The Role of 3D Printing in Spectrograph and Small Telescope Science (Abstract)

Volume 48 number 2 (2020)

Anthony Rodda
British Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom
Jerry Foote
Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA
Wayne Green
Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA, and Boulder Astronomy and Space Society, Boulder CO
Thomas Smith
AAVSO, Cambridge, MA, and Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA
Clarke Yeager
Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA, and Boulder Astronomy and Space Society, Boulder CO
Forrest Sims
Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA, and British Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom
Robert Buchheim
AAVSO, Cambridge, MA, and Society for Astronomical Sciences, Ontario, CA, USA
Paul Gerlach

Abstract

(Abstract only) Anthony Rodda, following Paul Gerlach’s LowSpec design, introduced this team to the power of 3D printing for astronomical purposes at the AAVSO Fall Conference in 2018. This was reinforced at the Sacramento Mountain Spectroscopy Workshop (SMSW-2) in Las Cruces, NM, in February 2019. We have created a shared repository which contains results, videos, and other resources in support of 3D spectroscopy located on GitHub. This paper offers considerations about calibration lamps, thermal expansion issues related to ABS, PETG, and other 3D media, optics, automation, telemetry, communications, and adapting to other focal-lengths.