Automated Patrol Telescope

The Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) was a wide-field CCD imaging telescope, operated by the University of New South Wales at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia.

The telescope activated in June 1989.^[1]

This was one of four (4) ROTSE telescopes around the World to detect Gamma ray bursts, with telescopes positioned in Australia, Namibia, Turkey, and Texas.^[2] The telescope was designed for robotic use, with 45 cm aperture.^[2] The telescope was converted for computer controlled operation and CCD imaging from an older retired Baker-nunn camera.^[3] This is a type of modified Schmidt canera.^[4]

The telescope has a field of view of 5 degrees by 5 degrees.^[4]

References

^ Brooks, P. W. (1990). "1990PASAu...8..377B Page 377". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. 8 (4): 377. Bibcode:1990PASA....8..377B. doi:10.1017/S132335800002378X. S2CID 116831393.
^ ^a ^b Director, RSAA; webmaster@mso.anu.edu.au. "UNSW Automated Patrol Telescope (APT)". rsaa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
^ Carter, B. D.; Bembrick, C. S.; Ashley, M. C. B.; Mitchell, P. (1 March 1994). "The University of New South Wales Automated Patrol Telescope". Experimental Astronomy. 5 (1–2): 81–85. Bibcode:1994ExA.....5...81C. doi:10.1007/BF01583814. ISSN 0922-6435. S2CID 122281647.
^ ^a ^b Grossan, Bruce; Perlmutter, Saul; Ashley, Michael (16 May 1998). "A search for gamma-ray burst optical emission with the automated patrol telescope". AIP Conference Proceedings. 428 (1): 909–913. doi:10.1063/1.55461. ISSN 0094-243X. S2CID 119007195.