Robotic telescope systems for CCD photometry of faint objects in crowded fields

John E. F. Baruch; Janice Da Luz Vieira

doi:10.1117/12.158795

1 November 1993 Robotic telescope systems for CCD photometry of faint objects in crowded fields

John E. F. Baruch, Janice Da Luz Vieira

Proceedings Volume 1945, Space Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments II; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.158795
Event: Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1993, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

This paper first considers the design of robotic telescopes to monitor faint objects in crowded fields. It shows that the mechanical design problems have been solved by the use of precision control and modelling software developed for the latest large telescopes. Modern design methods mean that these telescopes can be produced relatively cheaply. The largest part of the cost of a robotic telescope is the software to enable it to work as an autonomous robot. Conventional software techniques are inadequate and inefficient for many purposes associated with robotic operation. These include: to optimize and monitor their operation and efficiency, to schedule their observing, to evaluate their environment, to generate confidence in the target acquisition pattern recognition parameters, to evaluate the quality of the CCD images and the photometry of the objects within the images, and to return reduced data to the astronomer with the required indices to gives the astronomer confidence in the data. The paper evaluates AI, neural nets and fuzzy logic techniques applied to these different problems.

Citation Download Citation

John E. F. Baruch and Janice Da Luz Vieira "Robotic telescope systems for CCD photometry of faint objects in crowded fields", Proc. SPIE 1945, Space Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments II, (1 November 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.158795

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