Well, folks, here we are!

Jesús Rodríguez, Carlos Guirao, Gerardo Ávila and Vadim Burwitz.

We are a group of aficionados in amateur astronomy with special interest in spectroscopy. With the exception of Vadim Burwitz we are  working at the European Southern Observatory (E.S.O.) in Garching (Germany). Vadim works in the Max Plank Institute for Extraterrestrial in Garching (MPE), our neighbour institute. Juan Manuel Alcalá, was a founder member and our "spiritual guide". He works now at the Osservatorio di Capodimonte in Neaples (Italy). Special acknowledgment is given to Michael Sterzik (European Southern Observatory in La Silla, Chile) for his invaluable support.

At Jesús' backyard. The Meade 10" telescope holding the fibre input head which contains the fibre input end and a microscope eyepiece for acquisition and manual guiding. The Ponchado spectrograph with the Hale Research CCD camera and a laptop for its control.

At that time only Ponchado was ready for the observations. Later on FIASCO came into the scene improving mechanical stability, low straight light and portability.

Now, at the "Control Room", from left to right: Jesús Rodríguez, Gerardo Ávila, Carlos Guirao and Juan Manuel Alcalá. Also the following equipment is shown; the spectrograph and its optical fibre, the cooling system (aquarium pump) for the CCD thermoelectric device. On the right the laptop for the control, acquisition and guiding of the ST4 CCD camera.