Guest blog from Stephen G. Cullen, president/CEO of LightBuckets online telescopes:
The first day of the inaugural Telescopes from Afar Conference in Hawaii proved to be a very fruitful event on many fronts. The speakers came prepared with excellent information on the progress they’ve made and the challenges they face automating observatories. The telescopes range from the 3.6-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope down to the University of Utah’s 0.81-meter Willard L. Eccles Observatory on Frisco Peak near Milford, Utah.
Colin Aspin discusses the University of Hawaii’s 2.2-meter observatory (UH88) automation system. Stephen G. Cullen photo
Things got really interesting at lunch when a small group including me, Bob Denny (
DC-3 Dreams), Rich Williams, and Steve Ohmert (Sierra Stars Observatory Network) got together to talk about the future of online robotic astronomy. As soon as we sat down, we were joined by Dr. Frank Melsheimer from DFM Engineering. This company produces world-class telescopes and mounts in the 1.3-meter range. Frank has many great stories about the industry, which he gladly shared with our lunch bunch.
Before long, Arne Henden of the American Association of Variable Star Observers and Ed Beshore, the director of the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, also joined us. It’s probably not often that such a diverse, knowledgeable, and experienced group of astronomy veterans gets together in one place. It was certainly a memorable moment for me.
The rest of the day’s content was also great. For me, two significant themes bubbled to the top out of all of the information presented and the many conversations.
The first doesn’t specifically relate to remote or robotic astronomy but is important to get on the table nonetheless. It seems that there has been, still is, and will continue to be a large disconnect between astronomy outreach programs targeted to K-12 education and a teacher’s ability to utilize these programs.
This lineup of conferees includes Ed Beshore, director of the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and Rich Williams and Steve Ohmert, both from the Sierra Remote Observatory. Stephen G. Cullen photo
There appears to be no shortage of people on the astronomy side of the equation who want to help teachers bring the subject to their students. The challenge lies in the educational system because teachers must conform their instruction to federal and state standards that do not account for astronomy. My sense is that there will continue to be frustration and wasted resources spent attempting to cater to schools until some fundamental changes in the standards occur. Overall, it feels like a big issue that will take a concerted effort to move the needle on.
The second theme that came up in numerous conversations is that a lot of extra “bandwidth” is available on telescopes around the globe, and that it just isn’t being utilized properly. Many larger instruments have robust scheduling systems to get the most out of the investment, but many medium-sized instruments exist that have some free time that could be appropriated if the technology were in place to take advantage of it. If someone finds a solution to this problem, I believe we can fundamentally democratize astronomy — a dream of many in the astronomy community for quite a while.
The day wrapped up with a wonderful meal enjoyed at Merriman’s (a well-known restaurant in Hawaii) with Russ Genet, who is a Research Scholar in Residence at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Dr. Genet is a pioneer in robotic astronomy and has authored more than 20 books on the subject of automation and astronomy as well as his other passion, evolutionary science. His most recent book is titled Humanity: The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants.
The Hawaiian Islands are a tropical paradise for those who love the sand, surf, and Sun — and who doesn’t? But for this week at the Telescopes from Afar Conference, it is also turning out to be heavenly for fans of astronomy: its past, present, and future.
Related blog:
The first Telescope from Afar Conference