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The Robotically Controlled Telescope (RCT) at KPNO
Author(s) -
Gelderman R.,
Carini M.T.,
Davis D. R.,
Everett M. E.,
Guinan E. F.,
Howell S. B.,
Marchenko S. V.,
Mattox J. R.,
McGruder C. H.,
Walter D. K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/asna.200410280
Subject(s) - observatory , telescope , exoplanet , astronomer , physics , astronomy , data archive , remote sensing , planet , computer science , geology , database
The 1.3‐m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory was originally commissioned in 1964 as the “Remotely Controlled Telescope”, a pioneering project in unattended, remote observing. Forty years of technological advances later, the 1.3‐m has been refurbished, automated and reborn as the “Robotically Controlled Telescope”. The RCT is used to pursue a variety of research programs which incorporate techniques to achieve extremely high precision photometric monitoring of stars and AGN, as well as to search for transits of extrasolar planets. Since spring of 2003 the RCT has been controlled through pre‐scheduled scripts, without interactive human control, to collect imaging data. The work on automation of the observatory system is continuing, with the ultimate goal being that the computer will control the telescope through semiintelligent software to make observations as efficiently as a well‐trained human astronomer. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)