Faulkes Telescope observations
Near-Earth Asteroid astrometry
During the week from the 14th of June to the 18th of June I have been on work
experience in the Armagh Observatory. During the course of these 5 days, the
main task which I had been set was to, using the
Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii and
the Faulkes Telescope in Australia, capture images of various different
asteroids, and afterwards measure their position. I was able to control the
Faulkes Telescope North (FTN) and the Faulkes Telescope South (FTS) by
accessing and logging onto the Faulkes website and booking page. By typing in
the coordinates of the various asteroids I wished to examine into the
computer, I was able to navigate the position of the FTN and FTS into a
position from where an image of the asteroids(s) can be taken, and then
filter the image to get a clear view of where the asteroid may be. On the
15th and 17th of June I controlled the FTN, and on Wednesday the 16th of June
I accessed the FTS.
I examined various asteroid coordinates that I chose prior to accessing the
telescopes, and I managed to successfully locate five different asteroids.
In my opinion, the best image of the asteroids that I took would probably
have been 2010 DW1. Had the weather been better over Hawaii and Siding Spring
I may have obtained further successful data on the asteroids. I then spent my
last day in the Armagh Observatory by
using
Astrometrica to measure the
asteroids I had captured on camera in greater detail. After saving the
reports, I had completed my week's worth of work experience in Armagh
Observatory.
Matthew Corrigan
2010 June 18th
The near-Earth asteroid 2010 DW1, in images obtained on 2010 Jun 15 using the
Faulkes Telescope North, operated by Las Cumbres Observatory.
More astronomical projects with the Faulkes Telescopes
Last Revised: 2010 June 18th
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