Systems and methods for accessing telescopes

Abstract

A user obtains, views and stores image data of a selected celestial object from a network of available telescopes using a computer-generated user interface. Based on the selected object, information is accessed regarding each telescope from data sources such as databases and/or live data feeds to automatically select telescopes that are suitable for imaging the object, e.g., according to factors such as telescope type, power and configuration, location, weather conditions, visibility, and altitude. The user may select a particular telescope and imaging time from a schedule of available telescopes and imaging times. At the scheduled time, an image is recorded of the celestial object and communicated to a central data store for access by the user, e.g., via a web site.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for determining availability of a plurality of telescopes to view a specified celestial object, comprising:
 a remote data processing facility having one or more computer processors and software instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, perform the steps of:   receiving a user request via at least one computer network to view the specified celestial object;   determining one or more telescopes, out of the plurality of telescopes, from which the specified celestial object is viewable and one or more times at which the specified celestial object is viewable;   accessing at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes including visibility between each of the plurality of telescopes and the specified celestial object;   selecting, based at least on the visibility between each of the one or more determined telescopes and the specified celestial object, a telescope out of the one or more determined telescopes and a time out of the one or more determined times at which the selected telescope can suitably view the specified celestial object; and   obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on availability of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes at least one of a position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes powers of the plurality of telescopes and brightness measures of celestial objects, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on its power and a brightness measure of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on altitudes of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope further comprises scheduling access on behalf of the user to the selected telescope to obtain the image data of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         7 . A method for providing access to a plurality of telescopes, comprising:
 receiving, at a remote data processing facility, a user request via at least one computer network to view a specified celestial object;   determining, using software instructions, at the remote data processing facility, one or more telescopes, out of the plurality of telescopes, from which the specified celestial object is viewable and one or more times at which the specified celestial object is viewable;   accessing, at the remote data processing facility, at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes including visibility between each of the plurality of telescopes and the specified celestial object;   selecting, using the software instructions at the data processing facility and based at least on the visibility between each of the one or more determined telescopes and the specified celestial object, a telescope out of the one or more determined telescopes and a time out of the one or more determined times at which the selected telescope can suitably view the specified celestial object; and   obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on availability of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes at least one of a position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes powers of the plurality of telescopes and brightness measures of celestial objects, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on its power and a brightness measure of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on altitudes of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope further comprises scheduling access on behalf of the user to the selected telescope to obtain the image data of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         13 . A computer program product for providing access to a plurality of telescopes, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable medium storing software instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, perform the steps, at a remote data processing facility, of:   receiving a user request via at least one computer network to view a specified celestial object;   determining one or more telescopes, out of the plurality of telescopes, from which the specified celestial object is viewable and one or more times at which the specified celestial object is viewable;   accessing at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes including visibility between each of the plurality of telescopes and the specified celestial object;   selecting, based at least on the visibility between each of the one or more determined telescopes and the specified celestial object, a telescope out of the one or more determined telescopes and a time out of the one or more determined times at which the selected telescope can suitably view the specified celestial object; and   obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on availability of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes at least one of a position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on position setting, exposure setting, filter setting and tracking mode setting. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes further includes powers of the plurality of telescopes and brightness measures of celestial objects, and wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on its power and a brightness measure of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the telescope that can suitably view the specified celestial object is selected based, at least in part, on altitudes of the determined telescopes. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope further comprises scheduling access on behalf of the user to the selected telescope to obtain the image data of the specified celestial object. 
     
     
         19 . A system for determining availability of a plurality of telescopes to view a specified celestial object, comprising:
 a remote data processing facility having one or more computer processors and software instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, perform the steps of:   receiving a user request via at least one computer network to view the specified celestial object;   determining one or more telescopes, out of the plurality of telescopes, from which the specified celestial object is viewable and one or more times at which the specified celestial object is viewable;   accessing at least one source of information relating to the one or more determined telescopes including altitudes at each of the plurality of telescopes;   selecting, based at least on the altitudes at each of the one or more determined telescopes, a telescope out of the one or more determined telescopes and a time out of the one or more determined times at which the selected telescope can suitably view the specified celestial object; and   obtaining image data of the specified celestial object from the selected telescope.