Autonomy on a Budget: Transforming a Small Observatory into a Photometric Powerhouse

Volume 53 number 1 (2025)

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Gary J. Hawkins

Blossom Valley Small Telescope Observatory (BVSTO), El Cajon, CA; astrogary8@gmail.com

Abstract

The transition from a manual or remote observatory to a fully autonomous observatory offers amateur astronomers the opportunity to significantly enhance the productivity and efficiency of their photometric sessions. This paper details implementing a fully autonomous system at the Blossom Valley Small Telescope Observatory (BVSTO). By leveraging accessible technologies like Arduino microcontrollers, affordable sensors, and free, open-source software, the observatory can now operate independently, performing complex observational tasks without human intervention. This setup allows for continuous data collection, even during periods of adverse weather. This functionality was implemented for a cost of just a few hundred dollars. The autonomous functionality has already proven highly reliable, with over five hundred hours of data gathered in its first six months of operation. This cost-effective approach demonstrates that once considered complex and expensive, automation is now achievable for most amateur astronomers with an observatory. The presented results highlight the potential for increased observation time, enhanced data quality, and ease of operation, democratizing advanced astronomical research for hobbyists. Future plans include sharing the developed code and hardware designs to assist others in adopting similar autonomous systems.