Telescopes from Afar An international Conference on Robotic Observatories  Management, Operations, and Engineering  Waikaloa Beach Marriott North of Kona, Big Island of Hawaii March 1-3, 2011

Cochairs
Sarah Gajardhar, Canada France Hawaii Telescope 
Russell Genet, California Polytechnic State University
Josh Walawender, University of Hawaii
 

Overview  (Click here for Tentative Schedule)
Fully robotic observatories have been in continuous operation for a quarter century.  Although initially confined to smaller telescopes, the “how to” knowledge of automation has accumulated over the years as the cost of automation technology has declined.  Due to the high cost of transportation and operations, many large observatories are now being operated remotely and even autonomously without staff onsite.  Some older observatories are being retrofitted for autonomous operation while others are being designed for automatic operation from scratch.  Large surveys such as PanSTARRS and LSST will require follow up that only highly economical robotic observatories will be able to provide. 

Robotic telescopes need target selection protocols and procedures that range from predefined target lists and schedules to on-the-fly automated dispatch scheduling.  Automated telescope networks can potentially exchange information and alert other members of the network or even outside observers to transient events.  World wide distributed networks can achieve continuous monitoring of targets despite day/night cycles and weather.  In addition, robotic telescopes have the potential to generate large volumes of data.  Efficient operation depends on data handling procedures and software for data reduction and quality verification. 

Whether designing a new robotic telescope or retrofitting an existing observatory, engineering and instrumentation are major considerations.  Remote operations require the development of tools for remote assessment, monitoring, notification, and control of observatory systems.  In addition to the monitoring and control of telescope and observatory systems, reliable and accurate sensing of things such as weather and sky conditions informs observing and operating decisions.

Conference Specifics
Written versions of selected talks from the conference will be combined with other contributions in the book Robotic Observatories, published by the Collins Foundation Press and edited by by Russ Genet, Josh Walawender, and Sarah Gajadhar. 

All conference attendees will need to register once registration is opened later this year.  The registration fee will cover the cost of a copy of the book, Robotic Observatories, as well as miscellaneous conference expenses and morning refreshments. Please return to this website in a few months for details on registration, accommodations, and talks. 

Attendees will be welcome to submit abstracts for poster or oral presentations. The Scientific Organization Committee will select the oral contributions which will join the invited talks to make the core of the program of the Conference. The mid morning breaks will be set aside for poster discussions.

Tours
Optional tours of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Observatories are being arranged on the two days prior to the conference.  Plans for a tour of Mauna Kea observatories will probably include stops at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Observatory, Gemini Observatory, and the Keck Observatory viewing gallery. Tours will depart from Waimea mid-morning with lunch provided  half way up (to allow for some altitude accommodation), followed by summit tours.  Registration for the tours will be separate from conference registration and will cover transportation costs and lunches. 

Tentative Schedule