September 14, 2007, AMOS Conference1 Space Object Characterization Studies and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s 2.4-meter Telescope Photo by Mark Vincent

September 14, 2007, AMOS Conference 1

Space Object Characterization Studies and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s 2.4-meter

Telescope

Photo by Mark Vincent

Eileen V. Ryan and William H. Ryan

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology


Collaborators:

Dr. William H. Ryan (NMT/MRO)Dr. Van Romero (NMT/MRO)Dr. Mark Pesses (SAIC)Mr. James Brown (AFRL/VSBYB)Lt. Justin Cowley (AFRL/VSBYB)Dr. Phan Dao (AFRL/VSBYB)Dr. Michael Kendra (AFRL/VSBYB)Dr. Patrick McNicholl

(AFRL/VSBYB)Mr. Robert O’Neil (AFRL/VSBYB)Dr. James Murguia (SSSC)Mr. Jonathon Mooney (SSSC)Mr. Rick Nelson (SSSC)Mr. Greg Diaz (SSSC)Mr. Toby Reeves (SSSC)Dr. Mara Payne (Boeing)Dr. Steve Gregory (Boeing)

Site Location


• Classical astronomical research, with queue & remote observing (e.g., small bodies, transient phenomena).

• DoD mission support: missile tracking, satellite signatures, sensor development. (The telescope is fast-tracking and can point 2 below horizon).

• Support & enhance NM education & public outreach.

The 2.4 meter telescope has three basic objectives:

The MRO 2.4-meter Project:


• Elevation over azimuth gimbaled telescope.

• Optical design is f/8.8 modified Ritchey-Chrétien, with 2 Nasmyth & 4 bent-Cass. ports. (FOV: 19 arcmin)

• Shack-Hartmann Sensor

• Includes auto-guiding, a field derotator, & baffles.

• Instrumentation: 4Kx4K CCD imager, guest IR Camera, and low-resolution Spectrograph.

Telescope Configuration:


Current Status:

• First Light Occurred on October 31, 2006, & the Telescope is Undergoing Commissioning and Integration.

• Research and Space Situational Awareness Work is Underway.

• First Science: Observations of Pluto as it occulted a 15th magnitude star on March 18, 2007 to monitor Pluto’s atmospheric variability.


Near-Earth Comet Linear VZ 13

Sidereal tracking of Comet Linear VZ 13 with the 2.4m Telescope on July 6, 2007


Tracking NEA 2007 FK1

Non-sidereal tracking of near-Earth Asteroid 2007 FK1 with the 2.4m Telescope on May 14, 2007


Tracking LEO NORAD: 31793

Non-sidereal tracking of a LEO (altitude ~850 km) NORAD 31793 rocket body on July 18, 2007


Science Focus Areas: Asteroids

NASA-Funded Vesta Asteroid Family Project: (E. Ryan & B. Ryan)

Direct model simulation with two objects:a good general match to features in the observed lightcurve for 3155 Lee.

Complex lightcurve of asteroid 3155 Lee taken 1.8m VATT telescope.


Characterization of NEOs Follow-up and Physical Characterization of Near-Earth Objects

(Capability extends to asteroids ≥ 140m)

Lightcurve and polarization work in collaboration with Catalina Sky Survey.

The 2.4m has a large enough aperture for astrometry of the smallest bodies (currently 30% of 1km discovered objects are lost). A collaborative with Pan-STARRS & CSS is being established for this work.


Non-Resolved Imaging of RSOs

• Spectrophotometry & Forward Modeling

• Polarimetric Photometry (M. Pesses, this session)

• Simultaneous Observations from Multiple Sites

• Simultaneous Temporal and Spectral Sensor Testing

• Space Weather Monitoring (V. Romero et al., this session)

Techniques:

Emphasis on LEO Objects


Lightcurves & Direct Modeling

Complex Shapes

Multiple Objects


Simultaneous Lightcurves: Shapes

LEO Objects

HEO/GEO Objects


Sensor Testing: Multi-Spectral Imaging

• Real-time spectral imaging (no temporal latency)

• Temporal co-registration between color images

• Spatial co-registration between color images

• Color bands can be designed for specific applications

• Faster-than-Video frame rates (90 Hz)


Visible Multi-Wavelength Spectral Sensor

MRO is working on the testing of a visible spectral microlens sensor in collaboration with Hanscom Air Force Research Laboratory, Battlespace Surveillance Innovation Center. The objective is to improve space object identification techniques. Data taken with the microlens sensor (developed by Solid State Scientific Corporation) can simultaneously and instantaneously obtain images in 16 different spectral bands (at visible wavelengths: 0.43 – 0.83 microns).

16-Color Visible Spectral Imager


Multi-Spectral Imaging

A test Observing Run will take place September 19 – 30, 2007 coupling this microlens sensor to MRO’s 2.4-meter telescope.

Objects will be LEOs brighter than 5th visual magnitude.

Spectro-Photometry of LEOs at millisec rates


Summary

• Spectrophotometry of LEOs

• Sensor Development & Deployment

• Polarimetric Photometry

• Simultaneous Observations from Multiple Sites

• Space Environment MonitoringInitiating Testing Phase during Telescope

Commissioning


Selected Image ReconstructionBinary Star: Zeta Bootis (0.7" separation). Images taken with the

2.4m telescope on May 28, 2007.

Conditions: 36 mph winds, 1.3 arcsec seeing, thin clouds, 1 second exposures. Radial plot

Selected Image Reconstruction: 13 best of 1000 images taken with 0.001 second exposures, aligned and averaged.

Before

After


Selected Image ReconstructionAnother Binary Star: Rotanev (0.6" separation). Images taken

with the 2.4m telescope on May 28, 2007.

Rotanev and SIR: 15 best of 1000 images taken with 0.001 second exposures, aligned and averaged using the MRO 2.4m telescope on May 28, 2007.

Rotanev and AO: Imaged at Starfire Optical Range using Adaptive Optics.


Tracking Low-Earth Orbit Objects

International Space Station

Observation of the ISS taken with the 2.4m telescope on July 14, 2007

Documents

September 14, 2007, AMOS Conference1 Space Object Characterization Studies and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s 2.4-meter Telescope Photo by Mark Vincent