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Manual for the Robotically
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Manual for the Robotically
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Quick Scheduling Primer
Logging In
Creating a New Project
Choosing an Existing Project
Creating a New Target
Stationary Targets
Moving Targets
Request an Observation be added to the Queue
Target Selection
Picture Selection
the RCT Queue
Retrieving your Observations
Access to RCT Database
Object Name Search
Near Position Search
Download images
Notes and Tips
History
A Remotely Controlled Telescope Returns to its Roots
Consortium Members
Telescope and other Devices
The Telescope
The Camera
RCT Camera System Overview
The CCD
Camera Readout Options
Camera Cooling
Connecting the Camera
Camera Operation
The Cloud Camera
Calibration
Declination Axis
Dome Azimuth
Dome Slit
Filter Wheels
The Finder
Focus
The Great White Spot
Guide Stages
Guide Camera
Hour Angle Drive
Hour Angle Preload
Interlocks
Mirror Cover
Mirror Support
Manual Override Panel
Power Strip
Temperature Sensors
Communications
Analysis
Tilt Assembly
Universal Power Supply
Weather detector
Web Cameras
Observing Procedure
Automatic Instructions
Monitoring Observations
Manual Instructions
Opening the Observatory
Pointing the Telescope
Taking an Image
Guider Instructions
Selecting a Guidestar and Positioning the Stage
Acquiring the guidestar
Guiding
Software
Basic Observatory Control Programs
beep - pulses the klaxon in the dome
closedown - shuts down the observatory for the night
dome - reports back the azimuth of the dome
encoder - reads the telescope position encoders
home - homes the selected axes
home2 - homes the various axes
insgen - telescope scheduler program
interlocks - reports on the status of various auxiliary systems
keepopen - keep the slit open
mirror - controls the mirror cover on the telescope
offset - moves the telescope from its present position
openup - opens the observatory and does a power-on test
point - positions the telescope to the specified RA and Dec
power - turns on the power to the requested devices
preload - turns on the telescope drive preloads
slit - opens the observatory dome slit
track - sets the telescope tracking rate
where - reports the telescope position
zero - sets the current position as zero in the telescope control program
Filter Wheel Commands
filter - positions the filter wheels based on filter position
pfilter - positions the filter wheel based on the name of the filter.
Observing Commands
acquire - finds the brightest star in a guide star and centers telescope
fimage - takes a picture with the finder camera
guidestar - finds the brightest stars around a given location
image - takes a picture with the CCD camera
Calibration Scripts
domeflat - takes flats using the GWS
focus - moves the telescope to the desired focus position
focusdip - telescope focus program by taking multiple pictures
focanl - focus image analyzer
gws - turns on the lights for the Great White Spot
sky - determines the sky level in an image file
Weather and Sensor Commands
mets - returns the values of the Vaisala weather station
taux - reads the auxiliary temperature sensors
tel_status - returns a string describing the telescope
temps - returns the values of the telescope sensor temperatures
weatherpause - temporary observatory hiatus
Miscellaneous Commands
mkid - change a fits file into the canonical name
nobaby - converts Hour:Minute:Second format to decimal
ok - ask whether to continue or not
stderr - writes to standard error rather than standard out
tobaby - converts decimal to Hour:Minute:Second format
Guide camera commands
gdark - creates dark frame for guider
guide - causes the guider to operate
guider - opens the guider shutter for the time specified
guider_setup - adjusts the bias and gain of the chip
guider_status - outputs the current conditions of the guider
guimage - takes an exposure of the guider image
setstage - calculates guide stage offsets and blocking
stage - positions the guide stage to the x, y, z coordinates specified
stage_status - returns the current position of the guide
Data Analysis Tools
extract - pulls out ranges of timestamped data from stdin
flex - telescope pointing analysis program
getkey - keyword/value program
Astronomical Programs
altaz - converts ra/dec to altitude azimuth
apparent - computes apparent celestial position
asteroid - calculates minor planet positions
bright - locates bright stars
dist - calculates angular distances
jd - prints out the current Julian date
lst - prints out the local sidereal time
moon - prints out the RA and Dec of the moon
nomad - locates USNO NOMAD catalog stars
precess - precesses RA and Dec to different epochs
sun - prints out the RA and Dec of the Sun
ut - prints out the current Universal time
visible - sees if celestial object is within telescope limits
Mathematical Functions
centroid - determine the centroid and width of an object
csort - star list ordering algorithm
cubic - cubic equation software
linfit - least square fitting algorithm
poly - polynomial evaluator
rand - prints out random number
Servers and Daemons
show - displays status of telescope servers and daemons
telco - observatory master controler
tin - telco communicator script
rctel - telescope server
killall - script to kill off all telescope servers
killtserver - script to kill off tservers
rmsem - script to remove semaphores
startnet - server starter script
tserver - server concatenating program
tx - server message transmitter program
weatherd - the weather daemon
X-Window Programs
xtime - countdown timer
Data Reduction
Software components
rctred - Reducing the images listed in a file
setred - Creating a parameter file for rctred
rctcom - Combining the images listed in a file
rctnight - More automated reductions
setnight - creating a parameter file for rctnight
Examples of data reduction
Example 1- using rctred and rctcom
Example 2 - using rctnight
Example 3 - automated data reduction
Installing this software
Pitfalls and features
Database
Observatory Table Descriptions
The Filter table
The Fits table
The Object table
The Log table
The Picture table
The Request table
The Schedule table
The Skipped table
The Target table
The Observer table
The Window table
Creating The Database
Maintenance
The Telescope
The Camera
Pumping the dewar
Cleaning the optical path
Transporting the Camera
Transporting the Cryotiger
Removing filter wheels
The Dome
Bibliography
Louis-Gregory Strolger 2012-01-09