Las Cumbres Observatory: Building a global telescope network from the ground up

Abstract

AbstractLas Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) are building a global network of telescopes which will be available to both professional scientists and the science curious public. This telescope network will be global and so will the community, therefore all aspects of the endeavour must be online and self-sustaining - from the observing software to the analysis tools. During 2012 LCOGT have deployed the first 1-meter telescopes, and launched a citizen science project using LCOGT data, Agent Exoplanet, as well as many other online resources for anyone to use as they explore astronomy.