Automated Patrol Telescope

Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Imaging Telescope at Australia

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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.

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. The telescope was designed for robotic use, with 45 cm aperture. The telescope was converted for computer controlled operation and CCD imaging from an older retired Baker-nunn camera. This is a type of modified Schmidt canera.

The telescope has a field of view of 5 degrees by 5 degrees.

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.
^ 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.
^ 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.