Re: ATM net control of scopes

[nc_anheier@ccmail.pnl.gov (Norman C Jr Anheier)]

Robotic Telescope Project In Progress:

This robotic scope thread has been interesting to follow since a group here in
Richland are struggling over many of these same issues.  We are restoring a 28
year old 0.8 meter Cass telescope at the Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory (RMO)
near Richland, Washington.

We have set up a restoration homepage and you are all invited to drop in and
watch the progress.  The telescope renovations are part of a project called
Stars On-Line whose goal is to provide remote access to the 0.8-meter telescope
so that students and teachers in all types of educational institutions,  as well
as to amateur and professional scientists, can actively participate in the
discovery and exploration of the universe. This project involves installing new
drive motors and encoders, installing state-of-the-art astronomical
instrumentation on the telescope (such as a CCD camera, high-speed photometer,
and spectrometer), installing a new weather station on Rattlesnake Mountain so
that local climatic conditions can be continuously monitored, and a radio modem
link to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

For the restoration progress see:
http://emslonline.emsl.pnl.gov:2080/rmo_site/ (be sure to see the bucket of
rocks tensioner in the New Servo Motors for RA/DEC section!!!!)

For general information on RMO:
http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/docs/RMO/homepage.html

Question:
Norm Anheier
nc_anheier@pnl.gov