Systems and methods for aligning a telescope

Abstract

Embodiments of a telescope system include methods for alignment with a spherical coordinate system. For example, embodiments may include determining data for date, time, location, level and North (true or magnetic). Upon acquisition of this data, the telescope system can determine and first alignment. To the extent needed or desired, further alignment methods can improve the accuracy of the first alignment; however, in many cases, the first alignment is sufficient to align a field of view of the telescope with a selected and/or desired astronomical object.

1 . A method of aligning a field of view of a telescope tube with a system of locating celestial objects, the method comprising: 
 receiving date data indicative of an approximate current date;    receiving time data indicative of an approximate current time;    receiving location data indicative of an approximate current location of a telescope system including a telescope tube and motor control electronics capable of positioning a field of view of the telescope tube;    receiving first data indicative of the telescope tube being approximately positioned at a terrestrial direction or a determinable angle with respect to the terrestrial direction;    receiving second data indicative of the telescope tube being approximately positioned at horizontal or a determinable angle with respect to horizontal; and    electronically determining an alignment of the field of view of the telescope tube with respect to a system of locating celestial objects.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the system of locating celestial objects comprises a celestial coordinate system.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving first data comprises receiving an indication from a user that the telescope tube is appropriately positioned.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first data comprises data received from an incremental encoder system.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising zeroing a count based on output from the incremental encoder system upon receipt of the indication.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising storing a count based on output from the incremental encoder system upon receipt of the indication.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first data comprises data received from an absolute encoder system.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving second data comprises receiving an indication from a user that the telescope tube is appropriately positioned.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second data comprises data received from an incremental encoder system.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second data comprises data received from an absolute encoder system.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the date data and time data is acquired from an electronic device capable of measuring time or date.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location data is acquired from an electronic device capable of measuring location of the telescope system.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the terrestrial direction comprises approximately true North.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the terrestrial direction comprises approximately magnetic North.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 electronically determining a plurality of celestial objects potentially available to the field of view of the telescope tube based at least in part on the date data, the time data, and the location data;    receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of celestial objects; and    using said alignment, moving the field of view of the telescope tube to include a vicinity of the one celestial object.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising correcting the alignment of the telescope tube through acquisition of additional alignment data.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the acquisition of additional alignment data comprises: 
 selecting an alignment celestial object from a database of celestial objects, the alignment celestial object selected based at least in part on the date data, the time data, and the location data;    using said alignment, moving the field of view of the telescope tube to include a vicinity of the alignment celestial object;    receiving data indicative of the alignment celestial object being identified through the telescope tube; and    electronically correcting said alignment of the telescope tube with respect to the system of locating celestial objects.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the acquisition of additional alignment data comprises: 
 selecting a second celestial object from a database of celestial objects, the second alignment celestial object selected based at least in part on the date data, the time data, and the location data;    using said corrected alignment, moving the field of view of the telescope tube to include a vicinity of the second alignment celestial object;    receiving data indicative of the second alignment celestial object being identified through the telescope tube; and    electronically correcting the corrected alignment of the telescope tube with respect to the system of locating celestial objects.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the acquisition of additional alignment data comprises: 
 receiving data indicative of a selection of an alignment celestial object, wherein data regarding the alignment celestial object is stored in a database of celestial objects and is selected based at least in part on the date data, the time data, and the location data;    using said alignment, moving the field of view of the telescope tube to include a vicinity of the alignment celestial object;    receiving data indicative of the alignment celestial object being identified through the telescope tube; and    electronically correcting said alignment of the telescope tube with respect to the system of locating celestial objects.    
   
   
       20 . An article of manufacture comprising software instructions stored in a processor accessible storage medium and executable by a processing device capable of providing instructions to a telescope positioning system to accurately position a telescope tube with respect to a sky, the software instructions configured to cause the processor to receive or calculate data indicative of an approximate current time, an approximate current date, an approximate current location, a terrestrial direction or a determinable angle with respect to the terrestrial direction, and horizontal or a determinable angle with respect to horizontal, and to cause the processor to determine an alignment of the telescope tube with respect to a celestial coordinate system.  
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20 , wherein the software instructions are capable of causing the processor to use the alignment to move the telescope tube to view a desired celestial object.  
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20 , wherein the terrestrial direction comprises approximately true North.  
   
   
       23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the data indicative of current time, current date, current location, terrestrial direction, and horizontal is automatically acquired from an electronic device capable of measuring the same.  
   
   
       24 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20 , wherein the software instructions are capable of causing the processor to correct the alignment of the telescope tube through acquisition of additional alignment data.  
   
   
       25 . A telescope system comprising: 
 an optical system usable in resolving distant objects;    an electronic positioning system capable of positioning the optical system, wherein the electronic positioning system includes positional reference indicators capable of identifying a change in position of the optical system;    computer accessible memory configured to store alignment data at least generally indicative of time, date, location, output from the positional reference indicators with respect to a terrestrial direction, and output from the positional reference indicators with respect to horizontal; and    a processor configured to determine an alignment of the optical system with respect to a system of locating celestial objects.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the system of locating celestial objects comprises a celestial coordinate system.  
   
   
       27 . The telescope system of  claim 26 , comprising computer accessible memory configured to store positional information for at least a plurality of celestial objects with respect to the celestial coordinate system, wherein said processor is also configured to determine at least one viewable celestial object from the plurality of celestial objects, the processor also configured to position the optical system to view a vicinity of the viewable celestial object based on the alignment data and the corresponding positional information of the viewable celestial object.  
   
   
       28 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , wherein the positional reference indicators comprise optical encoders.  
   
   
       29 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , wherein the positional reference indicators comprise incremental encoders.  
   
   
       30 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , wherein the positional reference indicators comprise absolute encoders.  
   
   
       31 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , wherein the terrestrial direction comprises approximately true North.  
   
   
       32 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , comprising one or more devices capable of measuring at least one of time and date.  
   
   
       33 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , comprising one or more devices capable of measuring at least one of terrestrial direction and horizontal.  
   
   
       34 . The telescope system of  claim 25 , comprising one or more devices capable of determining location of the optical system.  
   
   
       35 . A telescope system capable of using input data to determine at least a first approximated alignment, the telescope system comprising: 
 a telescope tube;    means for positioning the telescope tube;    means for acquiring an approximate current date;    means for acquiring an approximate current time;    means for acquiring an approximate current location;    means for acquiring an approximate positional information with respect to a terrestrial direction;    means for acquiring an approximate positional information with respect to horizontal; and    electronic means for aligning the telescope tube with the sky.    
   
   
       36 . The telescope system of  claim 35 , wherein the means for acquiring the approximate positional information with respect to a terrestrial direction comprises means for receiving user input.  
   
   
       37 . The telescope system of  claim 35 , wherein the means for acquiring the approximate positional information with respect to horizontal comprises means for receiving user input.  
   
   
       38 . The telescope system of  claim 35 , comprising means for using the alignment of the telescope tube to view a celestial object.  
   
   
       39 . The telescope system of  claim 35 , comprising means for correcting the alignment of the telescope tube.  
   
   
       40 . A method of determining a first approximation of an alignment of a field of view of a telescope tube, the method comprising: 
 acquiring an indication of current time;    acquiring an indication of current date;    acquiring an indication of current location;    acquiring an indication that a telescope tube is approximately level;    acquiring an indication of a terrestrial orientation of the telescope tube, wherein the terrestrial orientation comprises one of North, South, or an identifiable terrestrial orientation; and    determining a first approximation of an alignment of a field of view of the telescope tube.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , comprising using the first approximation to electronically move the telescope tube to until a desired celestial object is within the field of view.