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Low LEO optical tracking observations with small telescopes

Krzysztof Kamiński1,Michał Żołnowski2,Justyna Gołębiewska3,Edwin Wnuk3,Mikołaj Krużyński3,Monika K. Kamińska3,Marcin Gędek2
Astronomical Observatory Institute, A. Mickiewicz University16 Remote Observatories for Asteroids and Debris Searching2Astronomical Observatory Institute3

Document details

Publishing year2019 PublisherESA Space Safety Programme Office Publishing typeConference Name of conference1st NEO and Debris Detection Conference
Pagesn/a Volume
1
Issue
1
Editors
T. Flohrer, R. Jehn, F. Schmitz

Abstract

In 2018 the 6 Remote Observatories for Asteroid and Debris Searching (6ROADS) and the Astronomical Observatory of Adam Mickiewicz University (AO AMU) performed a joint observing campaign of low LEO objects – very fast targets, difficult to observe for optical SST sensors. Two small, highly automatic telescopes have been used during the campaign: 0.7m RBT/PST2 in USA (AO AMU) and 0.4m Solaris Observatory in Poland (6ROADS). We present the analysis of astrometric data collected during the campaign, which includes the quality of objects' orbital parameters, determined from observations, as a function of the observation arc length, number of astrometric observations and force models taken into account in orbit determination. In particular, the influence of the atmospheric drag perturbations is analyzed in terms of the applied atmospheric model and the area to mass S/M ratio of the observed object.

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