Global Rent-a-Scope

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CCD Imaging @ Global Rent-a-Scope

Let's face it, premium CCD imaging platforms are not cheap and by far produce the best results. The good news is these systems are no longer out of reach to most of us. Save yourself tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars by renting a telescope. Image on our state of the art network of research grade telescopes and produce images like the professionals, our systems are highly tuned and maintained to give you a instant imaging experience.

All it takes is a web browser to bring the observatory directly to your desktop.

After becoming a member you can choose from any of the 8 different telescopes located around the world located in 3 different time zones, our systems are located in both northern and southern hemispheres.

We are the first in the world to otter this a 24 hour telescope imaging service to the amateur and professional astronomer!

The Sun Never Rises at Global Rent-a-Scope!

This service is simple to use and easily caters from the novice to advanced users. It simple as selecting your target from the virtual sky, centering and framing to target in real time, and then taking a series of exposures. Your FITS images are then transferred to our high speed FTP server for your download.

For the novice user we run image virtual image processing camps which give you access to one of our staff who can provide training and assistance in processing your images like a pro.

View a video demonstration.

Customer Testimonial

It's been a long quarter of a century, or so… In the late 70's when I started pointing my first small backyard scope at the sky it was a matter of twisting and pushing in an effort to find and follow a stellar object of interest. A color picture and maybe a star atlas came in handy too. Lots of averted imagination was called in for as I battled cold, fatigue and light pollution in an attempt to see those gems that had sparked my interest in the first place. Still, it was enthralling and addictive.

As my age and competence slowly increased I found myself wondering if there was a better way. The newly released 'Personal Computer' was an expensive elitist toy that seemed to cry out for an application that melded both my passion for astronomy with the fun and potential of the computer. Alas only the world's major telescope facilities seemed to have the facilities to match these devices and thus provide ease and functionality to the astronomy pro of the automated point, track and shoot methodology. All with the pushing of a few buttons and the display of progress on flickering banks of B&W monitor screens. I dreamed of my own 'Telescope Control Room'. Complete with a 'Cold Camera', which would allow me to capture those faint fuzzies and dim dodgers up there in the great southern skies. Many of today's younger generation of telescope users probably would not even know what a cold camera was!

Time passed, film was wound on, a few telescopes came and went, life became more complex and obligations drew me away from my love of astronomy and nailed me solidly to the work a day Earth. But up I still glanced upwards at night whilst driving to work or admired a bright planet as it coursed over my weary head on clear and inspiring summer's night. It was hard.

Then a few weeks ago a member of my local astronomy club told me about 'Global Rent-a-Scope'. He saw the puzzled expression on my face and we spent the next hour discussing what this meant to city bound and cloud cursed astronomers on a budget. I was impressed and we both agreed to look into it together 'one day'.

Well indeed that 'one day' arrived for me one night, when I was invited to test AREO8 telescope before it went online to the public. I did not need to be asked twice! I logged into the scope via my Internet browser and found myself sewing to M20 within minutes! I picked a guide star selected a 5min exposure and hit the GO button. Soon a sample image was on my screen. It simply amazed me! There it was, the glorious Trifid Nebula on my screen, and you know what? It felt great. It was my best ever image and it was still just a monochrome picture. I had the color data still to come later that night.

I spent 2 hours gathering light that night, keeping a close eye on the previews as they flicked onto my monitor and eagerly looked forward to downloading those RGB frames that would be the real test of my skills later. It was fun. I didn't have to battle with my own modest mount, optics and heavy urban light pollution. And though I love my own telescope its nothing like the equipment that was at my command at the other end of this remote connection. I felt like a pro! Here was the synergy I had awaited all my astronomical life! A computer, the Internet, a first class telescope a huge CCD camera, and any imaging target at a whim. It was wonderful. And the final image? It made me very happy indeed. Thanks guys, thank you very much indeed!

Pete Poulos aka 'Aussie Pete'
Melbourne, Australia