Dyer, M. orcid.org/0000-0003-3665-5482, Dhillon, V. orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-9642, Littlefair, S. et al. (5 more authors) (2018) A telescope control and scheduling system for the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO). In: Peck, A.B., Seaman, R.L. and Benn, C.R., (eds.) Proceedings SPIE 10704, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems VII. SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation, 10 Jun 2018 - 15 Jun 1018, Austin, Texas, United States. SPIE ISBN 9781510619616
Abstract
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) is a wide-field telescope project aimed at detecting optical counterparts to gravitational wave sources. The prototype instrument was inaugurated in July 2017 on La Palma in the Canary Islands. We describe the GOTO Telescope Control System (G-TeCS), a custom robotic control system written in Python which autonomously manages the telescope hardware and nightly operations. The system comprises of multiple independent control daemons, which are supervised by a master control program known as the "pilot". Observations are decided by a "just-in-time" scheduler, which instructs the pilot what to observe in real time and provides quick follow-up of transient events.
Metadata
Item Type: | Proceedings Paper |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Editors: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 Society of Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this publication for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the contents of the publication are prohibited. |
Keywords: | Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 13 Jul 2018 14:52 |
Last Modified: | 17 Nov 2020 16:50 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SPIE |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1117/12.2311865 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:133046 |