Moons of Saturn

Project Aims

• to determine the basic orbital parameters for the moons of Saturn
• to use archival data to extend the baseline of the observations and derive improved orbital parameters

Project Notes

1. Learn how to use the telescope and CCD system efficiently

   • Attend the observing training sessions
   • Undertake the CyberSky "Patterns of motion in the Sky" exercise to refresh your understanding of the apparent movement of the night sky, ("The Night Sky" chapter of "Observing the Universe" by Andrew Norton is a good concise introduction)
   • Study the provided reference material on the telescope and CCD
   • Examine the Meade LX200 Telescope manual
   • Examine the ECU manual
   • Examine the SBIG CCD manual

2. Research background material

   • Understand the aims of the project
   • Study the Web-based information linked from the provided References page
   • Revise the material covered in the "Observational Techniques" part of Level-2 "Stars and Galaxies" module
   • Search out additional sources of information

3. Plan your project

   • Estimate the likely exposure times required for the Saturn Moons
   • Estimate how many observations you will need for your study
   • Plan your project write-up; consult the online DUO Report Format Guide and Marking Criteria

4. Write-up the "Introduction and Background" sections of your project

5. Make observations of the Saturn moons regularly, as the weather permits, during the term (this project would benefit from a student group willing to make at least 15 observations).

   • Identify the moons using Dan Bruton's SATSAT2 software or JPL's Solar System Simulator or JPL's HORIZON system
   • Measure the positions of the moons relative to Saturn in pixels
   • Measure the pixel scale of the images from observations of nearby star fields
   • How do your measured positions relative to Saturn compare with those given by JPL's HORIZONS System?
   • Write-up your results and conclusions

6. Develop a simple programme to derive the basic orbital parameters, e.g. the orbital periods, for the moons of Saturn

   • Study Chapter 46, "Positions of the Satellities of Saturn" in Jean Meeus' "Astronomical Algorithms"
   • Develop a simple strategy to find the orbital parameters
   • Test your programme using `perfect' data from JPL Horizons
   • Apply your programme to your data
   • Assess the random and systematic uncertainties of your method
   • Determine the orbital parameters (and their uncertainties)
   • Compare your values to the recognised values
   • Write-up your results and conclusions

7. Examine how, by using the archival data, the orbital parameters can be determined with improved precision

• Write-up your conclusions

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jrl

2013-Dec-22 23:31:20 UTC