Fully automated telescope system with distributed intelligence

In a computerized telescope system of the type including a telescope coupled for rotation about two orthogonal axes, together with first and second axial positional reference indicators, one coupled to each axis, a method for orienting the telescope system with respect to a spherical coordinate system, the method comprising:

• activating a central control processor, the central processor connected to receive positional reference information from each positional reference indicator;
• using the central control processor to retrieve a rotation metric, the rotation metric rotating a virtual telescope position in the spherical coordinate system in accord with a major axis of the spherical coordinate system;
• using the central control processor to retrieve a geographic input;
• moving the telescope about a first one of the axes to a first terrestrial reference position;
• obtaining positional reference data from the first axial positional reference indicator as a first telescope position index;
• moving the telescope about the second one of the axes to a second terrestrial reference position;
• obtaining positional reference data from the second axial positional reference indicator as a second telescope position index;
• and
• processing the first and second telescope position indices and the rotation metric so as to define a virtual coordinate location of the telescope system with respect to the spherical coordinate system.