ASTRO's Automated Astrophotography

Inspiration

We like space.

What it does

With very little user input, the Automated Astrophotography telescope will slew to night time objects, take several long exposure pictures, process them, and then display those photos for large groups of people to see.

How we built it

We connected the telescope to a computer which is going to run through a script of programs to produce a final image. This script is running through 4 different programs to automate this system.

Challenges we ran into

We didn't have the correct cable, so we had to MacGuyver our own. We also had a challenge in finding the right software for the job.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Making a cable and finding the right software.

What we learned

We learned a lot about astrophotography editing and working with cables.

What's next for Automated Astrophotography

Finishing the telescope in time for Polycon, April 2nd, at Florida Polytechnic University.