Campaign Goals: July 8 - 9, 2000
The goal of this campaign is to obtain scientifically useful observations over a period of about 48 hours. During this campaign, the morning sky will be dark since the moon is at first quarter. We need you to begin observations on the morning of July 8 (local time), then again during the morning of July 9. The comet is visible from the southern and northern hemispheres and has a predicted apparent visual magnitude of about 15 (last week, one of our observers reported the observed magnitude could be as faint as 17).
If you attempt to image the comet and it is too faint to record, please send us an email describing your attempt AND THE LIMITING MAGNITUDE for your observing run! This information can be useful!
Questions? How to Contact Us!
Please send questions about this campaign to: Dr. Lucy McFadden, University of Maryland or Gary Emerson, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
During the campaign weekend, you may page Dr. Lucy McFadden using these instructions:
- Dial 1-800-946-4646 (USA)
- Enter pin# 147-2185
- Wait for instructions to dial the number where you can be reached.
- Enter the number where you can be reached. End with a "#".
- Listen for confirmation that your number has been sent.
- Hang-up and we will call you, within a few minutes if a phone is near!
Summary of Observing Procedures: July 8 - 9, 2000
In general, we need you to:
- Make images of the comet using the following filters:
- Photometric V and R filters. If you do not have photometric filters, use R and G filters from a photographic RGB set (you may try the B filter, but comets do not emit much in this band). If you use photographic R and G filters, you must include an infrared-cutoff filter. We will use V- and G-filtered images for photometry and R-filtered images for coma structure and dust activity studies.
- Clear (or no filter). We will use these images to monitor overall brightness changes over time and heliocentric distance.
- Multiple, short exposures (1-3 minutes, with accurate tracking) allow us to do the most analysis. Single, long exposures, where a magnitude of 19.5 is reached, can be used for brightness analysis even if the comet trails a little.
- Comet images need to contain a few stars so that we can calibrate your images.
- Make 3-5 flat frames for each of the filters you observe with.
- If you have a nitrogen-cooled CCD, make 5-10 bias frames and 3-5 dark frames using an exposure time of 1-2 minutes.
If you have a thermoelectrically-cooled CCD (most commercial CCDs):
- If your CCD software performs automatic dark frame subtraction, turn this feature on and indicate this in your observing log.
- If your CCD software does not perform automatic dark frame subtraction, make 3-5 dark frames using the same exposure times used for the comet images.
- We are requesting, from each observer, at least one set of standard star exposures to be taken during 2000 for STSP. These exposures allow us to perform accurate photometry and dust analysis. If you need to take a set standard star exposures for STSP, you may want to try during this observing campaign. Take images of at least 4 standard stars using each filter. A list of the standard stars for STSP and instructions for choosing stars is at: Standard Stars.
NOTE: When taking standard star images, please note the star's identification or designation!
- Keep an observing log! We hope to soon implement an online web form so that you can fill out a standard, electronic form for each observing run. Until the, please send your information about your observing run (weather conditions, seeing, moon, temperature, humidity) electronically by email or by FTP as a text file. For an example of an observing log, go to: Observing Logs.
- Format all images as FITS.
- Transfer unprocessed FITS images to Stef McLaughlin using an anonymous FTP process. You may also send us any images you process, but we also need your raw, unprocessed images! Remember to send information from your observing log!
STSP Coordinator: Stef McLaughlin
Webmaster: Elizabeth Warner
Last Updated: Wednesday August 29, 2007