MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Explorer

Live Script image processing for Harvard MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network images.

The Harvard MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network is a free robotic telescope network that enables anyone to schedule and receive images of select solar and extragalactic objects. Images collected with different filters are obtained sequentially and require background noise subtraction and registration before being stacked into an RGB image. This Live Script provides an introduction to MicroObservatory use and automates dark field image background subtraction and registration. It extracts FITS format image and header information and illustrates adjustable image processing techniques to reduce noise and make visible faint arms of spiral galaxies. Exemplary images and a FITS Viewer application are included.

This script may interest students and instructors in astronomy and physics, and others interested in the study of telescope images available online or obtained from the MicroObservatory. 'Try this' suggestions, coding 'Challenges,' hyperlinks, and references are included for additional exploration. Additional educational Live Scripts by the author are available here.