Micro-Observatories for Undergraduate Astronomy and Physics

配备广角镜头和便携式控制计算机的小型制冷CCD相机用于增加学生参与户外夜间天空观测，作为天文学和物理实验室的组成部分。目前可用的技术使组装便携式微型天文台成为可能，即使是新手也可以安装和操作。通过这种方式获得的非制导图像可以用于天体测量、光度测量和对明亮的恒星、行星和彗星进行光谱测量，达到6.5级的红色。微型天文台的概念可以在任何地点使用，在这种情况下，天气和灯光通常会使户外活动在大班级中产生有用的科学结果时效果不佳。

Small cooled CCD cameras with wide-angle lenses and a portable control computer is used to increase student participation in outdoor, nighttime sky observations as an integral part of astronomy and physics laboratories. Currently available technology makes it possible to assemble portable micro- observatories that even a novice can setup and operate. The unguided images obtained in this way can be used for astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy of bright stars, planets, and comets to red magnitudes of 6.5. The micro- observatory concept can be used at any site where weather and lights normally render outdoor activities ineffective for producing useful scientific results in large class sections.