Evryscope Robotilter automated camera / ccd alignment system

Jeff K. Ratzloff; Nicholas M. Law; Octavi Fors; Daniel del Ser; Henry T. Corbett

doi:10.1117/12.2233384

4 August 2016 Evryscope Robotilter automated camera / ccd alignment system

Jeff K. Ratzloff, Nicholas M. Law, Octavi Fors, Daniel del Ser, Henry T. Corbett

Proceedings Volume 9908, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI; 99080W (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233384
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

We have deployed a new class of telescope, the Evryscope, which opens a new parameter space in optical astronomy - the ability to detect short time scale events across the entire sky simultaneously. The system is a gigapixel-scale array camera with an 8000 sq. deg. field of view, 13 arcsec per pixel sampling, and the ability to detect objects brighter than g = 16 in each 2-minute exposure. The Evryscope is designed to find transiting exoplanets around exotic stars, as well as detect nearby supernovae and provide continuous records of distant relativistic explosions like gamma-ray-bursts. The Evryscope uses commercially available CCDs and optics; the machine and assembly tolerances inherent in the mass production of these parts introduce problematic variations in the lens / CCD alignment which degrades image quality. We have built an automated alignment system (Robotilters) to solve this challenge. In this paper we describe the Robotilter system, mechanical and software design, image quality improvement, and current status.

Citation Download Citation

Jeff K. Ratzloff, Nicholas M. Law, Octavi Fors, Daniel del Ser, and Henry T. Corbett "Evryscope Robotilter automated camera / ccd alignment system", Proc. SPIE 9908, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI, 99080W (4 August 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233384

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