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Project 1: "Basic Use of the TIE 24" Telescope System"
by Blake Bartosh and Shelley Bonus
Level: All
Objective
This project is intended to give the Student/Amateur experience with efficient and planned use of the TIE telescope, while collecting a variety of images of various object types.
Discussion of Work
Please refer to "Using the System" earlier in this guide for valuable information concerning scheduling, connecting and usage of the TIE telescope.
Planning the Observing Session
Time on the TIE telescope is valuable...don't waste it! Students should have an observing program planned for the session. The observing program is developed with the aid of star charts, available in monthly publications of Astronomy and Sky & Telescope, or TheSky software.
To use TheSky to develop an observing program, open TheSky software, go to the menu bar and select Input. Scroll down and open the section marked Date & Time. Click on the box marked Use The System Date & Time so that it is unchecked.
Next, input the date and time for when you are going to be using the TIE telescope (Mt. Wilson is Pacific Time). Check the Daylight Savings box if applicable. Click OK. Select Input, Location , making sure it reads Current Location: Mount Wilson. Click OK.
Now click on the tile on the left side of the window marked N-S-E-W (it has a circle around it). That will give you a view of the objects in the sky at zenith (overhead) on the date and time you are scheduled to observe. Use the magnification buttons to zoom the field of view in or out. Use the Find button to locate objects of interest.
Stay Above 30°
Objects that are above 30° from the horizon may be imaged with the TIE telescope. The best images are taken of objects that are near zenith. That is where the atmosphere interferes the least with imaging. Also, slewing the telescope below 30° can be unsafe for the hardware and the operators!
Hint: When planning the observing session with TheSky, clicking on the object brings up the Object Identification box. Look for the "Az, Alt" line in this box. A typical Az, Alt line might read:
Az, Alt: 183d 4m 49s , 87d, 40m, 22s N
This indicates the object's Azimuth (compass bearing) is 183 degrees (which is South). The object's altitude (elevation above the horizon) is 87 degrees, which is at an excellent altitude for imaging. Suppose the Az, Alt data of another object is:
Az, Alt: 92d 10m 45s , 27d, 53m, 15s N
This object's altitude is too low: 27 degrees, which is less than the 30 degrees that is the limit of the TIE telescope. This object, at 92 degrees azimuth, is in the East and rising. Checking this object's altitude using the time near the end of the observing session might reveal that it rises above 30 degrees altitude before the end of the session. Use the Input, Date & Time to check this.
Hint: The number of images obtained during the session can be increased by planning to systematically image objects in one part of the sky before jumping to another part of the sky. This is because it takes time to slew the telescope long distances, and rotate the dome slit in front of the telescope.
Another Hint: List the objects to be viewed in order of ascending Right Ascension. Objects first on the list will set first, and those last on the list will rise last.
When finished with putting together the observing schedule, click on the box marked Use The System Date & Time so that it is checked.
Selecting Objects
For their first few sessions, teachers and students are encouraged to image exciting objects, such as spiral galaxies, globular clusters, and nebulae. These objects have the most impact when they appear on the classroom monitor. Many teachers select the Messier Objects for their first sessions...they are easy to find, using TheSky, and students can begin a catalog of these objects right away.
Imaging the Objects
Once the telescope is slewed into position, the SkyPro software is used to command the CCD camera attached to the telescope to "take an image." The operator will provide suggestions for exposure times. Once the exposure is underway, it may take several minutes for the image to arrive at the classroom's monitor. During this time, teachers and students should be determining the next object they wish to image.
Teachers and students are invited to ask questions of the operator, they like to get involved with the dynamics of the classroom! The operators can also help with the selection of objects, in the event that certain portions of the sky are cloudy.
At first, imaging of random objects will be sufficient to introduce students to the wonder of the Universe. Soon, students and teachers alike will want to undertake more systematic and scientific studies using the TIE system. The following projects in this guide are intended to supply the teacher/amateur with ideas for study, beginning with basic techniques and then on to more advanced use of the system.
References
Astronomy, Kalmbach Publishing. Monthly publication, includes sky charts.Sky & Telescope, Sky Publishing. Monthly publication, charts, more technical than Astronomy.Ian Ridpath, Wil Tirion, The Monthly Sky Guide. Excellent beginner's guide to the sky.Ian Ridpath, ed., Norton's 2000.0. Indispensable and enduring guide for any astronomer.
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