AAG Cloudwatcher (Lunatico Astro)

In order to provide N.I.N.A. (the sequencer software controlling the whole equipment inside the dome as well as the dome itself) with a safety switch a suitable device is needed for automated weather monitoring. Limit switches for closing the observatories shutter in case of unsafe conditions could be predefined for wind, rain, sky temperature (clouds) and sky brightness. These parameters (together with humidity, pressure, dew point and temperature) are measured and recorded using the AAG Cloudwatcher and its tiny standalone (RaspberryPi based-)computer named „Solo“, both from Lunatico Astro (Spain).

Through the Solo installed inside of the Observatory the weather-data is made available for online-access and via the the USB-connection also to the iNUC on the telescope, which uses the sequencer software N.I.N.A. for „mission control.“

Via web-access the following data is available (actually documenting the nasty November sky and weather …):