Astrometry of Comets at USNO Flagstaff Station

Details Astrometry of Comets at USNO Flagstaff Station Astrometry of Comets at USNO Flagstaff Station

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005dps....37.1618m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #37, #16.18; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 37, p.1563

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The optical astrometry group at the Flagstaff Station of the US Naval Observatory has, since 1994, provided astrometric positions to NASA/JPL for a series of comets that were targets of various space missions. Among these have been Shoemaker-Levy 9, Wild 2, Schwassman-Wachmann 3, and Tempel 1. All astrometry has been done with meter-class or smaller telescopes, equipped with single-chip CCD cameras. Comet positions were computed using stellar reference catalogs produced at USNO, including USNO-A1.0 (for the earliest observations), USNO-B1.0, and UCAC 1 and 2. In the course of these astrometric campaigns, it has become clear that obtaining accurate positions of comets depends on certain key factors. These include proper pixelization, a field of view large enough to emcompass a good distribution of background reference stars, a suitable reference catalog, and integrations long enough to average out seeing effects. In this report, we will discuss each of these factors and how they can be optimized. The application of what we consider ``best practices'' in tracking comet Tempel 1 for the Deep Impact mission will be presented.
Support for this work has been provided by a series of NASA/JPL contracts and grants, the latest of which is NRA/AO 4ZSS001N.

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