Introduction

Remote use of astronomical telescopes has been a topic of interest for many years, even before space-based observing platforms (e.g., IUE) began to demonstrate total remote operation out of sheer necessity. However, only very recently are optical telescopes beginning to realize the benefits of true remote observing: for example, observations with modest size detectors at Apache Point Observatory are being carried out remotely using the Internet (York 1995, BAAS, 186, 44.04 ). For this project, we have established remote interactive observing capabilities for Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea for observers at Caltech, in Pasadena, California. The recently commissioned twin 10-meter Keck Telescopes are the largest optical/infrared telescopes in the world and thereby typify the data and network requirements of a modern observatory. In undertaking this project, we were motivated by several operational and scientific advantages that remote observing would offer, including alleviating altitude-related difficulties, saving time and money due to travel, enabling remote diagnosis of hardware and software problems, and simplifying access to the telescopes for educational use.

 

Figure 1: Schematics of the final terrestrial networks in Hawaii and California, as used for the Keck remote observing project. These networks were connected via NASA's ACTS satellite.