How is the instrument operating today?

  
  
How does the instrument work today? Its positioning is read by an encoder which displays the measurements on computer. A reference, placed outside, makes it possible to initialise the pointing of the telescope. Then, the choice of the star to be observed is made via Internet and the computing server of the IMCCE (Observatoire de Paris) which gives the hour and the expected elevation of the star. The telescope is thus directed manually in this direction according to the indications of the encoder. There is only to wait and record the transit of the star on the target of the camera.   
  
The purpose of the observation will be to understand how the information collected gives a scientific result (measurement of longitude, measurement of positions on the celestial sphere, daily measurements to determine the movement of a celestial body, ...).   
  
Coder programming was done by ESTIA students and observations are now performed by amateur astronomers from SAPCB.