• 천문학회보
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.67.3-68
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• 2018

We plan to automatize the operation of Kyung Hee Astronomical Observatory (KHAO) 76 cm Telescope by adapting KAOS30 (KHU Automatic Observing Software for McDonald 30 inch Telescope). The software is developed to improve the efficiency of the observation system for monitoring transients and variable sources. It has installed and operated at McDonald 30 inch telescope since 2017 August. KAOS76 (KHU Automatic Observing Software for KHAO 76 cm Telescope) consists of four packages: Telescope Control Package (TCP), Data Acquisition Package (DAP), Auto Focus Package (AFP), and Script Mode Package (SMP). Most of the packages can be configured by minimized modifications of the codes because it includes common libraries for FLI instruments and also ASCOM standard. TCP, DAP, and AFP control astronomical devices. SMP supports automatic observing in a script mode. TCP of KAOS76 can communicate with the TCS via ASCOM. Also, KAOS76 has an extra function to compensate the misalignment of the polar axis. In this poster, we show the current status of the observing system with KAOS76.

• 천문학논총
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.163-175
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• 1996

We propose the development and test result of new optical axis alignment system for the interchangeable F/8 secondary mirror of the BOAO 1.8m telescope system. Since the original system was not equipped with a suitable optical alignment facility, the whole alignment process was performed by hand. It was necessary at least three persons working more than 2 nights and the altitude of the telescope could not exceed 10 degrees, in such altitude the alignment quality was not so good by atmospheric effect. The new system adopts position readable motorized system and remote control operation by the computer installed in observation room, which reduces the number of workers to only one and eliminates the altitude restriction. The defocused CCD image pair obtained at higher altitude makes the aberration estimates more accurately and the number of required alignment loops is reduced from 10 to 4. The system has been installed on September 1, and performed alignment three times. The test results show that the system is stable and accurate, gives better optical performance of the telescope under F/8 focus. We hope to emphasize the fact that the new system will increase observation time of the telescope by about 20 nights per year assuming one alignment in every month.

• 천문학회보
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.40.1-40.1
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• 2021

Gwacheon National Science Museum(GNSM) has a 7.2m radio telescope, which is only one possessed by a science museum in Korea. In 2020, performance of the telescope had been improved in the way of a new antenna control system, receiver system, control and analysis software. New AC motors, limiters and encoders was installed and the new receive system can observe L-band(1.4GHz) and S-band(2.8GHz), L-band and Ka-band(33GHz) equipped previously. Using theses upgraded system we have developed educational programs, which are 'The Sun seen in radio' and 'The Universe seen in radio'. In the former, the sun is observed with several methods and show analysed data to participants. In the latter, various radio sources, the moon, supernova remnants and HI gas, and even signal from artificial satellites are observed. In addition, SETI demo data can be shown and demonstrates how to find artificial signal extraterrestrial intelligence could send.

• 천문학회보
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.49.3-49.3
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• 2021

The 76 cm telescope in Kyung Hee Astronomical Observatory is participating in the small telescope network of the SomangNet project, which started in 2020. Since the installation of the telescope in 1992, the system configuration has been changed several times. The optical system of this telescope has a Ritchey-Chrétien configuration with 76 cm in diameter and the focal ratio is f/7. The mount is a single fork equatorial type and its control system is operated by TheSkyX software. We use a science camera with a 4k × 4k CCD and standard Johnson-Cousins UBVRI filters, which cover a field of view of 23.7 × 23.7 arcmin. We are also developing the Kyung Hee Automatic Observing Software for the 76 cm telescope (KAOS76) for efficient operations. In this work, we present the standard star calibration results, the current status of the system, and the expected science capabilities.

• 천문학논총
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.75-84
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• 1998

We present the development of a remote observation system runnig on world wide web (WWW). The system consists of a 30cm Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and ST-7 CCD camera. We built the controllers and drivers of the telescope and the control softwares including the network control. The self-developed techniques in the hard wares and softwares can be applied to other projects in Korea. Observers can access the system via WWW home page, to reserve observation times, to send control commands, to retrieve images and various information useful for observation. This system can be widely used by students and amateur astronomers as well as professional astronomers who need a lot of small telescope time.

• 천문학회보
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.39.1-39.1
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• 2010

We are developing a CCD camera named CQUEAN (Camera for Quasars in Early Universe) to search for quasars at z > 7. CQUEAN has a 1024*1024 deep depletion CCD chip and will be attached to 2.1m Otto-Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory, USA. Although commercial software for the CCD camera is provided by the vendor, we are going to develop our own software to control the other instruments as well, to carry out efficient observation. There are four major parts in our software: Instrument control part controls the camera and filter wheel to obtain imaging data. Quick look window is to display acquired imaging data for quick inspection. Telescope control part interfaces with Telescope Control System (TCS) to move the telescope and to get time or coordinate information. Finally, Observation scripting facility part carries out a series of short exposures in a batch. The whole software will be written in python on linux platform, using the instrument control software libraries provided by the vendors.

• 천문학논총
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.65-73
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• 1998

We installed windscreen at the BOAO 1.8m telescope dome, in order to reduce the degradation of image Quality under strong wind larger than 8m/sec. The windscreen was designed on the basis of that installed at the MSSSO 2.3m telescope dome in Australia. We developed control system (remote control and user program) of the windscreen, being able to operate the windscreen at observation room. We tested the performance of the windscreen under strong wind of 6-15m/see. Tracking error of the telescope, especially in altitude-axis, was greatly decreased when the windscreen was used. Standard deviation of the error was estimated to be less than 0.3arcsec, which has little effect on image quality.

• 천문학회보
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2017

Remote and robotic telescopes are the most effective instrument for astronomical survey projects. The system is based on the dynamic operation of all astronomical instruments such as dome and telescope control system (TCS), focuser, filter wheel and data taking camera. We adopt the ASCOM driver platform to control the instruments through the integrated software. It can convert different interface libraries from various manufacturers into a uniform standard library. This allows us to effectively control astronomical instruments without modifying codes. We suggest a conceptual design of software for automation of a small telescope such as the new wide-field 0.25m telescope at McDonald Observatory. It can also be applied to operation of multi-telescopes in future projects.

• 천문학회보
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.219.2-219.2
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• 2012

We are developing Adaptive Optics (AO) system for 24 inch telescope at Seoul National University Observatory. It consists of the tip-tilt correction system and the residual wavefront error correction system with a deformable mirror and a wavefront sensor. We present the construction and performance measurements of the tip-tilt correction system. The tip-tilt component is the single largest contributor to wavefront error, especially for small telescope. The tip-tilt correction system consists of a quadrant photodiode, a tip-tilt mirror and a feed back loop. The collimated He-Ne laser beam is used for input light source and is artificially disturbed by air turbulence generated by a heat gun. Most of the turbulence is of low frequency less than 20 Hz, but extends to a few hundreds Hz. It is found that the closed loop system using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control successfully corrects tip-tilt error at a rate as high as 300~400 Hz.

• 천문학회보
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.67.1-67.1
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• 2020

Adaptive Optics (AO) is the technology for ground-based telescopes to overcome the interference caused by atmospheric turbulence. We are developing an AO system for the 1-m telescope at Seoul National University Observatory (SNUO). The seeing size of the SNUO is 2 arcseconds on average, and 0.85 arcseconds at best condition. Our system is based on MEMS deformable mirror and Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. We developed the wavefront sensor using a cheap CMOS camera, and measured phase disturbance at SNUO. To verify the performance of the AO system, we designed an artificial phase disturber that produces similar scale phase error, measured at SNUO. We carried out laboratory tests in which the AO system measures and corrects the wavefront using the phase disturber and an F/6 light source, the same as that of SNUO telescope. The control system was developed in C++. The system performs closed-loop PI correction up to 100 Hz at a consumer-grade PC.