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Observatory Calibration Worksheet

Roll-Off-Roof Observatory → Sky Coverage & Horizon Planner

Valid pointing — clear of the walls, roof, and local horizon.
Building & Roof Summary
Footprint
Wall Height
Roof Travel
Roll-off Direction
Mount Offset
Live Pointing
Telescope points at
Obstruction Limit Here
Clearance Margin
Blocked By
Building & Roof

1Building & Mount Position

Measured from the building's true geometric center on the floor (not magnetic north). Positive North offset means the mount is closer to the North wall.

cm
cm
cm
cm
positive = North of center
cm
positive = East of center
cm

Building Shape

Most buildings are a simple rectangle — the width/length above cover that. Non-rectangular buildings (angled corners, an extension, an irregular footprint) can be described directly as up to 6 walls, each its own distance and angle from center.


2Roll-Off Roof

The roof rolls off past one wall and parks there — that parked structure is its own obstruction, not just an open gap.

how far the roof slides past that wall
cm
usually close to wall height; taller if on a raised track
cm
Optical Axis & Mount

3Optical Axis Offset

Mount type changes the OTA's swing in the 3D preview and how pier side affects it. Doesn't change the wall/roof obstruction math itself — that's driven purely by true Alt/Az.

RA axis to OTA aperture center
cm
mm
mm
Telescopes

Telescopes

Each telescope is on its own independent mount. The position entered in Step 1 drives the live pointing preview only. For swing clearance, each telescope uses its own position defined here — including Telescope 1. See the Swing Clearance panel below.

Telescope 1
positive = North of center
cm
positive = East of center
cm
cm

Mount type and OTA dimensions come from Step 3 above. The Step 1 N/S, E/W, and height fields separately drive the live pointing preview and 3D scene.

walkway clearance between any two telescope's swing radii
cm
Pier Layout & Swing Clearance

Pier Layout — Floor Plan

Click anywhere inside the building to place a telescope pier. Drag to reposition. Enable additional telescopes first — each enabled pier appears on the plan. The number fields below stay in sync and can be used for fine-tuning after placement.

← W E →
Legend

Click inside the building outline to place. Drag to fine-tune position. Use the number fields in the Telescopes card below for precise entry.


Wall / Floor / Ceiling Clearance
Telescope-to-Telescope Clearance
Sky Coverage

Sky Coverage

Sweeps a grid across the whole sky and checks whether each point clears the walls, the parked roof, and your local horizon — not a dome shutter, since a roll-off roof either fully opens or fully closes.

Sky Coverage
Reading this

Center = zenith, edge = horizon, up = North, right = East. The outer boundary traces your building's actual wall shape — a 4-wall rectangle shows as a rectangle, a 6-wall polygon shows its true footprint. Updates live as you change your setup.

Green — clear of walls, roof, and horizon
Red — blocked by a wall or the parked roof
Brown — below your local (terrain) horizon

Local Horizon

Local Horizon

Terrain beyond the building — trees, other structures. Layered on top of the wall/roof obstruction; whichever blocks more at a given azimuth wins.

°
Telescope Pointing

4Telescope Pointing

Drives the live obstruction calculation, 3D preview, and sky coverage sweep. Select which telescope you are pointing.

all pointing checks use this telescope's position, mount type, and optics
°
h
°
JOG
Step size
Hold to keep jogging. Nudges whichever pointing mode is active above.
3D Preview

3D Preview

Clears Blocked

Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.

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