A Remotely Controlled Telescope for Undergraduate Astronomy Laboratories

本项目涉及一种用于本科天文实验室的新型遥控望远镜。该望远镜位于大学现有的天文台，光污染极低，观测条件极佳。望远镜和摄像系统通过电话连接到校园的学生实验室。这种成本相对较低的系统使学生能够直接使用一种功能强大、功能强大的仪器，这种仪器能够展示许多在课堂和教科书中学习过的天体，而这些天体在校园里的望远镜很难或不可能观测到。硬件和软件的设计是完全动手和用户友好的，以便普通学生可以设计和运行自己的观察与最小的帮助。在爱荷华大学使用了最初的一段时间后，该仪器将扩展到其他区域学院，这些学院将在共享的基础上共同操作该望远镜。

This project involves a novel remotely controlled telescope used for undergraduate astronomical laboratories. The telescope is at an existing University-owned Observatory with very low light pollution and excellent observing conditions. The telescope and camera system are operated via a telephone link to the student laboratory on campus. This relatively low cost system allows students direct access to a powerful, highly functional instrument which is capable of demonstrating many astronomical objects studied in the lecture and textbook but which would be difficult or impossible to observe with telescopes located on campus. Both hardware and software is designed to be completely hands-on and user-friendly so that average students can design and run their own observations with minimum assistance. After an initial period of use at the University of Iowa, use of this instrument will be extended to other regional colleges who would jointly operate the telescope on a shared basis.