Accuracy of World positional CCD observations of the numbered minor planets

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Дата индексирования: Mon Oct 1 19:29:23 2012
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Поисковые слова: carl sagan

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Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from Saint Petersburg !

We are Pulkovo astronomers from Russia. Our scientific interest is an accuracy of asteroid CCD observations obtained by amateurs and professional astronomers all over in the World.

May we know about your observational equipment used for CCD observations of the Small Solar System bodies ? Among European and World amateurs observing asteroids your data will be very important information in our collection. Now we have such information from more than 250 working observatories. These data help us to analyse an accuracy of real CCD positions in the MPC Database.

If you have webpage in Internet, please, give us address.

If you have noted an uncorrect parameters of your observational equipment, please, send us the correct data for changing it.

We would like to get your short answers to following questions:

1. Focal length and Mirror Diameter of your telescope for observing asteroids and comets; who constructed your telescope;

2. Parameters of your CCD-matrix, namely its type, size, field of view, number of pixels, scale (arcseconds per pixel);

3. Number of reference stars (on the average) which are used for an astrometric reduction of your CCD-frames;

4. Star Catalogue used;

5. Do you make an identification of an object observed in the case if you do not know in advance about its passage along your field of view ? What Software do you use for such identification ?

6. Do you test your observations of the small Solar System bodies permanently before sending them to the International Minor Planets' Center? Do you calculate the values of (O-C) residuals for the Numbered Minor Planets which you accidentally observe by means of CCD-technique during the course of your usual observational programmes ?

7. Do you know a real accuracy of your positional CCD-observations in comparison with the other observatories' one ?

Please, find a minute and send your replies by e-mail. Our address is

Best wishes. Clear skies.

Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, St.-Petersburg, Russia