Performing Automated, High-Speed Photometry on Occulting, Small Outer Solar System Bodies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2218/esjs.9682Keywords:
Photometry, SoftwareAbstract
Monitoring stellar occultations provides a powerful means to measure the shapes and sizes of small Solar System bodies, but produces large quantities of image data which can be laborious to analyse. An automated Python-based software, occ_find, was written for performing high-speed aperture photometry on spool files packed with large volumes of images from the 1.54m Danish Telescope. occ_find processed 11 spool files at a maximum rate of around 4–6 minutes per spool file, without image reduction. From these files, 3 occultation events were detected. The measured chord lengths are consistent with prior size measurements of these small bodies.
References
Anderson, B. ‘PyMovie - A Stellar-Occultation Aperture-Photometry Program’ Journal for Occultation Astronomy 9 4 (2019)
Assafin, M. et al. ‘PRAIA - Platform for Reduction of Astronomical Images Automatically’ in Proceedings of Gaia Follow-up Network for Solar System Objects Workshop held at IMCCE-Paris Observatory (2011)
Barry, M. A. et al. ‘A Digital Video System for Observing and Recording Occultations’ Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 32 (2015)
Bradley, L. et al. ‘astropy/Photutils’ Zenodo (2023)
Braga-Ribas, F. et al. ‘A Ring System Detected Around the Centaur (10199) Chariklo’ Nature 508 7494 (2014)
Brown, M. E. and Butler, B. J. ‘The Density of Mid-sized Kuiper Belt Objects From ALMA Thermal Observations’ The Astronomical Journal 154 1 (2017)
Buie, M. W. et al. ‘Size and Shape Constraints of (486958) Arrokoth From Stellar Occultations’ The Astronomical Journal 159 4 (2020)
Currie, M. J. et al. ‘Starlink Software in 2013’ in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXIII 485 (Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series; 2014)
Elliot, J. et al. ‘Occultation of SAO 158687 by Uranian Satellite Belt’ IAU Circular 3051 (1977)
Grundy, W. M. et al. ‘Mutual Orbit Orientations of Trans-neptunian Binaries’ Icarus 334 (2019)
Hubbard, W. B. et al. ‘Occultation Detection of a Neptunian Ring-Like Arc’ Nature 319 6055 (1986)
IOTA ‘International Occultation Timing Association’ Accessed 24th May 2024 (2024)
Kaasalainen, M. and Torppa, J. ‘Optimization Methods for Asteroid Lightcurve Inversion: I. Shape Determination’ Icarus 153 1 (2001)
Kaasalainen, M. et al. ‘Optimization Methods for Asteroid Lightcurve Inversion: II. The Complete Inverse Problem’ Icarus 153 1 (2001)
LESIA ‘ERC Lucky Star Project’ Accessed 24th May 2024 (2022)
Levine, S. E. et al. ‘Occultation of a Large Star by the Large Plutino (28978) Ixion on 2020 October 13 UTC’ The Astronomical Journal 161 5 (2021)
Lissauer, J. J. and de Pater, I. ‘Fundamental Planetary Science, Updated Edition’ (Cambridge University Press; 2019)
Lucky Star Project ‘Occultation by 2007JJ43 (2023-07-01)’ Accessed 26th Mar 2024 (2023)
Lucky Star Project ‘Occultation by Ixion (2023-07-28)’ Accessed 26th Mar 2024 (2023)
Lucky Star Project ‘Occultation by Salacia (2023-09-24)’ Accessed 26th Mar 2024 (2023)
Ortiz, J. L. et al. ‘The Size, Shape, Density and Ring of the Dwarf Planet Haumea From a Stellar Occultation’ Nature 550 7675 (2017)
Pál, A et al. ‘Pushing the Limits: K2 Observations of the Trans-neptunian Objects 2002 GV31 and (278361) 2007 JJ43’ The Astrophysical Journal Letters 804 2 (2015)
Pavlov, H. ‘Tangra: Software for Video Photometry and Astrometry’ Astrophysics Source Code Library (2020)
Pereira, C. L. et al. ‘The Two Rings of (50000) Quaoar’ Astronomy & Astrophysics 673 (2023)
Reitsema, H. J. et al. ‘Discovery of a Probable Third Satellite of Neptune’ in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 13 (AAS Publishing; 1981)
Rommel, F. L et al. ‘Stellar Occultations Enable Milliarcsecond Astrometry for Trans-neptunian Objects and Centaurs’ Astronomy & Astrophysics 644 (2020)
Smith, B. A. et al. ‘Voyager 2 at Neptune: Imaging Science Results’ Science 246 4936 (1989)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ben Mark Attwood, James E. Robinson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.