Patent ID: 7945858

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of controlling an astronomical observatory with components that include at least an astronomical telescope, an imaging camera, and an auto-guiding camera, the method comprising: serving, over a network to a browser, an interface, wherein the interface comprises an interactive star chart that depicts the night sky visible from the astronomical observatory; receiving from the browser a selection by a user of a celestial object depicted in the interactive star chart, wherein the receipt of the selection comprises receiving from the browser an identifier that identifies the selected celestial object; resolving the identifier to a set of celestial coordinates at which the celestial object is located with respect to the astronomical observatory; controlling the components of the astronomical observatory to locate the celestial object at the set of celestial coordinates; controlling the components of the astronomical observatory to capture one or more images of the celestial object at the set of celestial coordinates; and transmitting the captured one or more images of the celestial object to the browser over the network.