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Session 5 - Education.
Display session, Monday, January 13
Metropolitan Ballroom,
The 0.8 meter f/4 newtonian at the Stull Observatory at Alfred University has been successfully automated. This project, supported by an ILI grant from NSF, was designed to improve the laboratory experience of our upper-level undergraduate astronomy students. The automation included accurate positioning/tracking, an automated filter wheel and automated focus control. Preliminary indications are that the telescope is pointing and tracking very well, facilitating acquisition and guiding for CCD exposures and photometry. Early results with students suggest that cutting down on the time needed to find objects has greatly increased the science that can be taught. Remote operation of the telescope remains a goal for the medium-term future. Results of student projects and future plans will be presented.
