Crowd-funding campaign launched for funding a new, advanced CCD camera
In eight years, we presented the Universe to millions.
Now you can help us to do it much better.
The Planewave 17 (left) and Celestron C-14 (right) units, both on a robotic Paramount ME mount
Important Note: following the input from several of you, we had to restart the campaign, setting it in US Dollars to make possible to people to donate even if they do NOT have a PayPal account. But what was already donated in Euros is NOT lost. For correctness and to keep things clear, the old campaign in Euros is here. For donations, please use the new campaign in USD above.
If you prefer to donate via our ordinary tool, please visit the DONATE page of this site
Virtual Telescope’s Crowd-funding Campaign 2014
Update (2 Nov. 2014): considering all the donations received so far, including direct ones via PayPal, we reached 5735USD, that is 23% of the goal
Short Summary
Since 2006, the Virtual Telescope Project showed the wonders of the Universe to more than 6 millions of individuals, from more than 230 Countries. All this for free.
Without any institutional funding, our project is the leading one on the international stage as for astronomical public outreach. Our reputation and reliability are legendary, as well as our love for the Cosmos and our endless passion in bringing it, live, to the world.
As for the research side, the Virtual Telescope widely contributed to science with first rate, often unique observations in many different fields: exoplanets, asteroids, comets, variable stars, novae, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts. Hundreds of professional publications out there are firmly proving this.
After eight years of passionate work, we would love to increase both our public and scientific activities, acquiring a new imaging device, making possible for us to fully exploit the capabilities of our robotic telescopes.
To cover the expensive costs of such a device, we need your help. As we said, our internationally, highly recognized project has NO funding so without your contribution we would never succeed reaching such a important goal.
Help the Virtual Telescope Project acquiring a very advanced CCD imaging device, this way increasing both the scientific and public outreach return.
Our 8 years of history and facts are out there, publicly available, making the Virtual Telescope Project well worth of both your trust and support
What We Need
To reach our goal and greatly enhance the capabilities of the Virtual Telescope we need:
- An very high sensitivity CCD imaging camera, with a back-illuminated and large field-of-view chip;
- An adequate filter wheel, hosting all the filters needed to make the system complete,
- A set of astronomical filters;
- An auto-guiding device, to be coupled with the system to assure perfectly tracked long exposures;
- All the hardware needed to properly use the devices above.
The Impact
With the instruments listed above, the imaging performances of the Virtual Telescope would be greatly improved. We estimate we will reach stars more than two times fainter than the ones we reach now, with an amazing scientific return.
Also, these greatly improved performance would make even more amazing the experience of our live viewers, as they would receive much better and spectacular images.
Considering the unprecedented, stunning job done so far by the Virtual Telescope, highly respected by the international community, it is easy to imagine the revolutionary impact of the improvement we would love to do with your help.
Our reputation is out there to assure that your support will really provide the promised improvements and benefits to the community. We are one of those very few cases where reputation is built above facts and results and not on mere promises. What we did for the star lovers of this planet exceeded a lot what we promised and we are ready to do the same, once again.
Risks & Challenges
We want to reach our goal, for this we need your help. We are used to challenges. The Virtual Telescope Project, because of the lack of funding, has been itself a challenge. But history says it is today one of the most important facilities of its kind in the world, Guess what we can do with your help. Make this dream real, support of campaign.
If the full amount requested here will not be fulfilled, we will arrange a different choice of the instruments, getting the most for the money anyway. But we will do our best to convince you this project is worth your support. We heartily believe we deserve your trust and we will honor it, as done daily since 2006.
If the funds will not be enough to buy any CCD camera better than the one currently used, we will invest the donations to support our activities anyway.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can’t contribute, you can still help a lot:
- Help getting the word out and make some noise about our campaign.
- Use the Indiegogo share tools!
And that’s all there is to it.
Important Note: following the input from several of you, we had to restart the campaign, setting it in US Dollars to make possible to people to donate even if they do NOT have a PayPal account. But what was already donated in Euros is NOT lost. For correctness and to keep things clear, the old campaign in Euros is here. For donations, please use the new campaign in USD above.
If you prefer to donate via our ordinary tool, please visit the DONATE page of this site
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(you can adjust the amount later)
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