A CCD Camera for the Van Vleck Observatory's Perkin Telescope

建议为位于卫斯理大学校园内的范·弗莱克天文台0.6米(Perkin)望远镜建造一台CCD摄像机和导轨。该仪器将用于所有级别的本科生天文学教育，包括荣誉研究项目、高级实验室课程、入门实验室课程和普通教育。它还将用于针对当地大学预科教师和学生的正式教育和公共宣传活动。与现有的过时型号相比，拟议中的摄像头将具有显著的优势。除了提高可靠性和减少维护损失(时间和金钱)，新相机的面积将扩大四倍，支持引导曝光，具有支持PC平台的调制解调器接口，并由更简单的基于PC的软件驱动。所有这些都将极大地提高我们在卫斯理的天文学教学能力。

It is proposed to build a CCD camera and guider for the 0.6 m (Perkin) telescope of the Van Vleck Observatory, situated on the campus of Wesleyan University. This instrument would be used at all levels of undergraduate astronomy education, including honors research projects, advanced laboratory courses, introductory laboratory courses and general education. It would also be used in formal educational and public outreach activities directed at local pre-college teachers and students. The proposed camera would have significant advantages over an existing, obsolete model. Besides improved reliability and reduced maintenance losses (time and money), the new camera will have four times the area, enable guided exposures, have a modem interface to support PC platforms, and be driven by much simpler, PC-based software. A11 of this will greatly improve our instructional capabilities in astronomy at Wesleyan.