MOON

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the Ray E. White Telescope is located on the desktop of the computer in the dome. The Telescope Control computer should be running before you start the GUI program or the program will hang. To open the program simply double click on the icon labeled TCS GUI 03-24-2008. If everything is working correctly you should get a window that looks like this:

To stop the telescope click on the red STOP in the TCS GUI. In an emergency the Emergency Stop button can also be pushed on the observatory control panel on the south wall.

Generally, you will be using the GOTO tab to slew to an object. The GOTO tab looks like this:

There are a few ways to slew to and track an object in the night sky.

To enter RA and Dec coordinates manually, make sure you are in the GOTO tab. Enter the coordinates of your object in the RA and DEC input boxes and click the Set Next button. The object's coordinates are now in the buffer. Click the Go Next button to slew to these coordinates.

To slew to an object in a catalog you must be in the GOTO window. Click on the Open Catalog button in the center of the window. Double click on the catalog you would like from the list of catalogues that appear. The objects in the catalog will be listed in the catalog box in the bottom half of the window. All objects below the horizon are highlighted in red. Click on an object to select it. Click the Set Next button under GOTO. Click the Go Next button to slew the telescope to the object.

Small errors in the mechanical and electrical systems in the telescope can accumulate to cause trouble with telescope pointing. That's why the telescope should be initialized every night in order to verify the telescope position. Be warned, initializing the telescope improperly can cause lots of headaches.

Here are the basic steps to follow when initializing: Slew to a bright star using the GOTO window. Make sure you use the “Set Next” and then Go “Next” buttons in order to put the coordinates into the “Next” buffer. You can see what this buffer is by looking on the right hand side of the GUI screen and looking at the “Next” column. Use the using_dome_remote_paddle:paddle controls to put that object in the center of the field. Return to the GUI application and check to make sure the “Next” column is close to the current telescope position. After this check, click on the Service tab. In the service tab click the “Init Next” Button at the bottom of the screen this will set the current telescope position to the “Next” coordinates.

If you have any questions or suggestions for changing the GUI email Scott Swindell sswindell@as.arizona.edu. Here is a list of suggestions we have already received.