Investigation of atmospheric instability for communication experiments with the ESA's geostationary satellite ARTEMIS

The investigations of the atmospheric turbulence instability are carried out. The observations of different stars and different positions of stars in the sky performed with the AZT-2 telescope (diameter of 0.7 m) of the Main Astronomical Observatory, Kyiv, Ukraine, and at the Optical Ground Station (the 1.0-m telescope) of ESA at Canary Islands are described. Short exposures (40 ms) with CCD cameras in focal plane of objectives with the filters were used. The calculations of middle positions of star images were performed. The deviation of star’s image positions from the middle position was also performed. The atmospheric attenuation and FWHM (Full Width Half Maximum) function were calculated using the MIDAS/ROMAFOT software package. The results of analyses of experimental data obtained due to observations in different regions are also presented

Realization of the Vilnius photometric system for CCD-observations of selected sky areas at the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory

We describe a set of glass UPXYZVS filters of the Vilnius photometric system of the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory in Zhytomyr Region (Ukraine) [7]. They are installed at the Zeiss-600 Cassegrain reflector together with the 15-bit 1024×1024 CCD-camera S1C-017. The response curves of instrumental photometric systems are presented and a comparison of them with a standard system are analysed. Test observations in the Vilnius system of the star cluster IC 4665 with the Andrushivka filters were carried out in May–June 2003. The MIDAS/ROMAFOT and ASTROIMAGE software is adapted for digital processing of CCD-images of stellar fields. Comprehensive ground-based observations are being planned to design a catalogue of primary UPXYZVS CCD-standards in selected areas of the sky where are with radio sources, globular and open clusters, etc

Цифровой панорамный поляриметр для дистанционного исследования оптических и физических парамтров небесных тел

Цифровий панорамний поляриметр – це комплекс астрономічної телевізійної установки на базі панорамного високочутливого приймача "суперізокон" типу ЛИ-804 і оптико- механічного блоку до складу якого входить поляроїдний модулятор з обертовою ахроматичною фазовою пластинкою великого розміру.Digital panoramic polarimeter is an astronomical television device with panoramic high – sensitivity receiver “superisokone”, LI-804 and mechanical block which consist of the polaroid modulator and large rotating achromatic phase – shift plate.Цифровой панорамный поляриметр представляет собой комплекс астрономической телевизионной установки на базе панорамного высокочувствительного приемника «суперикозон» типа ЛИ-804 и оптико-механического блока, в состав которого входит поляроидный модулятор с вращающейся ахроматической фазовой пластинкой большого размера

DIGITAL ARCHIVE OF UKRVO: THE POSITIONAL ACCURACY OF MINOR PLANETS DETERMINATIONS

Scanning and astrometric processing of two 30x30 cm photographic plates with images of minor planets were conducted. The plates were obtained at the double wide-angle astrograph (DWAA, 400/2000) on the program of photographic sky survey and the program of small planets’ observations. The plates were digitized using a flatbed scanner Epson Expression 10000XL. Images were obtained in the gray range of 16 -bits with a resolution of 1200dpi (> 11,000 pix along the one of the axies) and included into the UkrVO Joint Digital Archive (JDA). The plates are related to GUA040C observational archive. Image processing has been carried out in software package LINuS/MID AS/ROM AFOT. Topocentric equa­torial coordinates for the second exposition minor planet images were obtained with a single measurement error ± 0.1 " and ± 0.3" for coordinate and ± 0.2m for magnitudes in the Tycho-2 catalog as reference.

FLATBED SCANNERS IN GOLOSIIV PLATE ARCHIVE DIGITIZATION

The problems associated with the application of budget flatbed scanners to digitize astronegatives are discussed.