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One of the reasons for me buying an LX200 (a GoTo style telescope) and setting it up in an observatory is to "get more out of astronomy", that is more observing time and more from what time is spent observing. Working full time and having other hobbies I have long known that finding time for astronomy would be difficult.
So how can you get more astronomy done in less time, and is it possible to extend that to gaining useful scientific information in that same little amount of observing time?
Well there are two aspects I will mention here. One is Remote Observing and the other is Automated Astronomy. Both are referred to in many places around the internet under many different names but they all come down to the same thing. Computerising your astronomy equipment such that you can perform unattended astronomy.
Two things amaze me about this area of amateur astronomy. One is that so few people are actively involved in either remote or automated astronomy. The other is that it still seems to be quite hard to come by information on these subjects for those getting started.
I've put this page here to get other amateurs inspired and help those interested get started. I don't claim to know much about either Remote Observing or Automated Astronomy but I do actively use my setup remotely and am working towards automation, both of which give me some experience in the area.
If you have more information appropriate to this page, please let me know. Similarly if a correction should be made to the information on this page, let me know. I am after all only an amateur astronomer.
This page is for those interested in either of these topics. There are those people who astronomy to them is looking through the eyepiece of a telescope or just being out under the night sky. That is fine, but obviously Remote Observing and Automated Astronomy does not cater for this type of interest in astronomy. I personally still look forward to cold and clear nights out under dark skies and for that I use my portable Megrez setup. However I clearly also have an interest in the topics discussed on this page.
Remote Observing
This is being able to use your telescope without having physical in-person control of the equipment. Usually this is done by having CCD or other digital cameras attached to the telescope and then controlling these remotely via a computer network.
Remote Observing has many advantages over physically being out in the observatory with the telescope. In a home/backyard situation it means you can be doing astronomy in the warmth of your home, while watching TV and relaxing after work, while doing house chores, while unable to go outside in the cold due to illness, and many more. With time and money it is also possible to extend Remote Observing to the extent that your observatory may be located in a dark sky remote location, while you live in a light polluted city for work.
In a world of increasing light pollution and increasing population, a possible area of growth in amateur astronomy is collaborated remote astronomy. Imagine a medium sized group of individuals living in a light polluted capital, choosing to collectively set up and maintain a remote observatory in a dark sky location, usable by members on a shared basis. This group of people could be an astronomy society/organisation or just a group of interested individuals. What's the catch? Well typically just organisation and the fact that most people like having their own equipment in their own back yard to use as they wish when they wish, which is fair enough.
Automated Astronomy
This is where your astronomy equipment can do the observing for you. This doesn't mean you do nothing, it simply means you plan your observing, script what the astronomy equipment will do, and then instruct it to run at night while you are sleeping or doing other activities. You then process the results once complete.
Obviously there are many clear advantages to Automated Astronomy. You can have your astronomy being done on all the clear nights, even if you aren't able to be there in person to do it. You can then process the results at any time, day or night, rain or hail. You can script your astronomy in batches, planning a week of observing and then processing the results as they arrive.
Even with semi-automated astronomy (scripted but not necessarily fully automated) you can start to perform more scientific operations such as sky surveying for supernova, minor planets or spectral data (equipment permitting). This is of huge interested to me personally, as I hope to accomplish one of these eventually. Imagine completing your own full sky survey from your location? What would you learn from that personally and what of it would be of use to the astronomy community (amateur or professional)?
How can amateur astronomers setup for Remote Observing or Automated Astronomy?
Both these methods of astronomy are well within the reach of the dedicated amateur astronomer. The telescopes, computers, software, cameras, mounts, observatories and anything else you require can be purchased off the shelf. Of course it will often be cheaper and maybe even more practical and suitable to have items custom made by someone local or yourself.
As an example of a basic setup you may choose to have:
- A motorised dome or motorised roll off roof observatory (only required for fully unattended astronomy)
- A GoTo telescope/mount
- A CCD camera and/or webcam modified for astronomy
- A Motorised focusser
- A computer (desktop or laptop) with network connection and suitable astronomy software in the observatory.
- A remote computer (with network connection to your observatory computer).
Once you have the above, how do you actually remotely control the setup? Well that comes down to software running on the computer. I have limited experience when it comes to range of software, so let's assume my setup of the following:
With the above you can use Remote Administrator or Remote Desktop to control the computer in your observatory from another computer (say in your house) as if you were using the observatory computer directly. With this type of remote interface all you need to do on the observatory end is have the computer linked to the appropriate equipment and that's that.
There are software applications available that allow for remote connection to an astronomy setup without the use of "full remote control" type application such as Remote Administrator and Remote Desktop. These applications (such as supplied by Software Bisque and other astronomy software suppliers) are more suitable if using a shared telescope setup. In these situations you may not wish all users of the telescope to have full control over the computer and hence astronomy equipment. Using specialised remote control software it is possible to give users specific access, such as only required CCD and telescope control functionality, not full computer control, telescope setup, CCD setup, etc. The catch with these types of applications is that they are typically very expensive when compared to more common remote control software such as Remote Administrator and Remote Desktop.
Note that there are alternatives to Software Bisque, alternatives such as MaximDL are widely used. I have not mentioned these here simply because I only have experience using Software Bisque software.
What are the catches?
Well as an individual embarking upon Remote Observing or Automated Astronomy the most obvious problem is money. You must be dedicated to your hobby to spend the money required to setup either of Remote Observing or Automated Astronomy. For me it has taken several years of slowly upgrading and purchasing equipment, and lots of learning, to get as far as I have.
As a group of dedicated amateur astronomers the only catch is organisation and individual requirements/desires. Money becomes less of an issue as resources are pooled however it would take a lot of careful organisation to collaborate an effort to build and maintain a Remote or Automated observatory. And then once operating, each member can only have a certain share of the use of the equipment. How can this be managed fairly?
My Setup
For details on the astronomical equipment I use for my astronomy you should visit my equipment page. In addition to what is listed there (Meade LX200, William Optics Megrez 80, Observatory) I use some extra equipment for the purposes of Remote and Automated astronomy:
- SBIG ST7-ME CCD camera
- Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000
- JMI NGF-C Focusser
- RoboFocus (by Home Dome)
- Software Bisque CCDSoft
- Software Bisque TheSky
- Remote Desktop
- Suitable computer equipment to run the above
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