When the observatory is completely robotic the in-dome computer must only be rebooted when installing updates and ACP, MaxIm DL/CCD and !TheSkySix must always be running. This page aims to explain the functions of each piece of software and give short instructions on how to perform some basic processes. A more detailed and thorough set of instructions for controlling the telescope in being written.
This page aims to explain the procedure for operating the new telescope completely robotically. All the following software is currently installed on the in-dome computer.
In order for the telescope to be controlled robotically all the following software must be installed and working on the in-dome computer.
ACP (Astronomer's Control Panel) is the program which orchestrates the entirety of the robotic observatory. It allows any authorised user, regardless of his location, to operate the observatory robotically. When all the other software is installed this program can control: the mount; the dome; the CCD camera; the auto-guider; the focuser and the filterwheel. It can be controlled using a user-friendly web browser interface for single images or colour series. It can also abort any observing plan at any time due to bad weather. In these cases the mount is safely parked and the dome is closed.
ACP Planner is a program which is independent of ACP. It generates 'observing plans', which are text file scripts, to be used by ACP for multiple imaging sessions. This program allows observers who find scripting difficult to plan complicated tasks for the robotic observatory without any difficulty. Alternatively, observing plans can be created using notepad, if the user prefers.
This is the only other computer program which needs to be purchased in order for ACP to work. MaxIm controls the CCD camera connected to the telescope and any filters available. In ordinary observatories a user would have to operate the camera controls manually. However, with ACP installed it takes over; ACP is designed to work closely with MaxIm. All MaxIm's functions are controlled in the background when ACP is in control.
MaxIm has been configured so that it can control the SXVR-H36 and its filter wheel.
MaxDome II drivers allow automation of the rotation and shutter control of the dome. The dome can be controlled through either the ASCOM Platform, MaxIm DL, !TheSkySix or ACP.
This freeware allows ACP to use its auto-focus feature.
This catalog allows PinPoint (included with ACP) access to its database of star references.
The Paramount ME GEM will not function without its control software, TheSky. !TheSkySix allows the mount to be controlled robotically. !TheSkySix also plays a part in developing observing plans in ACP Planner. An explanation of this process and walkthrough video are shown below.
A program which corrects the pointing errors of the mount. This can be used with ACP or ACP's own 'learning' pointing correcting abilities can be used. TPoint operates in the background while running TheSky.
The ASCOM platform contains various drivers which standardise the manner in which the many components of a robotic observatory interact. Put simply; ACP can control the dome software and hardware; ACP can receive weather statistics from the weather station and ACP can control the camera, focuser and filterwheel.
SIGNALis a Fortran 77 code written to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio of a given observation with a given set of instruments at the ING. SIGNAL2 is a modified version of the code which is designed to perform the same calculation for the Armagh Robotic Telescope. It is currently being written.
To allow the computer to control the position of the dome open the 'ASCOM dome control' program by using its shortcut on the desktop. A window should appear which shows the status of the dome and the telescope. There should be power to both the dome and the mount. Click the 'Connect' button. Immediately, the dome should register as connected. Shortly after the TheSky will start and the telescope will move to its 'home' position. Finally, the dome should read out it status and the connection process is complete.
To slave the position of the dome aperture to the direction the telescope is pointing in, check the 'slave dome to telescope' box on the left of the diagram. The dome should now align itself with the telescope. This alignment it currently being tested for night to night repeatability. The dome is programmed to update its slaved position every time the dome becomes half a degree out of alignment with the telescope. This is to ensure the telescope never tracks ahead of the dome during long exposures.
The dome is designed to close automatically after ten minutes of no communication from the computer. This prevents the dome from being left open if the computer crashes, etc. There is no way of closing the dome manually, even if the observer is in the dome.
TheSkySix should be opened on the computer in the dome. Allow communication between the mount and the software by clicking Telescope then Link then Establish. The mount will need to be 'homed' in order for slewing to a target to be possible. When the homing process is complete (two pairs of beeps in different pitches) full use of TheSkySix's targeting system is enabled. The joystick may also be used for manual slewing. If the dome needs to be used as well, the ASCOM dome control program will call !TheSkySix automatically.
At no point during the homing process should the joystick be moved from its rest position. This will abort the process and disable slewing. The mount can be homed at any time by clicking the button on the joystick twice.
Night vision mode can be activated using its button on the toolbar.
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Locate the desired target in the 'virtual sky' and click on it. The whole of the sky can be navigated using the green directional buttons on the toolbar. A dialog box will open. Clicking on the ''slew'' button (a green telescope icon) will cause the mount to point the telescope at the target.
Since !TheSky is amateur software, the selection of objects in the virtual sky is probably inadequate for scientific use. For fainter stellar observations, the ''Find'' command must be used. ''Find'' can be called by typing ''ctrl+f''. To find the object an object type its equatorial coordinates (eq. J2000) in decimal format into the box at the bottom of the window. Alternatively, if the object is in a catalogue enter its catalogue and identifier into the box. !TheSky currently recognises the following catalogues:
|| '''Catalogue Name''' || '''Identifier Format''' || '''To Find in !TheSky*''' || || PPM || PPM <''number''> || PPM <''number''> || || HD || HD <''number''> || HD <''number''> || || BD || BD+nn nnnn || B+nn nnnn || || SAO || SAO <''number''> || SAO <''number''> || || GSC || GSC nnnnn-nnnnn || GSC nnnnn:nnnnn ||
*Note - if the leading digits in the identifier are zeroes do not enter them into !TheSky.
The mount must only be synced when the polar alignment is changed!
After the mount has been homed the observing session may be started. First, the mount should be synched to a known, bright star. This first star should preferably be as close to the home position as possible. To sync the mount to a star select it in the 'virtual sky' and click the 'slew' button to slew the telescope to that star. Then, carefully and accurately centre the star in the eyepiece of the telescope. The further this star is from the home position, the further the star will be from the centre of the field of view of the telescope. Take time and care when performing this initial sync. Once the star is centred, open the 'telescope' tab in the object's dialog box and click the 'sync' button. You will know the sync has been successful if the targeting reticule on the virtual sky is now perfectly aligned with the star you are observing.
Once this sync has been completed it need not be done again unless the polar alignment is changed or the mount is configured in any way.
Once the mount has been synched then a mapping session can be used to improve the pointing of the telescope and the polar alignment. The objective when performing a mapping session is to centre many stars across the entire night sky in the field of view and then to record the stars' actual positions compared to their predicted positions.
To begin, click ''Edit'', ''Insert new object...'' and in the dialog box which appears select 'TPoint Model'. This 'TPoint Model' (hereafter 'the model') is where the difference in observed and predicted positions of stars is recorded automatically. A grey box should appear on-screen with a read-out of '0 points plotted'.
Once the model is embedded in the virtual sky the mapping session may begin. Slew the mount to a bright, known star and then centre it in the eyepiece. Then click the 'map' button at the bottom of the object's dialog box on-screen. This process must be completed for approximately 20 stars across the entire night sky. The more stars are used, the better the model becomes.
To view information regarding the errors in the polar alignment of the telescope simply double click on the model, then click 'model', then 'Polar alignment information'. Follow the instructions on the screen to correct the Paramount ME's polar alignment. After the adjustments have been made, the model must then be deleted and the mount returned to home and then resynched.
If the polar alignment becomes sufficiently accurate so that night to night pointing is consistent then the current model can be expanded as the astronomer sees fit. Professional users of TPoint commonly use models with over 1000 stars. As the model contains more and more stars, TPoint will be able to correct the pointing of the telescope so well that eventually objects will not need to be centred in the field by a human observer.
Plug in the 12V d.c. supply to the SXVR-H36 and switch on the power at the socket on the pier. A green L.E.D. on the back of the camera should light and a whining sound should be heard. Next, plug in the camera's USB cable and the USB cable for the SX filter wheel. When the computer acknowledges that the camera and filter wheel are connected, the control software, MaxIm, may be started.
Open MaxIm DL (it has a shortcut on the computer's desktop). Click on the 'Toggle Camera Control' button on the toolbar at the top of the MaxIm window. The 'Setup' tab should appear. Click on the 'Connect' button on the right.
In order to take an exposure, the 'Expose' tab must now be selected. Here the exposure time, filter of choice and many other variables may be changed.
At the top of the dialog box is the exposure time field. Enter the desired exposure time in seconds. In the future, it may be possible to use SIGNAL2 to calculate the required exposure time for an object of a given magnitude, with a certain position in the sky with a particular filter.
To change the filter, the appropriate drop-down menu is at the left of the exposure tab. The Armagh Observatory currently has access to commercially available L-RGB filters.
The X and Y binning can also be selected. For a simple L-RGB image the strategy is usually 1x1 binning for L and 2x2 binning for RGB. This gives a colourful image with a high resolution. This also reduces the memory required to store the image.
When the image is ready to be taken, click on the 'Expose' button. The computer will automatically download and display the image captured from the camera. Before the image can be captured, however, a dark frame may be required. The software will prompt the imager if this is the case.
To save an image simply click 'File' then 'Save as FITS...'. A dialog box will appear into which the imager can enter details of the image, including; file name; exposure time; filter used; time of exposure; imager's name; etc.
MaxIm can perform a series of exposures in a row and automatically save each image to a folder set by the imager. To do this select ''autosave'' in the ''expose'' tab. Now click the autosave button. A window should appear with the run's information. The imager should input the object's name and configure the desired exposure details below. Each image will have the object's name in its filename as well a number for identification purposes. Observers should take careful note of the image numbers given to each image so a record of the filter used, etc, may be kept. Failing this, image data will be saved in the FITS header of each image. The destination folder for the images may be set by the imager by clicking the ''options'' button at the right of the dialog box and selecting 'set image save path'. Once satisfied, the imager should hit the ''OK'' button and begin the run with the ''Start'' button.
When an imaging session is over, first, go to the 'setup' tab of the camera control menu. Click the 'Disconnect' button. Confirm that there is no camera connected to the computer. Next, disconnect the filter wheel and camera USB cables. Switch off the camera's power and carefully tidy away the unplugged cables. The camera cannot currently be connected to the telescope because a spacer part is missing; therefore, the camera and filter wheel are kept in the Observatory on Simon Jeffery's desk when not in use.
Once ACP and MaxIm DL/CCD have been given their initial configurations the observer should not need to directly use MaxIm again. Video guides for many of ACP's functions can be found on DC-3 Dreams' Youtube channel. Links are found below.
ACP Observatory Control Software should be left running on the computer continuously.
This video shows how to find one's way around the ACP web browser interface. It is very easy to use. From this screen an observer can make single images, colour series or simply check the status of the observatory (i.e. dome status, weather conditions, local time, etc).
This is the simplest operation ACP can perform once it has been properly configured. For this to be possible at least one filter must be available.
Simply click the 'Observing' tab on the left side of the web browser to open the observing drop down menu.
Click the Single Image link. This opens the single image form in the browser.
Input the target name and click the get coordinates button. ACP gets this data from the installed star database.
Input your preferences for the exposure, filter and binning options.
Once this is complete then ACP will begin the operation immediately. If you want to create an observing plan but not put it into effect immediately then follow the instructions for ACP Planner.
If an observer wishes to create an image of an object in various colours this is the way to do it. An image can be created with any and all of the filters an observer has access to. Currently, Armagh Observatory has L-RGB filters. HAlpha filters may also be used.
This video shows how ACP plans work. They are simple text files which can be created in Notepad or in ACP Planner.
There are various videos describing the multiple ways in which ACP Planner can be used.
Possibly the most useful feature of ACP planner is how it can generate plans by using !TheSkySix. !TheSkySix is able to display the night sky at any time and any location. This means with ACP integrated into !TheSkySix you merely need to select your target in the virtual sky at the time you wish to image it. If you wish to do a multiple imaging session you must be careful to advance the time in !TheSkySix to allow for the exposure time of each image. This aspect of ACP's control is demonstrated in this video.