ISS and shuttle picture from the ground

APOD readers may already have seen this...

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...towitz_d720.jp
g

George Roberts supplied the SeeSat mailing list with some information
not available on NASA's APOD page.

"The telescope has a mirror that was ground to much better smoothness
and figure than typical mirrors of it's size (25 inches). The telescope
has an active adaptive optics system that corrects only in x and y (some
adaptive optics systems have hundreds of correctors). According to Ron
Dantowitz who runs the telescope a single corrector fixes most of the
atmospheric distortion. I don't know if this system works with
photographs like this one where there is no reference star. But the
seeing is very good at this location - the telescope is mounted on the
roof of a 4 story building (with a pier that runs through all 4 floors
into granite below - vibrationally separate from the rest of the school)
and this building is on top of a hill, and typical winds run over a
large farmer's field before hitting the hill. All this reduces
turbulence. This telescope is used by the Navy each night remotely
(after Ron goes home) to search for planets around other stars using
laser-spectroscopy and Ron seems to think it is the most accurate device
on our planet for this purpose because of the telescope's unique
features. Located about 8 miles from light polluted Boston - obviously
one can do serious astronomy in light polluted skies."

--
Hil

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...owitz_d720.jpg

Astonishing. Pete?

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...owitz_d720.jpg

Astonishing. Pete?

	#1
Hils	ISS and shuttle picture from the ground APOD readers may already have seen this... http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...towitz_d720.jp g George Roberts supplied the SeeSat mailing list with some information not available on NASA's APOD page. "The telescope has a mirror that was ground to much better smoothness and figure than typical mirrors of it's size (25 inches). The telescope has an active adaptive optics system that corrects only in x and y (some adaptive optics systems have hundreds of correctors). According to Ron Dantowitz who runs the telescope a single corrector fixes most of the atmospheric distortion. I don't know if this system works with photographs like this one where there is no reference star. But the seeing is very good at this location - the telescope is mounted on the roof of a 4 story building (with a pier that runs through all 4 floors into granite below - vibrationally separate from the rest of the school) and this building is on top of a hill, and typical winds run over a large farmer's field before hitting the hill. All this reduces turbulence. This telescope is used by the Navy each night remotely (after Ron goes home) to search for planets around other stars using laser-spectroscopy and Ron seems to think it is the most accurate device on our planet for this purpose because of the telescope's unique features. Located about 8 miles from light polluted Boston - obviously one can do serious astronomy in light polluted skies." -- Hil

	#2
Newshound	Re: ISS and shuttle picture from the ground http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...owitz_d720.jpg Astonishing. Pete?