A Dome on a Home: The Story of Winchester Observatory (Abstract)

Volume 35 number 1 (2007)

Walter MacDonald II

Abstract

(Abstract only) In early 2003, a robotic rooftop observatory was built on the author’s home. The 6-foot diameter dome houses a 10” f/6.3 LX-200 telescope and is used almost exclusively for variable star work. Using only readily available, off-the-shelf hardware, the observatory is sufficiently automated to allow long, unattended observing runs. This presentation will discuss the construction and automation of Winchester Observatory and the adventures experienced during its first three years of operation.