Focus Control System of a Celestron 2000 Telescope Based on Arduino for Remote Observations in Astronomy Laboratory Department of Physics Universitas Negeri Malang

Abstract

A star telescope is a device in the field of astronomy that serves to observe celestial objects. The use of telescopes in the Astronomy Laboratory, Department of Physics, State University of Malang, is still conventional. Its use is limited to direct and scheduled observations in the laboratory. The use of such telescopes makes the use of telescopes less effective and efficient, especially during a pandemic when the online learning system is still in effect. This research has been developed with the title “Development of Introductory Astronomy Learning Innovations with Telescope Access Practicum and Online-Based Reporting”. The telescope used in this research is the Celestron 2000 Telescope, one of the telescopes used in astronomical research at the Department of Physics, State University of Malang. Overall, the system in this study was good enough for online-based practicum learning. However, there are still shortcomings, and further improvements need to be made to the camera resolution and focus setting system, which is still manual. Thus, it is necessary to follow up on this research and focus on improving the focus-setting system. The method used is to program the Arduino serial monitor stepper motor so that it can be ordered to move clockwise or counterclockwise. The researcher creates the Windows desktop application with the help of Visual Studio 2022 to make it easier to order Arduino serial monitors without entering the Arduino IDE application. The test results show that the system can produce good image focus by using the commands that have been made. This system is computer-based, so the practice of observing celestial bodies uses the internet network and can be accessed online.