Sky & Telescope - December 2018 - 60

S&T Test Report

are relatively impervious to moonlight,
particularly when they are far away
from the Moon in the sky.
Chilescope provides a link to weather
sites to help users determine seeing and
transparency conditions, and a color
all-sky camera lets you monitor the
local conditions in real time.

Remote Planets

p Users can monitor the local sky conditions using an all-sky camera while observing with any of
the Chilescope telescopes.

was previously not quite up to the
task of landing a target on a planetary
camera's small detector at 16,000 mm
focal length. Add to this other variables
such as instrument ﬂexure and precise
collimation of a mirror-based telescope
system at an unattended facility, and
the technological challenges of remote
planetary imaging become daunting to
say the least.
Chilescope takes care of these
problems by using a professional
observatory-class instrument and by
having an operator online to help with
pointing the scope at the customer's

chosen targets as well as offering some
imaging assistance. These tasks are
often handled by the fourth Chilescope partner: planetary photographer
Damian Peach. Peach helps clients with
planetary imaging runs to ensure users
get the most out of their time.
I used the 1-meter scope on several
nights from April through June this
year. A typical imaging run looks virtually the same as my experience imaging
from my own backyard, with two differences - I wasn't outside with my scope,
and I couldn't simply swing over to
another target without assistance.

p Left: Two computer-controlled 20-inch ASA astrographs equipped with FLI ProLine PL16803 CCD cameras and a full assortment of filters are available
for deep-sky imaging rental under the pristine skies of the Chilean Andes. Right: Booking time for either deep-sky or planetary imaging requires selecting a designated time slot. Users are encouraged to book their observations well in advance, because the time slots when the planets are best placed
each night fill up quickly.

DECE MBE R 2 018 * SK Y & TELESCOPE

ALL-SK Y CA MER A SHOTS: CHILESCOPE

My interest in Chilescope primarily
concerned the planets. Although I shoot
all kinds of astrophotography including
deep-sky and the occasional nightscape,
I'm a solar system aﬁcionado at heart,
particularly when Mars is nearing
opposition. That said, this year, and for
several years going forward, the bright
outer planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
are slowly traversing the southern extent
of the ecliptic. From my northerly home,
none of these exciting targets gets much
more than 25° above the horizon, so my
opportunities for sharp, high-resolution
planetary imaging are extremely limited, as they are for many European and
North American amateurs.
Enter Chilescope. The ability to use a
1-meter telescope for remote planetary
imaging is a ﬁrst that I'm aware of.
Remote imaging of the planets is difﬁcult for several reasons, the ﬁrst being
that the pointing accuracy of commercial telescope mounts, while excellent,

Sky & Telescope - December 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - December 2018