A Wide-Field Camera and Fully Remote Operations at the Wyoming Infrared Observatory
Joseph R. Findlay, Henry A. Kobulnicky, James S. Weger, Gerald A., Bucher, Marvin C. Perry, Adam D. Myers, Michael J. Pierce, Conrad Vogel

TL;DR
This paper describes comprehensive upgrades to the Wyoming Infrared Observatory, enabling fully remote operations, enhanced imaging capabilities, and supporting advanced sky surveys for astrophysical research.
Contribution
The paper introduces a fully remote operational model with new hardware and software systems, expanding the observatory's capabilities for modern astrophysical applications.
Findings
Achieved fully remote operations with high-speed data transfer.
Implemented a wide-field imaging system with improved pointing accuracy.
Supported new science campaigns in time-domain astronomy.
Abstract
Upgrades at the 2.3 meter Wyoming Infrared Observatory telescope have provided the capability for fully-remote operations by a single operator from the University of Wyoming campus. A line-of-sight 300 Megabit/s 11 GHz radio link provides high-speed internet for data transfer and remote operations that include several real-time video feeds. Uninterruptable power is ensured by a 10 kVA battery supply for critical systems and a 55 kW autostart diesel generator capable of running the entire observatory for up to a week. Construction of a new four-element prime-focus corrector with fused-silica elements allows imaging over a 40' field-of-view with a new 4096x4096 UV-sensitive prime-focus camera and filter wheel. A new telescope control system facilitates the remote operations model and provides 20'' rms pointing over the usable sky. Taken together, these improvements pave the way for a new…
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