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Optical Astronomy

Optical Astronomy. Final Year Double Honours Presentation Eoin Cartwright & John Loughran . Supervisor: Dr Créidhe Ní Shúilleabháin. Overview. Theory Telescope Setup Initial Observing CCD Setup Telescope Interfacing Development Filter Wheel Design. Refracting Telescope. Lens

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Optical Astronomy

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  1. Optical Astronomy Final Year Double Honours Presentation Eoin Cartwright & John Loughran. Supervisor: Dr Créidhe Ní Shúilleabháin

  2. Overview • Theory • Telescope Setup • Initial Observing • CCD Setup • Telescope Interfacing Development • Filter Wheel Design

  3. Refracting Telescope • Lens • Chromatic aberration

  4. Reflecting Telescope • Newtonian Reflector

  5. Reflecting Telescope • Cassegrain Reflector

  6. Reflecting Telescope • Schmidt Cassegrain Reflector

  7. Telescope Used

  8. Telescope Used • Meade Lx200 • Schmidt Cassegrain • Mirror diameter = 10” or 263.5mm • Focal length = 2500mm • Focal ratio = f/10 • Manual/handset control

  9. Telescope Mount Type Azimuthal mount • Stable • More difficult to track objects

  10. Telescope Mount Type Equatorial mount • Harder to construct • Easier to track objects

  11. Telescope Setup • Meade Superwedge • Previous years • Azimuthal mount • Track 5 mins approx. • This year • Equatorial mount • Track 30 mins approx. • Rough Polar alignment • Precise Polar alignment

  12. Rough Polar Alignment • Finding North • Levelling the mount • Obtained Latitude using GPS = 53°22´58.4"

  13. Rough Polar Alignment • Dec = 90° • HA = 0 °

  14. Precise Polar Alignment • Assumes Rough Polar Alignment procedure completed • Alignment procedure initiated using handset • Telescope attempts to align with Polaris • Centred on Polaris using N,S,E,W direction keys • Scope Slews to another star (Aldebaren, Hamal)

  15. Precise Polar Alignment • Located this star using chart • Centred scope on this star using N,S,E,W direction keys • Process complete • Can now use handset to find a star

  16. Initial Observations • Saturn, rings, Titan • Jupiter • Callisto, Europa, (Jupiter), Io, Ganymede • M42 nebula • Andromeda galaxy, nucleus • Iridium satellite

  17. Saturn

  18. M42

  19. Observatory and Dome • Shelf • Seal floor and secure tripod • Network computers

  20. Software Setup • CCD (Charge Coupled Device) Camera setup • Epoch 2000, PictorView –software for CCD • Configure Pictor for CCD, 9600 baud

  21. CCD Setup • Flip mirror • align • Focus CCD • rough • fine

  22. Telescope Interfacing Development • Telescope handset • Allows access to telescope functions • Get R.A, Dec • Find

  23. Reasons for development • Provides more convenient control • Particularly when using CCD camera • Back up • Repairs etc • Versatile • New handset needed for increased functionality

  24. Replica Telescope Handset • Buttons separated • Buttons added • Connect • Quit • LED

  25. First Steps • Sample Lab Windows, Lab View programs • Short RS232 cable • Sent text messages between two personal computers • Chose to use Lab Windows • Modified Lab Windows to send telescope Commands

  26. Reduced Lx200 Command Set

  27. Reduced Handset Replica

  28. Connection Panel

  29. Cable Configuration

  30. Further Development • Complete Handset functionality • Give telescope co-ordinates • Star map • Integrate with CCD imaging software

  31. Filter Wheel Colour imaging - RGB R ed G reen B lue Photometry - UBVRI U ltraviolet B lue V isual R ed I nfrared

  32. Effective Temperature • LV = luminosity using Visual (green) filter • LVo = luminosity of reference star • mV = apparent magnitude of star using V

  33. Acknowledgements • Dr. Créidhe Ní Shúilleabháin • David Watson • Bill Lanigan • Bart Busschotts • Dr. Nicola Murphy • Others…..

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