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8 Imaging
those with common interfaces will have some configuration differences, you must
read and understand all the documentation that the operator asks you to read. It will
increase your chances of an observation being accepted and successfully run. Many
remote telescope operators will ask within the submission process for supporting
documents and a written description of what you are trying to achieve and why.
Stating that you just want to take pretty pictures is unlikely to get you telescope time.
How you build your plan and the requirements you state for observation will have
an impact on when, if ever, your observations are run. Your plan needs to be realistic.
If the telescope you are using is being used for research, postgraduate projects, or
final year projects, it is likely you will have a low priory to start with. You should write
the observing plan with the following in mind; what is the minimum I need to get
my observations done and how can I improve my chances of it happening? Unless
you are doing very high photometric resolution photometry, you are not going to
need a completely moonless night or photometric weather; requiring such conditions
significantly reduces the chances of your observation being run. If your plan is long,
there is a very good chance it will not get chosen for the robotic telescope due to
time constraints or that it will not be submitted to the queue by the time allocation
group, as it is an unrealistic use of resources. If you can cut your plan up into several
smaller plans, then your chances of getting some or all the data are increased. If you
are doing something that needs to run at a specific time, for example an exoplanet
transit, talk to the time allocation group that allocates priorities, if there is one. They
might be able to give the plan a high priority, since it can run in only one time slot,
or they may offer remote mode operation instead.
On occasion, it is impossible to do something in the interface but possible in
RTML or with remote operation. This normally happens because the telescope interface is designed to be easy to use and tends to cover the most common types of
requests. Some telescope operators will let you submit raw RTML, but check with
the observatory first and always be prepared to justify why you are not using their
shiny interface on which they spent a small fortune.
If you are undertaking remote observation, then ensure that you are familiar with
the observatory’s operation, ideally by actually using the telescope in the dome. Make
sure you have read all the documentation and have the emergency contact details
for the observatory. If there is a minor problem, for example you are struggling to
focus, then you might wish to contact the observatory staff if they are located onsite. If they are not, just send them an email, and they will fix the problem when
they start work. More than likely, you will get the time back. If you have a major
problem, like the dome not closing (and yes, that does happen), you should contact the
emergency number. The telescope, and more likely the sensitive electronics, could
be damaged if the telescope is left open to the elements. If you lose your connection
and cannot reestablish it to force the dome to close, you should also contact the
emergency number unless you can see the dome closing, for example via an in-dome
webcam. Most observatories that have remote and robotic operation have some kind
of emergency shutdown trigger that is actuated by the remote connection dropping
8 Imaging
those with common interfaces will have some configuration differences, you must
read and understand all the documentation that the operator asks you to read. It will
increase your chances of an observation being accepted and successfully run. Many
remote telescope operators will ask within the submission process for supporting
documents and a written description of what you are trying to achieve and why.
Stating that you just want to take pretty pictures is unlikely to get you telescope time.
How you build your plan and the requirements you state for observation will have
an impact on when, if ever, your observations are run. Your plan needs to be realistic.
If the telescope you are using is being used for research, postgraduate projects, or
final year projects, it is likely you will have a low priory to start with. You should write
the observing plan with the following in mind; what is the minimum I need to get
my observations done and how can I improve my chances of it happening? Unless
you are doing very high photometric resolution photometry, you are not going to
need a completely moonless night or photometric weather; requiring such conditions
significantly reduces the chances of your observation being run. If your plan is long,
there is a very good chance it will not get chosen for the robotic telescope due to
time constraints or that it will not be submitted to the queue by the time allocation
group, as it is an unrealistic use of resources. If you can cut your plan up into several
smaller plans, then your chances of getting some or all the data are increased. If you
are doing something that needs to run at a specific time, for example an exoplanet
transit, talk to the time allocation group that allocates priorities, if there is one. They
might be able to give the plan a high priority, since it can run in only one time slot,
or they may offer remote mode operation instead.
On occasion, it is impossible to do something in the interface but possible in
RTML or with remote operation. This normally happens because the telescope interface is designed to be easy to use and tends to cover the most common types of
requests. Some telescope operators will let you submit raw RTML, but check with
the observatory first and always be prepared to justify why you are not using their
shiny interface on which they spent a small fortune.
If you are undertaking remote observation, then ensure that you are familiar with
the observatory’s operation, ideally by actually using the telescope in the dome. Make
sure you have read all the documentation and have the emergency contact details
for the observatory. If there is a minor problem, for example you are struggling to
focus, then you might wish to contact the observatory staff if they are located onsite. If they are not, just send them an email, and they will fix the problem when
they start work. More than likely, you will get the time back. If you have a major
problem, like the dome not closing (and yes, that does happen), you should contact the
emergency number. The telescope, and more likely the sensitive electronics, could
be damaged if the telescope is left open to the elements. If you lose your connection
and cannot reestablish it to force the dome to close, you should also contact the
emergency number unless you can see the dome closing, for example via an in-dome
webcam. Most observatories that have remote and robotic operation have some kind
of emergency shutdown trigger that is actuated by the remote connection dropping