A wide-field camera and fully remote operations at the Wyoming infrared observatory

Abstract

Upgrades at the 2.3 meter Wyoming Infrared Observatory telescope have provided the capability for fully remote operations by a single operator from the University of Wyoming campus. A line-of-sight 300 Megabit s−1 11GHz radio link provides high-speed internet for data transfer and remote operations that include several realtime video feeds. Uninterruptable power is ensured by a 10 kVA battery supply for critical systems and a 55 kW autostart diesel generator capable of running the entire observatory for up to a week. The construction of a new four-element primefocus corrector with fused-silica elements allows imaging over a 40′ field of view with a new 40962 UV-sensitive prime-focus camera and filter wheel. A new telescope control system facilitates the remote operations model and provides 20″ rms pointing over the usable sky. Taken together, these improvements pave the way for a new generation of sky surveys supporting space-based missions and flexible-cadence observations advancing emerging astrophysical priorities such as planet detection, quasar variability, and long-term time-domain campaigns.