Feelings about remote observatories.

[narrowbandpaul]

Hi Guys/Ladies.

it has come to my attention that the UK offers up less than ideal imaging conditions. The major factor being the perpetual cloud cover we seem to have.

So when I am older and have some money put together, I intend to build an observatory in the US.

I am thinking California/Arizona/New Mexico.

I may infact move to the states in which case my obsy wouldnt need to be remote, assuming I have a decent sky above me.

My question is though, how would you feel operating a telescope system remotely.

It would all be personally owned by yourself. You will have bought everything.

Do you think it would be the same as doing it with the scope in front of you, would you enjoy the hobby less by using a system that wasnt in front of you.

Just now we sit with the scope if its warm enough and listen to music.

Trying to guage an opinion......

Paul

[daz]

Personally, I would want to be local to the scope.

[GazOC]

it has come to my attention that the UK offers up less than ideal imaging conditions.

Well spotted....

[steppenwolf]

I'd want to be with the 'scope - I love technology and robotic/remote telescope operation has its attractions but I'd want to be at the telescope's side otherwise you may just as well save you pennies and spend them with one of the several companies that already offer a remote service.

[Beyond_Vision]

Security would be the big worry you would have to site it on a managed location. Being truly remote would also to my mind take some of the fun out of it as you wont be handling the kit on a daily basis.

[Whippy]

I'd want to be with the 'scope - I love technology and robotic/remote telescope operation has its attractions but I'd want to be at the telescope's side otherwise you may just as well save you pennies and spend them with one of the several companies that already offer a remote service.

That's excatly my thoughts Steve, why bother with all the expense and effort when it's already there for a fraction of the price?

Tony..

[Ben Ritchie]

I guess it's the same as why I image at all, when everything i'm likely to take pictures of has been done - and done better - already. The fun's in getting setup, tuning the kit and being out under the stars getting the data myself, even if it's not particularly good.

So with a remote setup i'd miss the 'hands on' aspect, might as well use one of the commercial setups and they hold no interest to me. But i'm not much of a fan of the processing aspect, if I enjoyed spending time with Photoshop then I guess a steady source of new data to work with would be nice.

[steve_bham]

Id want to be with the scope, nothing better than being hands on and tweeking here and there.

[Catanonia]

It would have to be uber expensive to have EVRYTHING remote including filters, focusing, roof, rotation, heating, cleaning etc etc etc etc.

It couldn't be done I suspect without regular service trips or someone to do it for you, then i spose it would feel like thier observatory.

Observatories are 'our sheds' and need to be sat in even if it is raining

[narrowbandpaul]

i dont agree that you may as well use the commercial stuff that already exists. Firstly I wouldnt buy what they use, mainly RCOS and SBIG, neither of whom I worship. More likey a ASA and a FLI proline.

you wouldnt be able to use what you really wanted, you would have to use what they provided. For me it would be imaging with exotic e line filters, not just SHO.

and if you require to sit with the scope then that limits you. either you move somewhere with good skies or you suffer at the hands of the UK weather.

Dont get me wrong, I would rather live somewhere and have all the nice equipment in a non remote obsy, say in the back garden. But if that doesnt happen then it will need to be remote. The UK, or at least where I live doesnt get enough clear sky to get the data we all want.

and as for secure, well that goes without saying. I look at possible sites quite a lot. I recently came across Sierra remote Observatories. Its a gaggle of remote observatories in the sirra nevada in california. They got a lot of clear sky and good seeing, which is subarcsecond for a time. Or in tucson, near Kitt Peak. They have very dry air. Or New mexico, in the New Mexico Skies area

this is something I think a lot about.

i dont know that not being with my scope would matter too much. But I would obviously install a webcam...I still want to see it.

Thanks for the feedback

paul

[Paxo]

Either way Paul, your going to need bucket loads of cash......

Steve..

[narrowbandpaul]

thats the plan steve.....

pilot or work in silicon valley. or be an astronaut or a president or a pro golfer...

you know, whatever!

[Jamie]

I can just see life getting in the road of that little list Paul....

Mind you if it helps, i always thought of you as a bit of an astronaut.....

[Talitha]

Going remote is a nice dream, but it's a financial risk from the next county, let alone another continent thousands of miles away. Everyone's looking for easy money nowadays, and a deserted obsy would be an open invitation. I'm guessing it would be broken into pretty quickly.. maybe even before your plane lands back home. Better to relocate.

[narrowbandpaul]

no dreams of being an astronaut or president or pro golfer, which really would be good. I couldnt let myself beat Tiger, I would let him win. :-)

the other two are serious though.

doing the phd a) to get money for flying its a nice phd for the guys in Si valley.

my head always has been in the clouds....

[roundycat]

seems you have some rather conflicting requirements there Paul. Irrespective of how much it all costs most of the top astro imagers in the world are now firmly locked into RC scopes of one design or another. A remote obs that you never get to will quickly turn into a money pit and the first thing that goes wrong will have you buggered. Hiring the services of an already established obs is the sensible thing to do, even if you are not happy with their scopes/cameras you will get better results than from the UK even with your favoured gear.

The Hubble archive is available to all and downloads are free. You probably wouldn't be satisfied with the camera though as it is an RC design.

Dennis

[narrowbandpaul]

nothing wrong with the RC design. Its the price RCOS charge that doesnt lie well with me. The markup on the scopes is huge.

best to live somewhere with goos skies, and have a non remote obsy?

[Beardy Bob]

Yeah, I'd definitely go for relocating to somewhere suitable. It would probably be cheaper than trying to run a remote observatory!

For me, if I had all that kit then I'd want it close enough to show it off to people in person so they can say, "what does that button do?", and I can push it and show them. Also, to grow unkempt, wiry grey hair and hide away in the observatory late at night tinkering like a mad professor going, "gwaahhh-hah-hah-haaaaahhh!!".