Take a real-time journey to the stars with AAA’s new Gateway Remote Telescope (GRT). From the dark skies of West Texas at an elevation of over 6,000 feet, the GRT can penetrate millions of light years away, revealing some of the most exciting deep-sky objects in the cosmos, and put it right on your computer screen! Astrophotographers can download and process images. Observers enjoy live-stream public lecture/demonstrations led by prominent experts who describe the view and answer your questions as we watch the images unfold in real time! Chose a tier level that suits your needs and curiosity!
Already a member? Access your GRT members home.
Telescope Operator
(Tier 1)-
You drive the scope with the NINA imaging suite!
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You set the parameters for the rig.
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One night per month is for your exclusive use.
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One night per month you’ll draw from the Target Selector list.
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You’ll have exclusive access to your raw data for 3 weeks.
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You’ll have access to all files in the GRT database.
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You’re required to operate the scope once a year for a live lecture/demo for club members and the public.
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You are required to take a free class to learn the system.
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Image processing classes will be offered by AAA for this tier.
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EYEPIECE (AAA's monthly newsletter) will have updates, sneak peaks, and behind the scenes features on exciting nebulae, galaxies, clusters, and other deep-sky objects overhead right now!
Target Selector
(Tier 2)-
Choose 1 DSO target per month for the GRT to image.
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Get exclusive access to your data for 2 weeks.
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Enjoy unlimited access to all files in the GRT database.
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Image processing classes will be offered by AAA for this tier.
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Enjoy lecture/demos with real-time target viewing.
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Enjoy Q&A with the experts.
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EYEPIECE (AAA's monthly newsletter) will have updates, sneak peaks, and behind the scenes features on exciting nebulae, galaxies, clusters, and other deep-sky objects overhead right now!
Data Subscriber
(Tier 3)-
Access to all raw data in the GRT database
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Unlimited downloads of raw data for image processing
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Image processing classes will be offered by AAA for this tier.
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Enjoy lecture/demos with real-time target viewing.
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Enjoy Q&A with the experts.
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EYEPIECE (AAA’s monthly newsletter) will have updates, sneak peaks, and behind the scenes features on exciting nebulae, galaxies, clusters, and other deep-sky objects overhead right now!
Observer
(Tier 4)-
Enjoy lecture/demos with real-time target viewing.
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Enjoy Q&A with the experts.
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EYEPIECE (AAA’s monthly newsletter) will have updates, sneak peaks, and behind the scenes features on exciting nebulae, galaxies, clusters, and other deep-sky objects overhead right now!
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Join to get automatic updates when real-time lecture/demos will take place.
Membership Terms
Telescope Operator
The rig consists of an Astro-Physics 175 f8 telescope operating at f6.1, with a Finger Lakes Instrumentation MicroLine 16200 CCD mono camera on a 10 Micron GM3000HPS mount. Filters on the FLI 16200 camera are LRGB, OIII, H-alpha and SII. Piggy-backed on the mount is an Astro-Tech 60 telescope with a ZWO ASI 2600 one shot color camera (owned by AAA). No filters on the ZWO 2600.
You can use either of these telescopes during your two nights of operating. At least one of your nights must be used to image objects on a list from our Target Selectors. Objects on the Target Selector list may limit which telescope is used for imaging.
RAW data will be downloaded when the telescope is shut down or during daylight hours due to internet constraints at the site. You will receive an email to confirm your data is available from the Dropbox account.
Data from the object you select and image (not on the Target Selector list) will go to a Dropbox folder specific to the Operators and will be yours exclusively for three weeks. After that, the RAW files go into a general Dropbox folder accessible by the other tier members. Operators can access files that are available to all tier members.
Files for objects imaged that were selected by Target Selectors will go into their Dropbox folder and be exclusive to them for two weeks. The files will then go into a general Dropbox folder accessible by the other tier members.
You will use the rig in a responsible manner (all members who use must it be trained, ensuring visually that the scope is parked and the rig powered down after each session). A free training session on NINA and the telescope operation will be led by Linda Thomas-Fowler, who operates several remote setups. You must attend the training session and be certified by Linda.
You will immediately report to AAA and Linda any negative issues regarding the rig’s performance.
You will agree to follow the Guidelines for Image Credits and Copyrights for processed images.
Every few months we’d like to showcase your images to the membership and your stories on what, how and why you selected the objects and your experience “flying” the rig. We hope you will participate in these presentations.
Target Selector
The rig consists of an Astro-Physics 175 f8 telescope operating at f6.1, with a Finger Lakes Instrumentation MicroLine 16200 CCD mono camera on a 10 Micron GM3000HPS mount. Filters on the FLI 16200 camera are LRGB, OIII, H-alpha and SII. Piggy-backed on the mount is an Astro-Tech 60 telescope with a ZWO ASI 2600 one shot color camera (owned by AAA). No filters on the ZWO 2600.
The target you select may determine which telescope is used. If you feel more comfortable processing full color files (rather than individual L-R-G-B files from the mono camera), select a target compatible with the AT-60 telescope and ZWO 2600 camera. There will be plenty of help in selecting targets that will match the two telescopes’ field of view.
RAW data will be downloaded when the telescope is shut down or during daylight hours due to internet constraints at the site. You will receive an email to confirm your data is available from the Dropbox account.
Data from object you select will go to a Dropbox folder specific to the Selectors and will be yours exclusively for two weeks. After that, the RAW files go into a general Dropbox folder accessible by the other tier members. Selectors can access files that are available to all tier members. You will receive an email updating you on targets that have been imaged and are available in the general Dropbox account.
Image Processing classes for all skill levels will be available to all tier members.
You will agree to follow the Guidelines for Image Credits and Copyrights for processed images. (to follow)
Every few months we’d like to showcase your images to the membership and your stories on what, how and why you selected the objects. We hope you will participate in these presentations.
Data Subscriber
The rig consists of an Astro-Physics 175 f8 telescope operating at f6.1, with a Finger Lakes Instrumentation MicroLine 16200 CCD mono camera on a 10 Micron GM3000HPS mount. Filters on the FLI 16200 camera are LRGB, OIII, H-alpha and SII. Piggy-backed on the mount is an Astro-Tech 60 telescope with a ZWO ASI 2600 one shot color camera (owned by AAA). No filters on the ZWO 2600.
You’ll have access to a Dropbox folder with all the RAW files of objects that have been imaged and released to all tier members. You will receive an email updating you on targets that have been imaged and are available in the Dropbox account.
Image Processing classes for all skill levels will be available to all tier members.
You will agree to follow the Guidelines for Image Credits and Copyrights for processed images. (to follow)
Every few months we’d like to showcase your images to the membership and your stories on your experience with the project. We hope you will participate in these presentations.
Image Credits & Copyright
Credits
When you post or publish images created using data from the AAA GRT, you must credit AAA Gateway Remote Telescope as the source of data.
The preferred credit line is:
<Your Name>/AAA Gateway Remote Telescope
or
Image created by <Your Name>/data from AAA Gateway Remote Telescope
The caption or accompanying information should also contain this information. You may watermark the images with this credit line and it is suggested that you do so. Some websites allow you to credit the source of data in the credit/caption fields.
Copyright/Ownership
The copyright to the processed deep sky images that you produce from the AAA Gateway Remote Telescope FITS raw files remains with you under the condition that you use the credit lines as stated above and acknowledge the source of the original data.
The original FITS/RAW files acquired by the AAA Gateway Remote Telescope instruments are owned by the AAA. These files cannot be redistributed. The files can exclusively be used by AAA GRT participants who download the files. Participants retain a license to use the FITS/RAW files to generate deep sky images.
Exceptions
We can grant reasonable exceptions to this policy.
For reasons beyond your control and if you have made a reasonable effort to comply with the guidelines, we can grant an exception.
If you post to on-line sites, submit to entities like APOD, enter contests or competitions, your entry must have one of the above credits. You must state that your image should have the data source attribution if the image is selected. If the entity does not comply, contact them to resolve the problem. If they still fail to comply, contact us.
If your image is re-posted by news organizations as a result of selection by a contest and they fail to list the data source, this is generally out of your control and we can grant an exception.
You may sell, print (and sell prints) of your final images. In these cases, it may be difficult to insist on the credit guidelines.