Star Gazing by Computer
by David Barth, written May 13, 2008
From page 60 of Wired, March 2008
These are four online telescope sites that can be accessed and viewed through the web addresses shown. You may order
photos from these telescopes.
Telescope: 14-inch diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain
Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands
Field of view: from north celestial pole to 52 degrees south
Pictures Back to you: Days, sometimes weeks
Results: 1,056 by 1,027 pixel color or black-and-white JPEGs
Cost: Free
Telescope: 6-inch diameter Maksutov
Location: Cambridge, MA and Amado, AZ
Field of view: Northern celestial hemisphere to 48 degrees south
Pictures Back to you: Days, often overnight
Results: 650 by 500 pixel black-and-white GIFs
Cost: Free
Telescope: 14-inch diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain
Location: Mayhill, NM
Field of view: Northern celestial hemisphere to 45 degrees south
Pictures Back to you: Days, sometimes weeks
Results: 512 by 512 pixel black-and-white JPEGs
Cost: Free
Telescope: Two 14-inch diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, one for planets, the other for deep space
Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands and Santiago, Chile
Field of view: Northern and Southern celestial hemispheres
Pictures Back to you: in Seconds
Results: 800 by 600 pixel color JPEGs
Cost: $100 per year for unlimited images