Robotic Telescopes on the Internet and the Study of Variable Stars (Abstract)

Volume 35 number 1 (2007)

J. Baruch

Abstract

(Abstract only) The development of robotic telescopes has a long history with notable efforts in the late 1960s. It is only in the 1990s that the technology has matured and that effective robotic photometry is being demonstrated. The development of of robotic systems on the Internet for the photometry of variable stars puts astronomy at the forefront of the technology applications. This paper reviews the development of robotic systems and their operation on the Internet. It defines the requirements of a robotic system and maps out the major applications that are being developed. Robotic systems have a unique contribution to make to the development of photometry, enriching present practice and opening new areas of study, e.g., in eruptive variables such as gamma-ray bursts.