Robotic telescopes and their use as an educational tool

Abstract

Robotic telescopes are new tools that are changing many aspects of the way we do astronomy. The use of this type of telescope has been quickly adopted in some of the most prolific fields of this science, including searches for extrasolar planets. In this particular field, robotic telescopes have demonstrated an efficiency and agility that would hardly have been obtained with conventional telescopes. In addition to the typical scientific uses, robotic telescopes are being used as fundamental pieces in the practical education of astronomy. Numerous institutes and museums have begun to develop their own robotic telescopes to bring astronomy into the classroom; as a way to understand the Universe that surrounds us. By establishing collaborations between institutes in different countries observations can be made in the classroom without a change in school schedules, which has an enormous benefit to the education community. The robotic telescope concept Robotic telescopes are a new tool for astronomy. They are mostly destined to study nearby and brilliant objects but are perfect to support experiments that require constant monitoring of the sky. Also, robotic telescopes are very useful in routine observations that do not require an operator and for which a great amount of data is generated but can be reduced and analysed automatically. Robotic telescopes in action Taking advantage of the flexibility and versatility that characterise robotic telescopes, these instruments have become one of the most important tools in practical education and the teaching of astrophysics. They are a way to reach the public rapidly due to their particular configuration and the technical innovation that they represent. Impressive images and scientific results in top astrophysics are good examples of their potential. Science with robotic telescopes The study of extrasolar planets is in the vanguard of the present investigation of astrophysics and is of great interest to the field of astrobiology. The method of transit detection is based on obtaining differential photometry to detect changes in the light curves of stars. For this type of study a great amount of observation time is required.