Jovian satellite positions from Hubble Space Telescope images

An accurate technique has been developed for measuring planetocentric positions of Jupiter's satellites from Wide Field/Planetary Camera images. Our method of finding the centers of the satellites and planet is based upon established limb-fitting techniques, but we have adapted those techniques to astrometry. We compare our limb-fitting results with previously published work and discuss its errors. A model ellipse is generated from the physical ephemeris of the planet including its phase defect. Then the planet center coordinates are computed by fitting the model to the limb observations using the method of least squares. A satellite position is determined similarly, and its offset from the planet is calculated. A total of 76 positions of the galileans satellites, the small moon Amalthea, and the shadows of Io and Ganymede cast on Jupiter have been measured on 61 images. Comparison between the observational results and JPL satellite ephemerides demonstrates the validity of this new method of analysis. The accuracy of the galilean satellite measurements is estimated to be 0.04 arcsec in right ascension and in declination.     

土星卫星CCD定位观测的初步分析

发表了１９９４年８月土星主要卫星ＣＣＤ观测的相对位置资料及其与理论值的比较分析。观测使用了开放实验室分山基地的１５６ｃｍ天体测量望远镜上的ＣＣＤ探测器．对观测资料的分析表明；Ｒｈｅａ和Ｄｉｏｎｅ相对于Ｔｉｔａｎ的位置精度为０．１２”。这相当于距离土星７００ｋｍ．土星卫星ＣＣＤ观测与最佳的照相观测比较，其位置精度相当。     

空间时代地面光学天体测量的意义

从基本天体测量的主要任务出发，介绍了绝对测定和相对测量之间的区别和不同用途，并针对河外射电源参考架和依巴谷参考架的高精度的不足之处，说明了地面光学天体测量的长期性和灵活性等优势正是克服这些不足之处所必须的，但这不应是传统的已有精度下的地面光学天体测量，而应是与空间测量精度可比的要求下的地面测量，两者配合起来，将能促进本学科和相关学科的发展。     

空间天体测量新进展

主要评述依巴谷卫星的成功与不足，评价近年来一系列新的空间天体测量技术，着重评 默计划和波因次计划的新进展。     

Astrometry from Space: New Design of the GAIA Mission

An interferometric astrometric mission, aiming at accuracies at around the10 microarcsec level, was recommended as a high priority concept within thenew ESA Horizon 2000+ scientific programme. The original outline concept forsuch a mission, GAIA, presented its general feasibility but did not addressmany questions of implementation or optimisation. Another concept of aninterferometer for a scanning astrometric satellite is presented. It containsa simpler optical telescope and a more efficient detector system. The designutilizes the full resolution of all light in the dispersed fringes of aFizeau interferometer. A preliminary optimization of the satellite indicatesthat two telescope units with a baseline of 100 cm will achieve a precisionof 3, 8, 22, 68, 302 microarcsec for parallaxes of stars with V = 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 mag, respectively, from a 5 year mission. Simultaneousspectrophotometry of the entire spectrum of each star will be obtained with aresolution corresponding to intermediate band photometry. The expectedprecision of this photometry is about 0.003 mag for V = 16. The performance is good in crowded fields, at least up to one star per 5 arcsec2. A Hipparcos-type beam combiner of 150 cm width is placed in front of atelescope with 4 square apertures of 50 cm. The assumed focal length is f = 60 m and the field 0.5 degree diameter. The detector consists of CCDs used for time delayed integration (drift-scan.)     

Measurements of winds on Mars with Hubble Space Telescope images in 2003 opposition

The winds of Mars at the water cloud level are measured by tracking cloud features in sequential high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope UV images for 5 days during the perihelion season in 2003. Global circulation model (GCM) predictions are in general agreement with the observations for the zonal wind component, but reveal significant differences for the meridional component.     

Using Hubble Space Telescope images to identify straight segments in galaxy nuclear spirals

This Letter reports the discovery of straight segments of nuclear spiral arms. Hubble Space Telescope images of Seyfert galaxies are used. The morphology of the straight features on scales of few hundred parsecs proves to be similar to the morphology of disc-wide polygonal spirals and rings. This suggests that the straight structures on both nuclear and disc scales may have a common physical nature.     

整体平差方法在CCD天体测量中的应用

回顾了基于底片重叠观测的整体平差方法的发展历史和应用概况，分析了该方法应用于底片资料处理没有取得预期效果的原因，介绍了小视场CCD重叠观测的整体平差研究进展．分析与实测资料归算表明，整体平差方法可以在CCD资料处理中充分发挥作用，在保证长焦距、小底片比例尺的同时，通过对CCD重叠观测的整体平差(相当于扩大观测视场)，可覆盖更多的参考星，进而达到改善局部参考架、提高归算结果精度的目的。     

Measuring Microlensing Parallax via Simultaneous Observations from Chinese Space Station Telescope and Roman Telescope

Simultaneous observations from two spatially well-separated telescopes can lead to measurements of the microlensing parallax parameter,an important quantity tow...     

Saturn's cloud structure and temporal evolution from ten years of Hubble Space Telescope images (1994-2003)

We present a study of the vertical structure of clouds and hazes in the upper atmosphere of Saturn's Southern Hemisphere during 1994-2003, about one third of a Saturn year, based on Hubble Space Telescope images. The photometrically calibrated WFPC2 images cover the spectral region between the near-UV (218-255 nm) and the near-IR (953-1042 nm), including the 890 nm methane band. Using a radiative transfer code, we have reproduced the observed center-to-limb variations in absolute reflectivity at selected latitudes which allowed us to characterize the vertical structure of the entire hemisphere during this period. A model atmosphere with two haze layers has been used to study the variation of hazes with latitude and to characterize their temporal changes. Both hazes are located above a thick cloud, putatively composed of ammonia ice. An upper thin haze in the stratosphere (between 1 and 10 mbar) is found to be persistent and formed by small particles (radii ∼0.2 μm). The lower thicker haze close to the tropopause level shows a strong latitudinal dependence in its optical thickness (typically τ∼20-40 at the equator but τ∼5 at the pole, at 814 nm). This tropospheric haze is blue-absorbent and extends from 50 to 100 mbar to about ∼400 mbar. Both hazes show temporal variability, but at different time-scales. First, there is a tendency for the optical thickness of the stratospheric haze to increase at all latitudes as insolation increases. Second, the tropospheric haze shows mid-term changes (over time scales from months to 1-2 years) in its optical thickness (typically by a factor of 2). Such changes always occur within a rather narrow latitude band (width ∼5-10°), affecting almost all latitudes but at different times. Third, we detected a long-term (∼10 year) decrease in the blue single-scattering albedo of the tropospheric haze particles, most intense in the equatorial and polar areas. Long-term changes follow seasonal insolation variations smoothly without any apparent delay, suggesting photochemical processes that affect the particles optical properties as well as their size. In contrast, mid-term changes are sudden and show various time-scales, pointing to a dynamical origin.     

The Next Generation Space Telescope

The design life time of the Hubble Space Telescope will nominally end in 2005. Even though it might be possible to extend the operational life beyond that date it is evident that a successor to Hubble must be planned for now. Based on the report ‘HST and Beyond’ (Dressler 1996)) and aligned with the NASA ‘Origins’ program a study has been initiated to explore options for a telescope with an aperture of larger than 4 meters and possibly as large as 8 meters, optimized for the near infrared (≈ 1-5 micron) to be placed in an orbit far from Earth. The study started in December 1995 and has been proceeding with considerable momentum. At the current time three studies have been completed (NASA in-house, TRW, and Lockheed), which are being used to explore technological and programmatic challenges. The studies are to be merged. It is impressive to see what can be done with existing technology and within the capabilities of existing organizational arrangements. The goal is to complete the study within one year with the goal of entering into phase A as soon as possible. Formal agreements between ESA and NASA will have to be negotiated if Europe is to play a meaningful role in this exercise. Without such agreements, it is clear that European astronomers will not have access to the NGST in the way that they currently enjoy the opportunities provided by the HST. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Unusual comets (?) as observed from the Hubble Space Telescope

In separate projects, the Hubble Space Telescope has been used to assess the nature of 3 unusual objects: Chiron, Pholus and P/Shoemaker-Levy 9. This paper will compare these objects and discuss how the unique capabilities of the HST may be used to address the issue of cometary activity in each. Chiron, which has exhibited obvious cometary characteristics for several years, might have a bound dust coma that is unresolvable from the ground. In an attempt to directly observe this bound coma, we have obtained a series of images of Chiron with the HST Planetary Camera. Inner coma structure out to 0.″2 has been detected. From these observations we infer a low bulk nucleus density for Chiron. Both HST and ground-based images of 5145 Pholus have been obtained to search for evidence of activity. The ground-based data give the most sensitive limits; however, it is shown that the WFPC-2 on HST can give limits 2–3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than conventional ground-based limits. Finally, as part of a collaborative effort, we have been obtaining HST observations of SL9 in order to determine the fragment sizes and to assess their nature (i.e., cometary vs. asteroid). Both ground-based observations from the UH 2.2m telescope on Mauna Kea and HST observations show that the near-nucleus dust is redder than the sun. While FOS spectra did not detect OH emission, the WFPC-2 HST data show that the inner coma remained very circular from July 1993 up until 2 weeks prior to impact, implying continued production of dust.     

Creation of the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope has been the most successful space astronomy project to date, producing images that put the public in awe and images and spectra that have produced many scientific discoveries. It is the natural culmination of a dream envisioned when rocket flight into space was first projected and a goal set for the US space program soon after NASA was created. The design and construction period lasted almost two decades and its operations have already lasted almost as long. The capabilities of the observatory have evolved and expanded with periodic upgrading of its instrumentation, thus realizing the advantages of its unique design. The success of this long-lived observatory is closely tied to the availability of the Space Shuttle and the end of the Shuttle program means that the end of the Hubble program will follow before long.     

Space Telescope,a versatile new instrument

The design, in-orbit functioning, and projected performance of the Space Telescope are discussed.Presented at the Symposium Star Catalogues, Positional Astronomy and Celestial Mechanics, held in honor of Paul Herget at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, November 30, 1978.     

Virtual Versus Real Jets: New Clues from the Hubble Space Telescope

During past years high angular (<1″) resolution imaging has provided useful information about the propagation of “real” jets. Recently, in addition, the spectrograph Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging spectrograph (STIS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has finally allowed us to test the magneto-centrifugal paradigm for the jet launching. I present results from HST/STIS spectra at 0.″1 resolution of small-scale jets from T Tauri stars in their initial 140 AU (1″). The jet morphology, kinematics and excitation in different velocity intervals are derived, from which we calculate mass and momentum fluxes. Even more interestingly, we find indications for rotation around the symmetry axis in the peripheral regions of the flow. The investigated component of the wind appears to originate in the disk at a distance of 0.5-2 AU from the star, and it extracts at least 60% of the inner disk angular momentum. These results confirm for the first time the validity of the magneto-centrifugal approach for the jet launching, and constitute a benchmark to test models and simulations. In the near future, near-infrared (NIR) interferometry with AMBER/VLTI and with the LBTI will permit to observe the jet engine down to 0.1 AU from the source, where the acceleration of the jet takes place.