Remote Astronomy Software

Remote Astronomy Software

Remote Astronomy Software (RAS) consists of all the software required for you to run a Robotic Telescope and Imaging System. Software Bisque's Remote Astronomy Software (RAS) consists of all the software required for you to run a robotic telescope and imaging system. With RAS, you can control computer-driven telescopes and CCD cameras that are located next to your computer, on the other side of the Earth, or virtually anywhere in between! Using RAS, you connect to a telescope and CCD camera via direct cabling, phone line or the Internet. With the simple click of your mouse, you then instruct the telescope to slew to an object in TheSky's Object Database. While the telescope is in motion, you'll see a real-time indicator of the telescope's progress across the on-screen starfield. Once the telescope reaches the target, you can take a live digital CCD image which is then downloaded for display and image-processing on your computer!

RAS 32-bit for Windows 95/98/NT. Includes TheSky Level IV version 5, CCDSoft version 4 and RASClient. Remote capability requires access to the Internet.

Remote Astronomy via Direct Cabling Using TheSky and CCDSoft together, you can control computer-driven telescopes and CCD cameras that are directly connected to your computer. Currently, telescope support is provided for the Meade LX200, the Quadrant Engineering Coordinate I, Software Bisque's own Paramount ME and all telescopes supporting the ACL protocol. In addition, CCD camera support is provided for the complete camera lines of Santa Barbara Instrument Group and Apogee Instruments.

Remote Astronomy via the Telescopes in Education (TIE) Project High in the mountains north of Pasadena, California is the Mount Wilson Observatory, home of the Telescopes in Education Project. There, a large dome houses a 24-inch telescope with CCD camera that has been fully dedicated to remote astronomy for the past six years. More recently, a second, 14-inch telescope on a Software Bisque Paramount GT-1100, was installed on the mountain as the first Internet-controlled telescope in TIE's expanding network.

Using the 24-inch Telescope

This telescope has been remotely controlled since 1993, and has been widely used by schools and individuals alike. The remote operation of this instrument requires RAS 16-bit, a modem with an available phone line, and access time scheduled with TIE.

Using the 14-inch Telescope

This telescope was installed at Mount Wilson in April 1998, and at present is being made available only to select users. Remote operation of this instrument requires RAS 32-bit, an Internet connection and access time scheduled with TIE.

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