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TOASTTransient Object Automated
Search Telescope
Timothy Young
Tricia Johnson
Chris Milford
Rob Czapiewski
Department of PhysicsMichael Sprengeler
Concordia
Lohit Gaddampolly
Department of Computer Science
Michael Gerszewski
Ryan Kramer
Space Studies
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Funding
• Faculty Start-up
• NASA (match Provost, Physics and Space Studies)
• AAS (American Astronomical Society)
• Dakota Science Center
• Physics
• Space Studies
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Briefly what TOAST is
• 10” MEADE telescope
• Dome – Robo-dome
• Camera – CCD ST-7e Santa Barbara Instrumentation Group
• Filter Wheel – BVRI, clear
• Software – TheSky, CCDsoft, DDW, Orchestrate, Lohit-Young software.
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Timeline
• November 2000 – Toast originally was two telescopes combined in a roll-off roof. The proposal was rejected.
• April 2001 - CCD Camera and filter wheel purchased.
• Summer 2001 - REU – 8” Meade telescope on top of Witmer. Michael Sprengeler.
• Software – control telescope, camera, and new software to automate the system.
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ST-7e
765 x 510 pixels
390,000
6.9 x 4.6 mm
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Software
Provides connection to telescope
Provides connection to camera Coordinates
actions of CCDSoft and
TheSky
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Up on the roof at Witmer
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Timeline
• August 2001 – first test of automation mode.
• 60 asteroids were observed in a single night.
• Some in multiple filters.
• Second test (next night)– focuser went out.
• Ended the testing
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Timeline
• Summer 2001 – contracted concrete foundation and concrete pier.
• Design the metal pier.
• No money for power and ethernet cables, which had to wait until spring.
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Side View
40”
To Trailer
2 ½ feet
½ foot
4 ½ feet
Robo-dome Dome
Robo-Dome base
Concrete Foundation (to be constructed)
Concrete base (to be constructed)
Concrete Base(Width 4-5 inches)
Top View
10 feet
10 feet
Power Cable& Ethernet
50”
Concrete Foundation
Telescope pier:Concrete 12 foot with 12” diameter
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Timeline
• September 2001- Redesign base. Trips to Witmer basement. Designing a mount without seeing the wedge that sits on it.
• October 2001 – Dome arrives. Where to put it? PSO was not ready, so Graeme Dewar’s Lab.
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ROBO-DOME™ from Technical Innovations, Inc.
• Dome automation with be through Digital Domeworks
• Specifications
Works in cold climates (Fairbanks, Alaska)
Slaves to telescope, fits up to 10” Meade
About 4 ½ Feet in Height
About the same in Diameter
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Timeline
• January 2002, Money for the cables, but had the work order in since Dec.
• In April I call, never got it. • In May they say they are booked until
October.• I call and say we need it immediately, we
get a break and it is completed over the summer.
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Timeline
• Nov 2001 – present: Dome testing. • Dome computer board was sent back twice.
Relay problem
Software incompatibility• Dome Azimuth gear wore out.• Dome 2 modes of operation, not working.• Company changed ownership. UND had gotten
the last Robo-dome from the original owner.
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Timeline
• February 2002 – present: Computer
• 1.8 GHz Pentium IV
• (2) 60 GB HD
• 256 SDRAM
• Projected image down load – 500KB 60 images 5 filters. Fill both drives in 3 months.
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Connections:
Camera – Parallel port
Telescope – serial port
Dome – serial port
Webcam – USB
Ethernet – card
Problem – needed to turn off some appliances.
Firecracker – remote power switches
But needed serial ports.
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Timeline
• February 2002 - Automation: Needed a program to run the other programs and organize an observing run.
• Lohit is hired to write software. It access an object database of 88,000 and organizes an observing run based on time rises, sets, limiting magnitude. Then places the data into an appropriate folder at the initiation of the observing run. Lowel Obs.
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Timeline
• March 2002 - We install all programs.
• We install VNC
• We get Hacked and virus
• We load a firewall
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Telescope
• Meade LX200 10” telescope f/6.3– Limiting magnitude –
16.5 - 17.0
• SBIG ST-7E CCD– FOV size (10’X15’)
• CFW-8 filter wheel
Johnson BVRI
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Timeline
• June 2002 – AAS - 10” GPS scope arrives
• July 2002 – Sent back to Meade.
• August 2002 – Doesn’t work with Dome software. Board for dome gets sent back
• .During scope test condensation needed to be removed. Dew Zapper.
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Trailer
Tree 18 inch
16 inch
TOAST
Gate
Proposed Site:
1View of the South 2Not too close to road
PSO Grounds layout
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Timeline
• November 2002:Finally everything is at the observatory. Barely fits.
• Computer needs keyboard…. But also monitor?
• As we change out equipment and do checks we take off the dome. The synthetic fiber track falls off. The top dome part comes back to Witmer and re-glued.
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On cold winter nights in the observatory trailer– this is what happens
You turn into an elf
1) No insulation
2) A small heater – never heats up
3) No bathroom
4) No water
5) Equivalent to a research station in Antarctica
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Motivation
Why do this?
There are other, bigger telescopes that do this.
But there is nothing like having your own.
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TOAST First Light Image(remote) Thursday February 27, 2003
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Purpose
Originally: to automatically obtain follow-up observations on Minor Planets
Now: Search for other transients – Supernovae, Novae, Comets, and gamma-ray bursts.
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Goals
Procedure: 1) Obtain asteroid information from MPC
2) Observe critical/follow-up asteroids
3) Astrometry and Mag. (also bands)
4) Send data back to MPC
Research telescope – transient objects
Faculty and students
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Galatea-74
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SN 1999em
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Gamma-ray Bursts
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Student Involvement
-digital image analysis
-computer programming
-astronomy
-problem solving
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Sequence of events
• During the day TOAST calculates an observing schedule
• Comes online 1 hour after sunset.
• Lohit-Young program sent to Orchestrate
• Downloads to local computer
• 1 hour before sunset the system shuts off.
• Morning student identifies transient objects.
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Discovery Algorithms
• Automation to be determined:
• How to put in a repeat observations
• How to analyze the data in real time.
• Send out email for new object.
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Closing remarks• Reactions to TOAST
Michael Meyer Steward Observatory UofA“We don’t even do that at Kitt Peak, it’s too hard”
Alex Filippenko UC-Berkeley“That is really neat, I need pictures of this”
Dr. Granzio UofChicago “There are not many of these around, you need to get on the
HETE first alert system”