Data Set Information
DATA_SET_NAME P445.3 (PLUTO) OCCULTATION V1.0
DATA_SET_ID EAR-P-I0962/I0964-5-BENECCHIOCC-V1.0
NSSDC_DATA_SET_ID
DATA_SET_TERSE_DESCRIPTION
DATA_SET_DESCRIPTION Data Set Overview : Data ----- The H-band (1.65 micron) data, consisting of 1,535 images, were obtained through the PISCES near-infrared camera (McCarthy et al. 2001) using 80x80 pixel frames (14.4 arcsec on a side) at a rate of 2.5 Hz with a duty cycle of 70%. Analysis of the infrared dataset can be found in McCarthy et al. 2008. Long-wavelength Density Fluctuations Resolved in Pluto's High Atmosphere. Astron. J. 136, 1519-1522. The visible band (unfiltered, approximately 0.24-1.24 micron) data, consisting of 19,200 images (contained within datacubes of 5 minute intervals), were obtained through the POETS (Portable Occultation, Eclipse, and Transit Systems; Souza et al. 2006; Gulbis et al. 2008) camera at a rate of 4 Hz. Analysis of the visible dataset can be found in Person et al. 2008. Waves in Pluto's Upper Atmosphere. Astron. J. 136, 1510-1518. Both datasets have been bias subtracted and flatfield calibrated. Images from the other observing sites (The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, USNO Flagstaff Station, Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Fremont Peak Observatory), for this event are not contained within this dataset, however lightcurve tables are included in the tables directory. Telescope and Instrument/Observation Information ------------------------------------------------ MMT Observatory (originally the Multiple Mirror Telescope, but now a single large mirror) Telescope Diameter: 6.5 m Location: -110 53 04, 31 41 19, 2.61 km Instrument: PISCES, 1.65 microns (H filter), cadence ~2 Hz, S/N:490 and POETS, 0.24-1.24 micron (unfiltered), cadence 4 Hz, S/N:336 Data included in this dataset: Images and lightcurve tables. Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO) Telescope Diameter: 8.4m Location: -109 53 31, 32 42 04, 3.19 km Instrument: Guide Camera, 0.64 microns (r' filter), cadence ~0.2 Hz, S/N : 88 Data included in this dataset: lightcurve table only. United States Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station (USNO, FS) Telescope Diameter: 1.66m Location: -111 44 23, 35 11 02, 2.31 km Instrument: POETS, 0.24-1.24 micron (unfiltered), cadence 2 Hz, S/N:70 Data included in this dataset: lightcurve table only. Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) Telescope Diameter: 2.4m Location: -107 11 05, 33 58 36, 3.18 km Instrument: POETS, 0.24-1.24 micron (unfiltered), cadence 2 Hz, S/N:45 Data included in this dataset: lightcurve table only. Fremont Peak Observatory (FPO) Telescope Diameter:0.32m Location: -121 29 55, 36 45 37, 0.84 km Instrument: SBIG ST-10XME, 0.79 microns (I filter), cadence 0.25 Hz, S/N:8 Data included in this dataset: lightcurve table only. Note: The S/N in the time that the shadow moves a distance of 60 km (approximately one pressure scale height). This was calculated from a portion of the light curves outside the occultation. Lightcurve Table file descriptions ----------------------------------- The columns for each of the following tables are: (1) Exposure midtime in seconds from 2007 March 18 10:30:00 UT (2) Normalized stellar flux (normalized by a portion of the light curves outside the occultation) (3) Standard error on the normalized stellar flux lbt_visible.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at the LBT. usno_visible.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at the USNO, Flagstaff station. magdalenaridge_visible.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at MRO. fremontpeak_visible.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at the FPO. mmt_infrared.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at the MMT in the infrared. mmt_visible.tab is a lightcurve table generated from data acquired at the MMT in the visible. Additional Table file descriptions ----------------------------------- The columns for each of the following tables are: (1) Image filename (2) Approximate x-position on the image of P445.3 in pixel space. (3) Approximate y-position on the image of P445.3 in pixel space. mmt_infrared_positions.tab is a table of approximate positions on the MMT infrared images. mmt_visible_positions.tab is a table of approximate positions on the MMT visible images. References ----------- Gulbis, A. A. S., J. L. Elliot, M. J. Person, B. A. Babcock, J. M. Pasachoff, S. P. Souza, & C. A. Zuluaga, 2008, in The Universe at Sub-Second Timescale, High Time Resolution Astrophysics, Recent Stellar Occultation Observations Using High-Speed, Portable Camera Systems, ed. D. Phelan, O. Ryan, & A. Shearer (Edinburgh: American Institute of Physics), 91. McCarthy, D., J. Ge, J. Hinz, R. Finn, & R. de Jong, R. 2001, PISCES: A Wide-Field, 1-2.5 micron Camera for Large-Aperture Telescopes. PASP, 115, 353. McCarthy D. W., C. A. Kulesa, W. B. Hubbard, S. D. Benecchi, M. J. Person, J. L. Elliot, A. A. S. Gulbis. 2008, Long-wavelength Density Fluctuations Resolved in Pluto's High Atmosphere. Astron. J. 136, 1519-1522. Souza, S. P., B. A. Babcock, J. M. Pasachoff, A. A. S. Gulbis, J. L. Elliot, M. J. Person, & J. W. Gangestad, 2006, POETS: Portable Occultation, Eclipse, and Transit System. PASP, 118, 1550. Person, M. J., J. L. Elliot, A. A. S. Gulbis, C. A. Zuluaga, B. A. Babcock, A. J. McKay, J. M. Pasachoff, S. P. Souza, W. B. Hubbard, C. A. Kulesa, D. W. McCarthy, S. D. Benecchi, S. E. Levine, A. S. Bosh, E. V. Ryan, W. H. Ryan, A. Meyer, J. Wolf, and J. Hill 2008, Waves in Pluto's Upper Atmosphere. Astron. J. 136, 1510-1518.
DATA_SET_RELEASE_DATE 2010-06-07T00:00:00.000Z
START_TIME 2007-03-18T12:00:00.000Z
STOP_TIME 2007-03-18T11:30:14.610Z
MISSION_NAME SUPPORT ARCHIVES
MISSION_START_DATE 2004-03-22T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_STOP_DATE N/A (ongoing)
TARGET_NAME PLUTO
TARGET_TYPE PLANET
INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID OBS326T2
OBS333T2
OBS4701T1
OBS4702T1
OBS4703T1
INSTRUMENT_NAME PISCES
POETS: PORTABLE OCCULTATION, ECLIPSE, AND TRANSIT SYSTEM
LBT GUIDE CAMERA
SBIG ST-10XME
INSTRUMENT_ID I0962
I0964
I0965
I0966
INSTRUMENT_TYPE CAMERA
NODE_NAME Small Bodies
ARCHIVE_STATUS LOCALLY_ARCHIVED
CONFIDENCE_LEVEL_NOTE Confidence Level Overview : The data were obtained at airmass (~3). The S/N in the time that the shadow moves a distance of 60 km (approximately one pressure scale height) is 490 for the IR dataset and 336 for the visible dataset. This was calculated from a portion of the light curves outside the occultation. The lightcurve datatables have been normalized to correct for trends in the data that are specifically background related.
CITATION_DESCRIPTION Benecchi, S. D., McCarthy, D. W., Kulesa, C. A., Hubbard, W. B., Person, M. J., Elliot, J. L., and Gulbis, A. A. S., P445.3 (Pluto) Occultation V1.0. EAR-P-I0962/I0964-5-BENECCHIOCC-V1.0. NASA Planetary Data System, 2010.
ABSTRACT_TEXT The dataset include simultaneous imaging obtained at the MMT in the infrared (H-band, 1.65 micron) and visible (unfiltered, approximately 0.24-1.24 micron) of Pluto occulting the star P445.3 (2UCAC 25823784) on 2007 March 18. The measurements included in the dataset were obtained continuously from 10:10:00 to 11:30:00 UTC. The midpoint of the occultation, at the MMT, was 10:53:49+/-00:01. The event was grazing and gives information about the atmosphere of Pluto to a depth of 1348 km above the surface. Images from the other observing sites for this event are not contained within this dataset, however lightcurve tables are included.
PRODUCER_FULL_NAME SUSAN BENECCHI
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