Quote:
Originally Posted by tony873004
Can you explain to me how to do this? Or point me to a link? How do you enter the asteroid's data? Through orbital elements, or through RA and Dec (in which case, how do you specify movement?)
I may have access to a 16" LX200 on a Paramount controlled by the Sky, if these clouds would ever clear!
The telescope is at my university, so I don't have access to the instructions at the moment. Thanks  |
I use The Sky. It imports the orbital elements from the Minor Planet Center. Then it uses my location to calculate parallax (very important with such a nearby object as it can vary the predicted position far more than the camera's field of view. It does this automatically, I just tell it to slew to the asteroid and it does. Then I check the box that turns on the tracking offsets. Now the mount is tracking the asteroid. I start taking shots. Rather simple if your mount and computer software are in sync to do this. The combination of the Paramount and The Sky make it very simple. I don't know other mounts or software so don't know how they work. The Minor Planet Center puts out orbital elements for about all software that can use them so that part shouldn't be a problem if you have proper software. Not all computer mounts though can track with offsets however. I know it can be done with Meade GPS mounts but I don't know how. Just that The Sky says it can be done but third party software is needed. Maybe someone else knows the details. Unfortunately I only know my system.
The URL for the Minor Planet Center predictions is:
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html
Rick