On Mon, 7 Jan 2019 03:00:26 -0800 (PST), StarDust
wrote:

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 11:55:22 AM UTC-8, RichA wrote:
On Saturday, 5 January 2019 07:53:27 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Nifty looking instrument.

I think, it's made for to track fast moving objects, satellites, planes, rockets etc...

Modern motors and control systems make this kind of performance just
happen. Even a mount _intended_ just to track stars can have this kind
of speed. It's the product of absolute encoders and direct drive or
harmonic drive systems.

There is an important astronomical reason for very fast slewing. There
are systems in place now for alerting the astronomical community when
certain events are detected, such as gravitational waves and gamma ray
bursts. These notifications go out electronically within seconds, and
participating optical and radio observatories will slew to the
provided coordinates in an effort to capture the event in other bands.
The faster the slew, the better the chance of recording a transient
event.