AAS 205th Meeting, 9-13 January 2005
Session 48 Visible-Light Telescopes, Instruments, and Technology
Poster, Tuesday, January 11, 2005, 9:20am-6:30pm, Exhibit Hall

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[48.05] A New Automated Focusing and Tilt/Tip Correction Method

J. J. Adams (Iowa State University), R. K. Honeycutt, B. Adams (Indiana University)

On the 1.25-m SpectraBot automated telescope located in central Indiana, a new method of autofocusing has been examined. This technique exploits the rather seeing-invariant annulus from a far out-of-focus star. The method was modeled, implemented, and compared to the traditional technique of using a series of near-focus images. The new method of autofocusing has the potential for faster focusing, greater independence from seeing, and a means to correct for tilt/tip misalignment. An NSF sponsored Research Experience as an Undergraduate (REU) program at Indiana University provided funding for this project in the summer of 2004.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.