# Planning & Instrumentation

## Atmospheric Windows: Which Wavelengths Are Best for Observing Different Targets?

* Blackbody Radiation
* Earth's Atmosphere

## Science Goals: What and Why to Observe

## Planning: How to Observe the Target

* Ground-based and Space-based Observations
* Observing Constraints
  * Where is it? Coordinates
  * Is it observable tonight? Rising and Setting Times
  * North and South Hemispheres
  * Weather: Cloud, Humidity, Turbulence
  * Moon
  * Satellite Trails
* Signal-to-Noise
  * Exposure Time
  * Filters

## Engineering: Science vs Cost

* Telescope Design and Operation
  * Tracking and Auto-guiding
* Instrumentation
  * From Analog to Digital: Photographic Plates and CCD
  * Pixel Sensitivity
  * Pixel Scale
  * Field-of-View
  * Total Telescope-Instrument Throughput