Eric Dela Rosa is currently enrolled in the Information Technology program at Hawaii Community College. He was born and raised in the small town of Honokaa on the Big Island. Eric never thought he would have been interested in a career in Information Technology until a friend opened his eyes to the world of computers and technology. Ever since then, Eric had a strong feel for anything that deals with technology, especially when it deals with computers. After obtaining his degree in Information Technology, he plans to pursue a B.S. degree in Computer Science at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Eric loves to stay active, so to get his adrenaline pumping he enjoys body boarding, swimming, riding his ATV, and weight lifting.

Home Island: Big Island
High School:
Institution when accepted: Hawaii Community College

Akamai Project: Automating Astronomical Instrument Setup

Project Site: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

Mentor: Gregory Barrick

Project Abstract:

ESPaDOnS is a high-resolution spectropolarimeter that was designed to collect a complete optical spectrum in a single exposure.  This allows astronomers to learn about the magnetic polarization of stars.  The process for setting up ESPaDOnS is tedious and frustrating for the operators because it has to be done manually. Depending on the configuration of ESPaDOnS, the process can take as long as five hours to two days.  The setup process is separated into two different procedures, the physical setup and the computer-based setup. The problem is with the computer-based setup: if the setup time takes 5 hrs, 1 hour is physical and the other 4 hours is computer-based.  By automating the computer-based setup, it will make it easier and faster to get ESPaDOnS up and ready for observing. The goal of this project was to create a user interface using TCL/TK for this automation.  The user interface allows the user to select tests needed to setup ESPaDOnS.  When the setup is complete, the program will display the results, save them in a text file, and print the results.  With this program, setup time is cut down to 10 – 15 minutes of user interaction. I will present the design of the user interface and how it will be implemented for the use of ESPaDOnS.