What is the Real-Time Interface ?

If you have been a member of FTP for a while, you may remember the old system where  the telescopes were only controlled in real time. After an overhaul of the whole observing system, this feature was removed a few years ago, but due to popular demand, was brought back in 2017.

How does it work?

In RTI mode, you are allocated a 30 minute slot on either a 2-metre or 0.4-metre telescope in Hawaii or Australia. For those 30 minutes, YOU are the only person who can control that telescope!

You choose what objects to observe and you can then watch the telescope move into position to take your images via a webcam at the telescope site. Once the images are taken they are almost instantly available to download whilst you are controlling the telescope.

What are the benefits of using the RTI mode?

Using the RTI gives you a lot more interaction with the telescope, making it more appealing when demonstrating the telescope to a large group of students. Being able to see the telescope move and obtain images in real time is a big draw for people. The RTI is also simpler to use and may be more attractive to new users.

Are there any drawbacks to using RTI mode?

The downside of using the RTI mode to take images is that if there is bad weather, a problem with the telescope during your observing slot or the object you want to view isn’t visible, you will not be able to get your observations and you will have to book another slot at another time. The RTI slots are also only available at certain times during the week (see the schedule below). Finally, the RTI mode offers fewer filter options (colours to observe in) than the queue system – you can only use red, green and blue filters at present.

If you’re unsure whether the RTI mode is the best option for you, you can check out our pages on ‘Queue or RTI?’, or ‘Queue or RTI – Which one for me?’.

RTI Timetable

Each RTI slot lasts for 30 minutes and we typically timetable them from Monday – Friday, based around the following schedule:

Mondays – 1 slot on 0.4 metre in Australia in the morning; 1 slot on 0.4 metre in Hawaii in the afternoon.

Tues – Fridays – 1 slot on FT South (2-metre in Australia) in the morning; 1 slot on FT North (2-metre in Hawaii) in the afternoon.

As the exact times and dates of these slots change every week (they are dependent on sunrise/sunset times), we send out emails with the times and dates of these slots on a regular basis. Please join our mailing list to keep up to date.

How can I book an RTI slot?

If you’d like to book an RTI slot, please fill in the form here.