One of my goals this year is to build a remote observatory for astronomical imaging equipment: The Elizabeth Crosby Memorial Observatory (TECMO). This blog will be dedicated to covering the activities of TECMO and topics related to variable star observing in general. TECMO's mission is to monitor long period, short period, cataclysmic, and other variable stars of interest in support of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). TECMO will be located outside of Charleston, South Carolina and feature the equipment listed below.
TECMO Astronomical Equipment
Telescope
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Design | Schmidt-Cassegrain (Celestron ASGT) |
| Mounting | CG-5 German Equatorial Mount (GEM) |
| Aperture | 203.2 mm (8 in) |
| F number | 6.3 |
| Focal distance=Aperture x F number | 1280 mm |
CCD
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Sensor | SBIG ST-8XE CCD |
| Sensor pixel size | 9 μm |
| Pixel Array (x) | 1530 pixels |
| Pixel Array (y) | 1020 pixels |
| Resolution=(pixel size/focal length) x 206.265 | 1.45 arcsec/pixel |
| Typical seeing | 4 arcsec |
| Expected FWHM=Typical seeing / Resolution | 2.76 pixels |
| Field of View | 37 x 25 arcmin (2219 x 1479 arcsec |
Software:
TECMO's telescope and sensor are controlled by a combination of an INDI webserver running on a Raspberry Pi 2 and the observatory control tool Ekos. The images are processed in Maxim DL and photometry is performed online with VPhot, available for free to members of the AAVSO.
Stay tuned for future updates on the status of the observatory and its construction.