2010 Presentations
Robotic Research for the Amateur Astronomer
David O'Driscoll,
Astronomical Association of Queensland
Robotic telescopes operated by commercial vendors can allow amateurs to access equipment their partners would never allow them to own! When combined with innovative software applications, serious research projects in areas such as photometry and astrometry are achievable. The presentation will cover the experiences of the presenter using one network of telescopes to conduct research on double stars, eclipsing binaries and international infamy.
David O’Driscoll joined the Astronomical Association of Queensland in 2005 after many years interest in astronomy, including 2 years as a member of the Northern Districts Society of Amateur Astronomers in Sydney in the late 1980’s. As an IT professional for some 25 years, David has naturally gravitated to the world of online, remote astronomy, which allows him to combine his interests in astronomy with his IT skills. In recent years he has been balancing interests in variable star photometry and double star astrometry. While David loves using remote scopes to take images, he acknowledges that none of them will ever win a David Malin award!!