Converting from Classical to Robotic Astronomy: The Lowell Observatory 0.8-m Telescope

The Lowell Observatory 0.8-m (31-in) Telescope was augmented by the addition of a robotic mode of operation in early 2001. This system executes any predetermined sequence of observing instructions without supervision. Described herein is a general description of the system, lessons learned from the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Marc W. Buie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2010-01-01
Series:Advances in Astronomy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/130172
Description
Summary:The Lowell Observatory 0.8-m (31-in) Telescope was augmented by the addition of a robotic mode of operation in early 2001. This system executes any predetermined sequence of observing instructions without supervision. Described herein is a general description of the system, lessons learned from the conversion, and a few general algorithms for focusing, collecting twilight flat field images, and scheduling standard star observations.
ISSN:1687-7969
1687-7977