• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.177-185
• /
• 2015

We develop a new auto-guiding system for the Camera for QUasars in the EArly uNiverse (CQUEAN). CQUEAN is an optical CCD camera system attached to the 2.1-m Otto-Struve Telescope (OST) at McDonald Observatory, USA. The new auto-guiding system differs from the original one in the following: instead of the cassegrain focus of the OST, it is attached to the finder scope; it has its own filter system for observation of bright targets; and it is controlled with the CQUEAN Auto-guiding Package, a newly developed auto-guiding program. Finder scope commands a very wide field of view at the expense of poorer light gathering power than that of the OST. Based on the star count data and the limiting magnitude of the system, we estimate there are more than 5.9 observable stars with a single FOV using the new auto-guiding CCD camera. An adapter is made to attach the system to the finder scope. The new auto-guiding system successfully guided the OST to obtain science data with CQUEAN during the test run in 2014 February. The FWHM and ellipticity distributions of stellar profiles on CQUEAN, images guided with the new auto-guiding system, indicate similar guiding capabilities with the original auto-guiding system but with slightly poorer guiding performance at longer exposures, as indicated by the position angle distribution. We conclude that the new auto-guiding system has overall similar guiding performance to the original system. The new auto-guiding system will be used for the second generation CQUEAN, but it can be used for other cassegrain instruments of the OST.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.52.2-52.2
• /
• 2015

In astronomical observations, stable auto-guiding and accurate target centering capabilities are critical to increase observation efficiency and sensitivity. Recently, Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU) has developed SQUEAN (SED camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse). SQUEAN is installed and had successful observations at the 82 inch Otto Struve Telescope of McDonald Observatory in 2015 February. We have upgraded the existing auto-guiding softwares to KAP82 (KHU Auto-guiding Package for the McDonald 82 inch Telescope). Keeping the original hardware systems and the software algorithms of CAP (CQUEAN Auto-guiding Package), KAP 82 is completely re-written in Visual C++. We developed several center finding algorithms, e.g., 2D-gaussian fitting and weighted mean methods. In this presentation, we compare the auto-guiding performances with these algorithms.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.61.2-61.2
• /
• 2010

CQUEAN (Camera for Quasars in EArly uNiverse) is an optical CCD camera system which has its own auto-guiding system. Guiding system consists of a 1k*1k CCD camera, FLI PL1001E, a flat mirror to feed the image of an off-axis field to the camera and baffle. The whole system lies on a moving arm which rotates 90 degree effectively to enlarge the field of view. A motor, IMS MDRIVE 34, and a differential decelerator, APEX AD140-050, are used for the moving mechanism. Auto-guiding is controlled by Agdr program. We had a first light from Aug. 10 to Aug 17, 2010 at McDonald Observatory, USA. In this presentation, we describe about the auto-guiding system for CQUEAN and its performance on the 2.1m telescope.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.115-123
• /
• 2011

To perform imaging observations of optically red objects such as high redshift quasars and brown dwarfs, the Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU) recently developed an optical CCD camera, Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse (CQUEAN), which is sensitive at 0.7-1.1 ${\mu}m$. To enable observations with long exposures, we develop an auto-guiding system for CQUEAN. This system consists of an off-axis mirror, a baffle, a CCD camera, a motor and a differential decelerator. To increase the number of available guiding stars, we design a rotating mechanism for the off-axis guiding camera. The guiding field can be scanned along the 10 arcmin ring offset from the optical axis of the telescope. Combined with the auto-guiding software of the McDonald Observatory, we confirm that a stable image can be obtained with an exposure time as long as 1200 seconds.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.83.2-83.2
• /
• 2013

Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse (CQUEAN) is an optical CCD camera developed by the Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU). In 2010 August, CQUEAN was attached on the 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Texas, USA. As the main purpose of CQUEAN is detecting the Lyman breaks of redshift ~5 quasars, it is sensitive to near-infrared wavelengths (0.7-1.0 ${\mu}m$). For the auto-guiding system, it is using a rotating guide arm to find guide stars on the Cassegrain off-axis focus of the telescope. We plan to upgrade a new filter wheel system consists of a series of narrow band filters. We will install this independent auto-guiding units on the finder scope, which makes rooms on the Cassegrain focal plane of the main telescope. In this presentation we present the system architecture of the CQUEAN Auto-guiding Package (CAP).

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.431-450
• /
• 2007

In the auto-guiding system for obtaining a long exposure astrophotography, CCD camera is usually used for measuring guide errors which are affected by optical dispersion and mechanical disturbances. In this paper, a discrete time dynamic model and a performance index are proposed for analysing the auto-guiding system. The optimal gain for proportional control is derived considering the optical dispersion and the disturbances. Some experiments are provided to illustrate that the optimal control gain is lower as the optical dispersion is higher.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.92.1-92.1
• /
• 2014

In astronomical spectroscopy, stable auto-guiding and accurate target centering capabilities are critical to increase the achievement of high observation efficiency and sensitivity. We developed an instrument control software for the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS), a high spectral resolution near-infrared slit spectrograph with (R=40,000). IGRINS is currently installed on the McDonald 2.7 m telescope in Texas, USA. We had successful commissioning observations in March, May, and July of 2014. The role of the IGRINS slit-viewing camera (SVC) is to move the target onto the slit, and to provide feedback about the tracking offsets for the auto-guiding. For a point source, we guide the telescope with the target on the slit. While for an extended source, we use another a guide star in the field offset from the slit. Since the slit blocks the center of the point spread function, it is challenging to fit the Gaussian function to guide and center the target on slit. We developed several center finding algorithms, e.g., 2D-Gaussian Fitting, 1D-Gaussian Fitting, and Center Balancing methods. In this presentation, we show the results of auto-guiding performances with these algorithms.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.38.1-38.1
• /
• 2010

McDonald 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope is located in the Davis Mountains, 450 miles west of Austin, Texas. The telescope was built in 1938, but it is still in demand today. CQUEAN (Camera for QUasar in Early uNiverse) will be attached on this telescope and perform Y-band imaging observations. Dynamics study of the telescope shows that tracking errors are 0.1 arcsec/100sec in declination direction and 0.4 arcsec/100sec in R.A. direction. In order to allow a long exposure (> a few minutes) of a target field, we are making auto-guiding system for the 2.1m telescope. The auto-guiding system of CQUEAN will be connected with TCS of the telescope. The expected number of stars on the CCD field (2.97 square arcminutes) is about 1.2 stars which are brighter than magnitude 17.5 in 2.97 square arcminutes. For more effective observation, we plan to implement moving mechanism in guiding system so that guide CCD camera can see wider off-axis fields.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.72.3-72.3
• /
• 2019

The observation of transient objects such as supernovae or variable stars requires a survey of the wide sky and quickly extracting the results. In accordance with this purpose, we have been developing an automatic observing software, KAOS (Kyung Hee University Automatic Observing Software) as a series. KAOS30 was the first series of KAOS and it was applied to the 30-inch platform at the McDonald Observatory in the United States of America. KAOS76 controls the 76-cm telescope at Kyung Hee Astronomical Observatory. In this poster, we introduce KAOS10 for controlling a portable telescope with a small aperture size attaching a guiding camera as QHY-5L II. Kyung Hee University auto-guiding package which includes the auto-guiding function for small aperture size telescope was also developed. Additionally, the Telescope Control Package(TCP) can communicate with the main server to do astrometry for pointing and identifying targets efficiently. KAOS10 has a universal interface that will be useful for the research of both amateurs and professionals.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 1999

A self-travelling sprayer was developed to avoid the exposure of an operator to agricultural chemicals and exhaust gas, to improve safety and to increase working efficiency during the application and transport work in the greenhouses. This system consists of self-travelling system and the control system for application and safety device. The auto-spray car is equipped with a liquid chemical tank of 80l capacity. The travelling system adopted mechanical steering system which link mechanism of front wheel is guided by guide rollers. The sprayer travels along the guiding pipe which is set on the furrow in the greenhouses. The sprayer stops automatically applying and traveling when the liquid chemical tank becomes empty or when the sprayer reach the turning point. The spray booms swings in a vertical plane. The control system of safety devices controls the automatic stop of the sprayer when there is an obstacle on the traveling path, or when the battery becomes discharged. The auto-spray car traveled smoothly and steadily along the guide pipe during traveling straightly and turning on the ground.