Open Source Astronomy?

[gurney]

I've been trawling google these last few days looking for publicly accessible telescopes and haven't found any yet to be honest.

But it's got me thinking...

Does anyone know of any of these things which are accessible to amateur astronomers?

1. Remote operated telescopes with a web interface

2. Stores of raw data which can be access via the internet, ready for processing

3. Observatories which allow amateur astronomer to book time using the equipment (perhaps university observatories)

If you've got any thoughts or links it would be great to hear them.

[timetraveller]

hi gurney there actually several of these sites around try this one for size

http://www.awe.com/mark/talks/wwwf94.html i just typed open access telescopes as a search paramiter I'm not sure just how easy it would be to gain observing time though or if there are financial constraints

but it would be wonderful to have access to a large telescope wonder if there are any radio telescopes on open access or better still NASA please can I have some viewing time on Hubble please oh what i couldn't do with that an no cloudy skies to worry about regards

Pete

[dogfish]

Hi Gurney

The best bet for getting actual (rather than virtual) telescope time is to join your local astro club. Mine (Glasgow) and many others do scope hire and have arrangements with the local university to use their big scopes.

HTH, Martin

[Andrew1972]

Try the Bradford Robotic Telescope through http://www.telescope.org/

Not used it myself so don't know what it's like.

As said previously, the best bet would be your local club to get a bit of proper action! There's bound to be members with good set-ups that they don't mind letting you have a go on (also good way to check out the performance of a prospective purchase before you splash the cash!).

Andrew

[gurney]

Thanks guys - I'm beginning to find stuff now. Your links were helpful.

I've discovered a couple of clubs based in B'ham. My biggest trouble is being able to be committed to stuff I sign up for. I don't believe being a member of something I know I will only be able to get to on rare occassions.

I'm a church minister and most of my evenings are taken up with my work, and that will always have to be my priority. However - I do think it would be a great thing to do. Just wish there were more days in the week to be honest.

That's why I would love to be able to download some raw data and 'play' with it on my computer for now - until I get myself set up with some nice kit. My background is in astrophysics, and we majored on data analysis and so on. Pretty much all my experience of astronomy is on analyising data, rather than actually peering through a telescope. Barmy I know - but for me there is something really amazing and beautiful at a huge collection of data being analysed, graphs plotted, and so on.

Hmmmm - it's true - I really do need to get more of a life don't I!?

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Try this if you want to download some data.

http://stdatu.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form

Put the target in the object name box and click on get coordinates, then once its filled in the boxes for RA and Dec, select an image to download. If you get a red and a blue, you can either use Noel's actions to make a green one, or layer the red and blue at 50% and then flatten it.

You need to add a meaningful name when you save it, including .fit at the end, so you might do M57red.fit as a filename, then get a M57blue.fit and off you go.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[gurney]

Nice one!

Ah, I can feel the geek juice flowing through my veins once more!

[Ford Prefect]

I know a couple of guys on the forum (including myself) have used http://www.global-rent-a-scope.com/I'm very new into this fantastic hobby and i found it very straight forward to use. Just choose a scope, choose a target and download your fits files.

cheers Jon

[gurney]

Oh no! That site is amazing! I can see my life just falling away now!

Well done mate! Seriously pleased with that. Looks a bit pricey though - I will have to ration myself very carefully!

[Rosanella]

Hello :-)

I know of a public observatory in Hapstead Heath, London, that's open to the public, though I have not used it myself yet.

However, robotic telescopes are becoming increasingly popular and there's a Internet based organisation called GRAS, or Global Rent a Scope http://www.global-rent-a-scope.com/ that I found while reading a copy of Asronomy (or was it Astronomy Now? Can't quite remember...:scratch:). I use Slooh often. It gets too frustrating waiting for the good weather to turn up.