M16 field - Asteroid?

[multiweb]

Just received CCD Stacks tutorials by Adam Block. Excellent stuff. I was playing around with old data on M16 when blinking I noticed this "star" moving. The motions is not that great over 2 hours total exposure time. 23 x 5 min subs between 22:30 27/09/2008 and 00:30 28/09/2008. See image attached. Larger field is available at http://www.multiweb.com.au/astro/m16_mov_lg.gif
How can I identify this object based on date/time and location? Thanks for any pointers/links.

[Terry B]

From the asteroid catalogue in Skymap pro it is 374 Burgundia
It is given as mag 13.8 for that date and time.

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

If you use an SBIG CCD Camera and the camera control software CCDSoft, and also use The Sky to point your telescope, then these can work together and identify asteroids in the FOV.

When you use The Sky to e.g. slew to M16 and then begin your exposure with CCDSoft, The Sky “passes” on the RA and DEC coordinates of the centre of the field to CCDSoft, which stores this data in the FITS image header.

Then, after you have taken all the Lights, Darks and Flats and reduced the Lights, from within CCDSoft you can link the image to The Sky and ask The Sky to identify any asteroids in the field.

Cheers

Dennis

[strongmanmike]

That's an amazing little sequence Marc!

Mike

[multiweb]

Thanks for that Terry. :thumbsup:

Wow! :confuse3: SBIG CCD, CCD SOft, the Sky. Gotta have to redo my Xmas shopping list! :lol: Thanks for the info Dennis.

Thanks mike. Photoshop did it for me. I'm just the monkey pushing buttons. :P

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

LOL! No, don’t go and buy all that stuff just for the occasional asteroid.

I have Starry Night Pro, The Sky, SkyTools and Sky Map Pro and they all show asteroids. All you need to do is to make sure your asteroid data file is up to date (usually via internet download) and you will be able to see what asteroid(s) if any appear in your field for the date and time of the exposure.

The tight integration and operation of The Sky and CCDSoft is probably only useful if you already have an SBIG CCD camera and you plan to specialise in asteroid searches. Otherwise, it’s an expensive upgrade!

Excellent animation by the way – really smooth.

Cheers

Dennis

[Hagar]

Nice capture Marc. Nice image n the background also.

Well done but now you are going to spend your whole life looking for moving bits.:lol:

[multiweb]

Thanks Doug. Actually I wouldn't mind things staying still for a while. That would help my tracking. :P

[multiweb]

Nah... was only kidding. I can't even afford a decent focuser [yet]

[peeb61]

Marc,
That is a brilliant shot, just love the animation...now that is luck, I, like everyone else can only manage the occasional plane or satellite.

Paul