Principal Investigator Email Address
ejehin@eso.org
Estimated Total Execution Time (hours, including overheads)
1h
General Description
The goal of this DDT proposal is to observe the Near Earth object 2006 UF17 (moving object!) and see if it is (or was) a comet. We have 2 OBs to be executed consecutively for a total of 1 hour : - 1 imaging OB with (4x 5min) in R band imaging to try to detect the coma - 1 spectro OB to take a low resolution (150I) spectrum (25min exptime) to get the color of the object Note that the object which has a V mag of 21 now is receding very fast from earth (getting fainter) and should be observed as soon as possible (in dark time). The observing window is starting night November 9/10 with 2h of visibility (< 1.5 airmass) and grows rapidly in the following nights. Note that the OBs need to be updated before execution (ephemeris provided)
Waiver Requests
Waiver accorded on Nov. 08 to do also a LSS OB. The IMA OB needs to be executed first then the LSS OB. It will be more easy for the astronomer to then catch the target for the acquisition.
Critical Observing Condition Constraints
- We need dark time to put a limit on the faint coma. The observing window is then starting November 9/10 (with 2h of observation that night) and grows rapidly in the following nights. - the airmass must be < 1.5 (for LADC working) to avoid as much as possible color effect within the slit. The slit is also put along the parallactic angle.
Time-Critical Aspects
- The object which has a V mag of 21 now is receding very fast from earth (getting fainter Mag 22 on Nov 20) and should be observed as soon as possible. - The observing window is from night November 9/10 to November 20 (it is too faint after and before the moon is in the sky).
Special Execution Requirements
- As our target is a moving object the following quantities need to be updated in the first OB before execution using the provided ephemeris (5min step) : 1. the precise coordinates under the columns : R.A._(ICRF/J2000.0) and _DEC (please be carreful with the UT date and time !) 2. the additional tracking velocities under the columns : dRA*cosD and d(DEC)/dt. The sign is important ! - The imaging OB should be executed first in order to locate the object. It should be easy to recognize because in 5 min exptime it will be the only punctual object. The stars will indeed be trailed by about 8 arcsec. Note that it could be the oject will have a small coma (slightly extended). - The LSS acquisition following for the spectro will then be easier as previous images will have allowed the clear identification of the target. PLEASE RESET THE LADC.
Special Calibration Information
We need: - the usual std PHO star and twilight R-band flat - the usual std SPECPHOT star. Note that if possible it would be appreciated if the specphot could be taken at a similar airmass. Feige 110 would be a good choice.
ToO Information
No
ToO Activators List
No
Is this a Pre-imaging run ?
false
Pre-imaging Requirements
No
Source(s) of Pre-imaging
Pre-imaging sources not listed above
Do all your OBs comply with the instrument-specific requirements listed on the instrument-specific Phase 2 web page ?
If this is a pre-imaging run, did you select PRE-IMAGING for the Observing Category for each Observing Template ?
N/A
Do all your finding charts comply with both the general and instrument-specific Phase 2 Web Pages ?
N/A
If you submitted OBs for standard stars, did you specify the magnitude and spectral type of all standard stars in the OBs ?
N/A
Have you included OBs for any calibrations that you need but which are not part of the Calibration Plan ?
N/A
If you are observing Moving Targets, have you attached suitable ephemeris files to your OBs?
If you have preferences which OBs should be executed first, did you make use of the User Priority field in the OBs ?
N/A
If this is a run that requires coordinated observations with other facilities, did you give proper instructions in the Time-Critical Aspects Section ?
N/A
If you have prepared your finding charts with tools other than FIMS, do they comply with the specifications on the FORS1 Phase 2 web page ?
N/A