotography are comets. My profession is finance and I work in Dessau-Roßlau in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt in the public administration.
Gerhard Zahler-Treiber
I am an Austrian amateur astrophotographer. My interest in astronomy started when I was 11. At that time, I read my first science book and I had my first telescope. After studying four semesters physics and astronomy in Vienna, I changed to philosophy. 2014 I started astrophotography with a DSLR on a Newton telescope.
Martin Nischang
I was infected by the night sky when I was 10. Years later I ordered a 12 cm mirror, build my first telescope and equatorial mount, and started astrophotography using an old SLR camera. I studied physics at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, getting insight on causes of astronomical phenomena.
Martin Rusterholz
I’m a Swiss amateur astrophotographer. My interest in astronomy started when I was 16. At that time, I built my first Newtonian telescope and mount. I studied physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) which was the only study including at least some aspects of astronomy and astrophysics.
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A few words about ROSA Remote Observatories Southern Alps
ROSA was founded 2008 by Karel Teuwen and Daniel Marquardt.
To escape the light pollution and bad weather conditions in northern part of Europe, Karel and Daniel placed their domes side by side at a really dark place at the border of the Alps in Southern France. The conditions allowed them to push the limits for deep sky imaging to a new level which encouraged other astrophotographers to place an observatory at the same location. Over the past years, ROSA grew to six observatories, four domes and two roll-off roofs.
Some observatories are partnerships between astrophotographers, while others are owed by individuals. Various types of mounts and telescopes are placed in the observatories. Refractors, Newtonian reflectors and Ritchey Chrétien telescopes are used to gather photons to create outstanding images. All observatories are sharing resources like different weather sensors and internet connections. Many members spend a part of their holidays at the site to maintain their installation and to keep the shared resources running.