Remote Control In Astronomy

EE 34 March 1987 REMOTE CONTROL IN ASTRONOMY by Dr Paul Murdin, Royal Greenwich Observatory Light from quasars and galaxies in distant regions carries messages about the beginnings of the universe. But perceiving it is difficult unless telescopes are sited on mountain tops to avoid interference from scattered artificial light. Astronomers have taken the first steps in operating such telescopes from data centres and remote control rooms instead of travelling the world to distant mountains. This is not just a matter of economy: it brings advantages of efficiency and new opportunities. Astronomers who study radi- ations which cannot penetrate the Earth"s atmosphere are used to operating their telescopes remotely. They have had to, for such telescopes have been car- ried on board satellites orbiting the Earth. The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) oper- ated by the European Space Agency tracking station from Madrid, the European X-ray Astronomy Satellite operated from Darmstadt...