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GOLDEN,
CO—Software Bisque,
a leading astronomy software and hardware maker, unveils the Paramount
GT-1100, an easy-to-use robotic telescope mount for the masses. This
computer-based piece of electronic hardware, thanks to its Internet-ready
capability, will give amateur astronomers unheard-of access to advanced
technology for imaging deep-space objects. And its pre-programmable
operation (known as "scripting") means unparalleled productivity
to those interested in spending their spare time imaging deep-space
objects using CCD technology, a burgeoning market segment hungry for a
precision, computer-controlled telescope mount.
Listing for
$9,500, the Paramount GT-1100 outperforms just about anything currently
available to consumers.
Desktop
and Remote Operations
The
Paramount GT-1100 is a sophisticated synthesis of electronics and hardware
that is used in concert with a desktop PC, which can be accessed from any
other desktop with an Internet connection. In short, the Paramount
harnesses the power of the computer and links it to a suite of
sophisticated software, allowing the user to click star-by-star to direct
the night’s observations in advance. The software "engine"
calculates instructions throughout the night, driving the mount into
position; a CCD camera connected to a standard optical telescope is
instructed to take a computer "snapshot" of the object. The user
can produce literally hundreds of images in this manner in a single night.
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This key
feature is called "scripting": users script or preprogram
coordinates for collecting long series of images, all with unattended
operation. Users need only plug in the coordinates using Software
Bisque’s TheSky Astronomy Software and go off to bed (or work, or
wherever). The bottom line: scripted routines mean a ten-fold increase in
productivity compared to other mounts on the market. More impressive, the
Paramount is Internet-accessible, thus users around the world with a phone
connection can take turns programming a single Paramount-driven imaging
system.
This triple
feature of astronomical feat—scripted routines, unattended operation,
and Internet accessibility—easily makes the Paramount GT-1100 the single
greatest leap in productivity for the amateur astronomer in the last
decade.
Applications
Collaboration
is the keystone to applications using the Paramount GT-1100. The potential
for amateur astronomy, especially educational astronomy, is limited only
by human imagination. University researchers or a schoolroom filled with
fledgling stargazers, international colleagues or casual sky watcher all
can download deep-space images at any time from anyplace on the planet
using a Paramount. A university, for instance, can administer an entire
department’s viewing curriculum through a single dedicated web site tied
into a Paramount system. Or a high school or elementary classroom can
conduct experiments for science class. It’s this hub-and-spoke
system—from university to high schools to elementary classroom—that
experts envision as a new era in deep-space imaging.
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Specifications
The
Paramount is constructed of all steel and
aluminum components, affording rock-solid
stability for instrument payloads up to 34 kg
(75 lbs.). Quality construction coupled with one
arc-minute all sky pointing and Edward Byers
legendary research-grade gears ensures highly
reliable unattended operation over the long
haul.
Golden-based Software
Bisque is considered by many in the field to be
the leading astronomy software developer in the
industry. Its flagship software product, TheSky,
has gained a well-earned reputation as the most
sophisticated, elegant, yet easy-to-use
planetarium and telescope-control program.
Software Bisque has developed several software
extensions for TheSky, including CCDSoft,
Orchestrate, TPoint and AutomaDome.
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