Two 0.5-m robotic telescopes for Timau National Observatory in eastern Indonesia

Abstract

Timau National Observatory will be the new Indonesia's astronomical observatory in East Nusa Tenggara, planned for 2020. Besides the main 3.8-m optical telescope, it will host two 0.5-m "off-the-shelf" f/3.8 and f/8.0 telescopes, equipped with two CCD cameras and two filter wheels. The system will be controlled with a robotic system for autonomous operation. In this paper, we present the system description and current development progress, as well as the future plan for the facility, including its two potential scientific studies: Near-Earth objects and exoplanetary transits.