Chimera: Observatory Automation System

Chimera is a package to control astronomical observatories aiming the creation of remote and even autonomous observatories with just a few clicks. Using Chimera you can easily control telescopes, CCD cameras, focusers and domes in a very integrated way.

Distributed

Fully distributed system. You can use different machines to control each instrument and everything will looks like just one.

Powerful

Very powerful autonomous mode. Give a target and exposure parameters and Chimera does the rest.

Web interface

Web interface to schedule and monitor observations (in development).

Hardware support

Support for most common off-the-shelf components. See supported devices.

Very easy to add support for new instruments (it’s Python code!).

Flexible

Chimera can be used in a very integrated mode but also in standalone mode to control just one instrument.

Free

It’s free (as in free beer) and written in a very modern language. Python!.

Getting started

To try out Chimera, follow the installation instructions and make sure that you have at least one supported devices.

The easiest way to install Chimera is to use easy_install:

sudo easy_install chimera-python

... and that’s it! All dependencies are automagically installed.

You can also download the sources at Chimera Development page and try to install it by hands.

Use our Quickstart document to guide yout through the first steps of using Chimera. There is also a PDF version as well.

Help and Development

You can help Chimera development, we are always looking for contributors. If you don’t write code, no problem! You can write documentation, help with this site, marketing. Everyone can help!

See our Development page for more information, to report a bug or just follow Chimera’s development closely.

To start coding, look at our Getting Started with Chimera document. You can download it in PDF as well.

Supported Devices

Telescopes

Meade based LX-200 (Meade, Losmandy).

Paramount ME using TheSky COM+ interfaces.

CCD Cameras

SBIG USB cameras.

Focusers

OPTEC NGF-S

Domes

COTE/LNA Dome (LNA specific).

In Development

CCD Cameras

Apogee USB/Ethernet cameras.

Note

If you need support for any device which Chimera’s doesn’t support, call us and we can try to develop it or help you to do it.

License

Chimera is Free/Open Software licensed by GPL v2 or later (at your choice).

Authors

Chimera is mainly developed by Paulo Henrique Silva <ph.silva@gmail.com> at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in collaboration with his advisor Antonio Kanaan.

Chimera is sponsored by Laboratorio Nacional de Astrofisica through a CNPq grant.