From a computer controlled telescope to a robotic observatory: the history of the VIRT

Abstract

The Virgin Island Robotic Telescope is located at the Etelman Observatory, St Thomas, since 2002. We will present its evolution since that date with the changes we have performed in order to modify an automated instrument, needing human supervision, to a fully robotic observatory. The system is based on ROS (Robotic Observatory Software) developed for TAROT and now installed on various observatories across the world (Calern, La Silla, Zadko, Les Markes, Etelman Observatory).