Real Time Observing with the Faulkes TelescopeNorth

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Real Time Observing with the Faulkes
Telescope-North

• James Bedient
• Faulkes Telescope Workshop
• Maui Community College
• February 26, 2005

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Faulkes Telescope-North

• 2-m Ritchey-Chretien telescope
• Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii
• Robotic, remotely operated
• Largest telescope for educational use

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Real Time Observing

• Teachers/students log in via web browser
• Directly control telescope
• Control pointing, camera
• Control exposures and filters
• Decide when an observation is complete
• Slew to next object

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Introduction to the Interface

• Web address http//kilo.ifa.hawaii.edu
• You must obtain a user name/password from Bill
  Giebink, giebink_at_ifa.hawaii.edu

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Status Page

• Telescope Open/Closed
• Notes from Bill
• Weather information
• Other sources of summit conditions are on the
  Mees site http//koa.ifa.hawaii.edu/ and include
  the Crater Cam and weather conditions

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Sky Map Page

• 180 degree view of current sky
• Select Guided Tour
• Search/Browse
• or Enter RA/Dec
• I will show the RA/Dec mode

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Enter RA/Dec

• Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec) are
  entered separately
• RA must be in the form 083445 note use of
  colons to separate hms
• Dec in the form (-)213422 note no plus for
  positive, minus only if south of celestial
  equator, colons separating dms

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Create a text file when planning your session
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Narrow-view map page

• Shows camera field of view (FOV) on sky map
• Verify no bright stars in the field!
• Shows Altitude and Azimuth of field, distance
  from moon
• When youre ready, click on Move Now
• Watch it move on the webcam!

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Camera Control Page

• Select filters u, B, V, r, i, other
  specialized filters
• Enter exposure time
• Click on Make Observation to go!

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Exposure Progress Page

• Shows position, exposure, filters, download time
  (45 sec)
• Progress bar gives a relative indication of time
  remaining
• Theres also a cancel button in case of an error

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Result Page

• jpg thumbnail of your image
• Evaluate pointing, tracking, exposure,
  signal/noise of image
• Select re-expose or new object

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Image Page

• When session is complete, or anytime you log in,
  you can visit your list of images
• Thumbnails, object name if known, date, time
• Thumbnails are clickable

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Image Pop-up

• Click on a thumbnail to get a pop-up that will
  allow you to download the full-sized images
• Will also allow some limited trimming of jpg
  images

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Get FITS Images

• In IE, right-click the FITS Data File link, and
  select Save Target as
• In Firefox, right-click the FITS Data File link,
  and select Save Link as
• Save the file to your local hard-drive.
• Files may be downloaded multiple times

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Contacts and Web Sites

• Jim Bedient bedient_at_hawaii.edu
• Mary Ann Kadooka kadooka_at_ifa.hawaii.edu
• Bill Giebink giebink_at_ifa.hawaii.edu
• FTN website http//kilo.ifa.hawaii.edu
• Mees Observatory http//koa.ifa.hawaii.edu/
• Concam http//nightskylive.net/hl/