[guide-user] Re: Blinking in Charon

Bob Elliott Dec 31, 1969

At 08:55 AM 1/10/00 -0800, Matt wrote:

>When I load 3 images to blink I can hit 'B' to go to the next image,
>click'o' to write an MPC report, and it correctly reports three
>different positions for the object, but always reports the time being
>from the image actually loaded into Charon. Is it possible to get
>around this?
>Matt #163 Roeser
>

Matt.

I assume that for each image you load in you put the cursor on the object to
be measured before you click on "z" to save the image location for the blink
routine. It would be not much more work to click on "o" at this point.
Otherwise the position reported will be the object closest to the cursor
position when you click on "z". Then of course the time would be correct
for each image as well as the position.
Charon must be taking its position from the ephemeris calculated at the mid
point of each exposure and if the orbit is well known this would then be
close enough to find the moving object. What would happen if the orbit was
a very short arc or a "one nighter" where no ephemeris can be calculated by
Charon because there is of yet no set of orbital elements?

I usually use the blink feature to make sure I have located the correct
moving object on the image and make sure the object is not blended with a
star, then go back and let Charon do the reductions on the set of images one
at a time.

I hope someone can come up with an answer to your time question.
Nevertheless you have made an interesting find.

Bob Elliott
750 Fall Creek