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The 1.3-meter Robotically Controlled Telescope: Developing a Fully Autonomous Observatory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Richard Gelderman
Richard Gelderman*
Affiliation:
Western Kentucky University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA42101

Abstract

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The former KPNO 1.3-meter telescope is being refurbished and automated by a consortium of U.S. institutions, headed by Western Kentucky University, with the goal of a 2002 recommissioning as the Robotically Controlled Telescope (RCT). The 1.3-meter RCT will operate in fully autonomous mode to obtain guided images for a variety of research and education programs. Distinctions between a fully autonomous versus robotic observatory are presented, along with a discussion of why fully autonomous operation is necessary for increased productivity of small telescopes.

Type
III. New Trends in Small-Telescope Technology
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 183: Small-Telescope Astronomy on Global Scales , 2001 , pp. 89 - 94
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2001

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