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. Meade Lx200 Schmidt Cassegrain Mirror diameter = 10” or 263.5 mm Focal length = 2500 mm 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

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

18. Saturn

19. M42

20. Observatory and Dome Shelf Seal floor and secure tripod Network computers

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

22. CCD Setup Flip mirror –align Focus CCD –rough –fine

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

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

29. Replica Telescope Handset Buttons separated Buttons added Connect Quit LED

30. 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

31. Reduced Lx200 Command Set

32. Reduced Handset Replica

33. Connection Panel

34. Cable Configuration

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

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

38. L V = luminosity using Visual (green) filter L Vo = luminosity of reference star m V = apparent magnitude of star using V Effective Temperature

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