Our Mission

The mission of the Minor Planet Project is to gather astrometric observations of Small Solar-System Bodies and submit those measurements to the Minor Planet Center. Our goals are to obtain follow up observations on One-Opposition Unnumbered Objects and Near Earth Objects so their orbits can be better defined and to confirm newly discovered minor planets and comets. The Doc Greiner Research Observatory is a robotic observatory controlled entirely over the internet. The Doc Greiner Research Observatory is located outside Evansville, Wisconsin.

Follow-up Astrometry

Follow-up astrometry and recoveries are made with the Meade LX200-ACF 16"(0.4-m) telescope with focal reducer at f/8 at the Doc Greiner Research Observatory (IAU Observatory code XXX). The SBIG STL-1001E 1x1K CCD has 24 micron pixels and a 24'x24' field with our set up. It is typically used with 1x1 binning giving us 1.44 arc-seconds per pixel for this combination. The telescope can be pointed with an accuracy of about 5 arc-seconds mounted on the Paramount ME.  All images are unguided of  less than 180 second exposure durations.  NEOs are imaged by the track and stack method when tracking rates are between 2-30 arc-seconds/minute.

Data Reduction

All data are reduced on a PC. Flat-fielding, bias and dark field subtraction are done using MaxIm DL. The astrometry is done with PinPoint.  WCS coordinates are added to the FITS files using the UCAC2 catalog, virtually all of our astrometry is done using this method. An astrometric accuracy in the fit of 0.06" RMS in each coordinate is obtained for several hundred stars within the field. Remote control operation over the internet is possible using ACP, TheSky6, FocusMax and MaxIm DL.

Additional Targets of the Minor Planet Project

Comet Photometry Project

Gamma Ray Burst Detection Program