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Imaging Asteroid 2012 DA14

SnakeyJ

By SnakeyJ
in Getting Started With Imaging

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Unusually it looks like we'll be blessed with clear skies for tonight's closest approach of 2012 DA14. There are lots of great skycharts/tracks for this object posted by forum members, so hope to be able to find and track this without too much difficulty.

Given limited hardware and experience, can anyone offer any tips on attempting to imaging this. Not expecting to capture any detail, but would be nice to attempt a time lapse/capture of the track, and just possible there will be some other debris meteorites associated with this (looking at this mornings news from Russia). I'll be using the Pt Grey Firefly MV, so max single exposure limited to half a second, as the magnitude is expected to peak around 7.2 filters are probably not going to be helpful. Hopefully the seeing will be good and static.

Assuming I can capture it, any advice on best applications for processing the trail - ideally it would be nice to be able to fix/stack the background but intergrate the object to give a trail.

I'll probably use my SW Coma Corrector to try and get a nice flat field and image without barlow for widest field.

Jake

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Sp@ce_d

Sp@ce_d

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I was going to set it up guiding at a point ahead and take some short exposures ( 1 - 2 seconds depending on a test run beforehand) with the Atik for timelapse and maybe a long one with the DSLR to show a trail (using my dual setup) as it passes through the field of view. I updated CdC with the latest asteroid data and ran a sim last night but it seemed to show it 2 hours ahead of the expected time. Not sure whats going on there all my date & time, location settings are correct so need to sort that out.

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Tim

Tim

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I might be really thick, but how exactly do you update CdC with the asteroid data? I am at work at the minute and cant check, but looking at the CdC site I can't see anything obvious....?

Thanks

Tim

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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after checking the track at http://www.britastro...1950-2100UT.png, I think the closest approach will be just about rooftop height to my ENE view from my garden. I think you'll need some elevation and unobstructed eastern horizon to get a good view of this at its brightest, but will still be watching with interest and have the firefly ready if it looks sufficiently bright. It gets higher up to around 22:00hrs, but by this time it'll be several orders fainter.

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Sp@ce_d

Sp@ce_d

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I might be really thick, but how exactly do you update CdC with the asteroid data? I am at work at the minute and cant check, but looking at the CdC site I can't see anything obvious....?

Thanks

Tim

From memory (at work too) settings - solarsystem select asteroid tab and dowload updates direct then click the build monthly calculations.. I'll check this out in a bit.. to confirm

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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From memory (at work too) settings - solarsystem select asteroid tab and dowload updates direct then click the build monthly calculations.. I'll check this out in a bit.. to confirm

I've just done this for the solar system plugin for stellarium - but the object looks well out of location compared to the track shown at http://www.britastro...1950-2100UT.png

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r3i

r3i

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I was going to set it up guiding at a point ahead and take some short exposures ( 1 - 2 seconds depending on a test run beforehand) with the Atik for timelapse and maybe a long one with the DSLR to show a trail (using my dual setup) as it passes through the field of view. I updated CdC with the latest asteroid data and ran a sim last night but it seemed to show it 2 hours ahead of the expected time. Not sure whats going on there all my date & time, location settings are correct so need to sort that out.

I've got the same problem - my CdC plot is about 4.5 hours adrift of the Heavens Above plot. :icon_scratch:

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Tim

Tim

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Thanks for that info guys, I have done that. I dunno if it thinks its in the right place though :p Right now (18:43) it shows it as approaching the dipper part of Ursa Major, does that sound likely?

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Davey-T

Davey-T

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Thanks for that info guys, I have done that. I dunno if it thinks its in the right place though :p Right now (18:43) it shows it as approaching the dipper part of Ursa Major, does that sound likely?

According to Heavens Above it should be crossing Plough handle about 21.30

Dave

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