THE ZODIAC POINTING INSTRUMENT BY LASER IN THE HORIZONTAL COORDINATE SYSTEM

Abstract

This research was to invent the Zodiac Pointing Instrument by Laser in the Horizontal Coordinate System. The purposes of the study were to invent the Zodiac Pointing Instrument, and to find out the efficiency of the Zodiac Pointing Instrument. The methodology of the research were started with 1) designing and inventing the Zodiac Pointing Instrument, 2) developing the Star Pointing Program, 3) testing the Star Pointing Program, 4) testing the Zodiac Pointing Instrument together with the Star Pointing Program, and 5) finding out the percentage error of the star pointing.

           The study found that 1) the designed and invented Zodiac Pointing Instrument was consisted of Green semiconductor laser using for pointing to the stars, Microcontroller using for controlling the motor working of Azimuth angle and Altitude angle, acceleration sensor and angle measured sensor using for checking the angle of the Zodiac Pointing Instrument, and the star pointing program, 2) the result of the Star Pointing Program development was that the program composed of the database of 151 stars in 12 star-groups, the Azimuth angle and Altitude angle calculated part, the user interfacing, and the part of data sending to the Zodiac Pointing Instrument through the serial port, 3) the result of using the Star Pointing Program to calculate the points of 151 stars found that the error of Azimuth angle was 0.39% and that of Altitude angle was 1.38%. 4) the result of using the Zodiac Pointing Instrument, when pointed to 80 stars in 8 star-groups, found the error of Azimuth angle was 0.98% and that of Altitude angle was 0.76% 5) the result of using the Star Pointing Program together with the Zodiac Pointing Instrument showed the error was not more than 3%. Conclusively, the Zodiac Pointing Instrument by Laser in the Horizontal Coordinate System was effective.