github.com/ccmehil/longsight ↗
Python code creating a Push-To style instrumented telescope
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Contributors
3
Lines of Code
364
From
2012-01-31
To
2022-01-30
About ccmehil/longsight
Longsight is a Python project that revives and modernizes Peter Cook's 2014 instrumented telescope system for amateur astronomy. The original concept created a "Push To" style telescope mount using a Raspberry Pi and orientation sensors, allowing users to manually move their telescope while receiving real-time guidance on where to point it based on the system's knowledge of its current position. This approach offers the convenience of automated targeting without requiring motorized mounts.
The project aims to update the aging codebase for contemporary hardware and software. The original implementation used a GY-80 inertial measurement module paired with an outdated astroastrophysics Python library, and the maintainer is refactoring the code to work with current versions of SkySafari (now at version 7.0). The system communicates with planetarium software using the LX-200 command protocol, a standard interface for telescope control developed by Meade.
Currently the project is in active refactoring to maintain compatibility with modern tools and libraries, with work focused on core push-to functionality rather than additional features like image capture or camera integration. The maintainer has documented corrections, known issues, and tools for understanding coordinate systems and celestial mathematics needed for accurate telescope positioning.