Calculating RA and Dec from long/lat/time/alt/azm

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter B-80
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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on calculating Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec) from altitude, azimuth, longitude, latitude, and time. The user is developing a script to convert telescope observations into RA and Dec, specifically when the telescope is pointed directly upwards at an altitude of 90 degrees. A recommended resource for the necessary equations is provided, specifically the website stargazing.net, which offers comprehensive guidance on the conversion process.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of celestial coordinates (RA and Dec)
  • Familiarity with altitude and azimuth measurements
  • Basic knowledge of geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude)
  • Proficiency in scripting or programming for automation
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the equations for converting altitude and azimuth to RA and Dec
  • Explore the use of Python libraries for astronomical calculations, such as Astropy
  • Learn about time conversion methods in astronomy, including UTC and Julian dates
  • Investigate the impact of observer location on celestial observations
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysics students, and developers working on astronomical software who need to convert telescope data into celestial coordinates.

B-80
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I am writing a script right now which at one point needs to calculate RA and Dec.

There is a telescope pointing directly upwards(altitude=90 deg) and I know where the telescope is located and the time when I get an event. When the telescope sees something my script reads some info and I need to convert where it saw something to RA and Dec.

It's been forever since I had a class on how to do this conversion, and I don't have my book anymore. Any chance someone can point me to a good link that can help me out with an equation for this conversion? I don't really remember enough to derive this myself unfortunately.
 
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