CCD: FULL 13'x13'armin - 2x2 binning! READOUT: QUAD GAIN INDEX: 1: Read Noise ~ 1.5 ADU = 5.5 e- FILTER SET: Narrow Band (3996/1042 and 656375-3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FOR TARGET FIELDS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. When first acquiring the comet, check that the background stars have reasonable focus. Please do not spend more than 5 minutes attempting to improve the focus; at higher airmass, the stars will not be sharp! 2. Check to make sure that the coordinates are correct; the comet is moving rapidly, so the coordinates appropriate for the specific UT time should be used (to the nearest quarter hour). Ephemeris is below. 3. Take 1 exposure (60 seconds) using the 3996/1042 filter, and confirm that the comet (an extended, diffuse blob, perhaps with a bright core) is present and near the middle of the frame. 4. Adjust the pointing of the telescope only if the comet is near the edge of the frame. 5. Take a series of 60-second exposures with the 3996/1042 filter for a total of 20-25 minutes. The comet should appear to move about 2-4 arcminutes during this sequence. 6. Recenter the comet (use the coordinates from the ephemeris for the current UT. 7. Take 1 exposure (60 seconds) using the 3996/1042 filter, and confirm that the comet (an extended, diffuse blob, perhaps with a bright core) is again near the middle of the frame. 8. Change to the 656375-3 filter, and take a series of 60-second exposures for a total of 20-25 minutes. In this filter, the comet will be fainter (a nearly point-like object plus a faint, small extended fuzz). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FOR CALIBRATION FIELDS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Biases should be obtained every night. 2. Flats (preferably twilight, dome if necessary) should be obtained for both filters, at least every other night. 3. The standard star, HD 19712, should be observed in both filters, once before the comet observations, and once after every comet set of 45-50 minutes. The star is 7th magnitude, so fairly short exposures (2 seconds for the 3996/1042 filter; 3 seconds for the 656375-3 filter) will be needed to prevent saturation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OBSERVING SEQUENCE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TARGET HD 19712 (standard star) PRIORITY 2 COORDINATES 03 10 18.0 -01 41 41 (J2000) FINDER CHART AIRMASS whatever it is at just prior to the comet observations FILTER(S) 3996/1042, 656375-3 INTEGRATION(S) 2s, 3s TOTAL TIME 2-4 minutes NOTES any conditions acceptable TARGET Comet 8P/Tuttle PRIORITY 1 COORDINATES See detailed ephemeris, using correct UT Date and Time FINDER CHART AIRMASS <3.0 FILTER(S) 3996/1042, 656375-3 (see target notes for detailed sequence) INTEGRATION(S) 60s, 60s, (approximately 20 frames per filter; see notes) TOTAL TIME 45-50 minutes NOTES any conditions acceptable TARGET HD 19712 (standard star) PRIORITY 2 COORDINATES 03 10 18.0 -01 41 41 (J2000) FINDER CHART AIRMASS whatever it is at just after comet observations FILTER(S) 3996/1042, 656375-3 INTEGRATION(S) 2s, 3s TOTAL TIME 2-4 minutes NOTES any conditions acceptable Repeat comet and standard star sets as many times as possible until either the comet reaches 3.0 airmasses or until the 1/2 night is over. 8P/Tuttle Comet Topocentric Ephemeris for Cerro Tololo Observatory Cal. U.T. Date J.E.D. RA DEC Hourly Com 24+ (2000.0) Motion Alt Yr Mo Da Hr Mi H M S D " " " D 2008 1 12 1 0 54477.542 2 10 22.13 -13 5 9.4 87.8 -396.3 63 2008 1 12 1 15 54477.553 2 10 23.63 -13 6 48.4 87.9 -395.9 60 2008 1 12 1 30 54477.563 2 10 25.14 -13 8 27.3 88.1 -395.5 57 2008 1 12 1 45 54477.574 2 10 26.65 -13 10 6.2 88.3 -395.2 54 2008 1 12 2 0 54477.584 2 10 28.16 -13 11 44.9 88.5 -394.8 51 2008 1 12 2 15 54477.595 2 10 29.68 -13 13 23.5 88.7 -394.4 48 2008 1 12 2 30 54477.605 2 10 31.20 -13 15 2.1 89.0 -394.1 45 2008 1 12 2 45 54477.615 2 10 32.72 -13 16 40.6 89.2 -393.7 42 2008 1 12 3 0 54477.626 2 10 34.25 -13 18 18.9 89.5 -393.4 39 2008 1 12 3 15 54477.636 2 10 35.79 -13 19 57.2 89.8 -393.0 35 2008 1 12 3 30 54477.647 2 10 37.33 -13 21 35.4 90.1 -392.7 32 2008 1 12 3 45 54477.657 2 10 38.88 -13 23 13.6 90.5 -392.4 29 2008 1 12 4 0 54477.667 2 10 40.43 -13 24 51.6 90.8 -392.0 26 2008 1 12 4 15 54477.678 2 10 41.99 -13 26 29.6 91.1 -391.7 23 2008 1 12 4 30 54477.688 2 10 43.55 -13 28 7.4 91.5 -391.4 19 2008 1 12 4 45 54477.699 2 10 45.12 -13 29 45.2 91.9 -391.1 16 2008 1 13 1 0 54478.542 2 12 53.75 -15 38 28.5 84.2 -369.4 64 2008 1 13 1 15 54478.553 2 12 55.21 -15 40 0.8 84.4 -369.0 61 2008 1 13 1 30 54478.563 2 12 56.67 -15 41 33.0 84.5 -368.7 59 2008 1 13 1 45 54478.574 2 12 58.13 -15 43 5.1 84.7 -368.3 55 2008 1 13 2 0 54478.584 2 12 59.60 -15 44 37.1 84.9 -367.9 52 2008 1 13 2 15 54478.595 2 13 1.08 -15 46 9.0 85.1 -367.6 49 2008 1 13 2 30 54478.605 2 13 2.55 -15 47 40.9 85.4 -367.2 46 2008 1 13 2 45 54478.615 2 13 4.03 -15 49 12.6 85.6 -366.9 43 2008 1 13 3 0 54478.626 2 13 5.52 -15 50 44.3 85.9 -366.5 40 2008 1 13 3 15 54478.636 2 13 7.01 -15 52 15.9 86.2 -366.2 36 2008 1 13 3 30 54478.647 2 13 8.50 -15 53 47.4 86.5 -365.9 33 2008 1 13 3 45 54478.657 2 13 10.01 -15 55 18.8 86.8 -365.5 30 2008 1 13 4 0 54478.667 2 13 11.51 -15 56 50.1 87.2 -365.2 27 2008 1 13 4 15 54478.678 2 13 13.03 -15 58 21.4 87.5 -364.9 23 2008 1 13 4 30 54478.688 2 13 14.55 -15 59 52.6 87.8 -364.6 20 2008 1 13 4 45 54478.699 2 13 16.07 -16 1 23.7 88.2 -364.3 17 2008 1 14 1 0 54479.542 2 15 21.00 -18 1 21.2 80.8 -343.9 65 2008 1 14 1 15 54479.553 2 15 22.42 -18 2 47.1 80.9 -343.6 62 2008 1 14 1 30 54479.563 2 15 23.84 -18 4 13.0 81.1 -343.2 59 2008 1 14 1 45 54479.574 2 15 25.26 -18 5 38.7 81.3 -342.9 56 2008 1 14 2 0 54479.584 2 15 26.69 -18 7 4.4 81.5 -342.5 53 2008 1 14 2 15 54479.595 2 15 28.12 -18 8 29.9 81.7 -342.1 50 2008 1 14 2 30 54479.605 2 15 29.55 -18 9 55.4 81.9 -341.8 47 2008 1 14 2 45 54479.615 2 15 30.99 -18 11 20.8 82.2 -341.5 43 2008 1 14 3 0 54479.626 2 15 32.43 -18 12 46.1 82.4 -341.1 40 2008 1 14 3 15 54479.636 2 15 33.88 -18 14 11.4 82.7 -340.8 37 2008 1 14 3 30 54479.647 2 15 35.34 -18 15 36.5 83.0 -340.5 34 2008 1 14 3 45 54479.657 2 15 36.80 -18 17 1.6 83.3 -340.2 31 2008 1 14 4 0 54479.667 2 15 38.26 -18 18 26.6 83.6 -339.9 27 2008 1 14 4 15 54479.678 2 15 39.73 -18 19 51.5 84.0 -339.6 24 2008 1 14 4 30 54479.688 2 15 41.21 -18 21 16.3 84.3 -339.3 21 2008 1 14 4 45 54479.699 2 15 42.69 -18 22 41.1 84.6 -339.0 18 2008 1 15 1 0 54480.542 2 17 44.11 -20 14 23.3 77.5 -320.0 66 2008 1 15 1 15 54480.553 2 17 45.49 -20 15 43.2 77.6 -319.7 63 2008 1 15 1 30 54480.563 2 17 46.87 -20 17 3.1 77.8 -319.3 60 2008 1 15 1 45 54480.574 2 17 48.25 -20 18 22.9 77.9 -319.0 57 2008 1 15 2 0 54480.584 2 17 49.63 -20 19 42.6 78.1 -318.6 54 2008 1 15 2 15 54480.595 2 17 51.03 -20 21 2.2 78.3 -318.3 51 2008 1 15 2 30 54480.605 2 17 52.42 -20 22 21.7 78.6 -318.0 47 2008 1 15 2 45 54480.615 2 17 53.82 -20 23 41.1 78.8 -317.6 44 2008 1 15 3 0 54480.626 2 17 55.22 -20 25 0.5 79.1 -317.3 41 2008 1 15 3 15 54480.636 2 17 56.63 -20 26 19.8 79.3 -317.0 38 2008 1 15 3 30 54480.647 2 17 58.04 -20 27 39.0 79.6 -316.7 34 2008 1 15 3 45 54480.657 2 17 59.46 -20 28 58.1 79.9 -316.4 31 2008 1 15 4 0 54480.667 2 18 0.89 -20 30 17.2 80.2 -316.1 28 2008 1 15 4 15 54480.678 2 18 2.32 -20 31 36.1 80.6 -315.8 25 2008 1 15 4 30 54480.688 2 18 3.76 -20 32 55.0 80.9 -315.5 22 2008 1 15 4 45 54480.699 2 18 5.20 -20 34 13.9 81.2 -315.3 18 2008 1 16 1 0 54481.542 2 20 3.27 -22 18 13.0 74.3 -297.8 67 2008 1 16 1 15 54481.553 2 20 4.61 -22 19 27.4 74.4 -297.4 64 2008 1 16 1 30 54481.563 2 20 5.96 -22 20 41.7 74.6 -297.1 61 2008 1 16 1 45 54481.574 2 20 7.30 -22 21 55.9 74.7 -296.8 57 2008 1 16 2 0 54481.584 2 20 8.65 -22 23 10.0 74.9 -296.4 54 2008 1 16 2 15 54481.595 2 20 10.00 -22 24 24.1 75.1 -296.1 51 2008 1 16 2 30 54481.605 2 20 11.36 -22 25 38.0 75.4 -295.8 48 2008 1 16 2 45 54481.615 2 20 12.72 -22 26 51.9 75.6 -295.5 44 2008 1 16 3 0 54481.626 2 20 14.09 -22 28 5.8 75.9 -295.1 41 2008 1 16 3 15 54481.636 2 20 15.46 -22 29 19.5 76.1 -294.8 38 2008 1 16 3 30 54481.647 2 20 16.83 -22 30 33.2 76.4 -294.6 35 2008 1 16 3 45 54481.657 2 20 18.21 -22 31 46.8 76.7 -294.3 32 2008 1 16 4 0 54481.667 2 20 19.60 -22 33 0.3 77.0 -294.0 28 2008 1 16 4 15 54481.678 2 20 20.99 -22 34 13.7 77.3 -293.7 25 2008 1 16 4 30 54481.688 2 20 22.39 -22 35 27.1 77.6 -293.5 22 2008 1 16 4 45 54481.699 2 20 23.79 -22 36 40.4 77.9 -293.2 19 2008 1 17 1 0 54482.542 2 22 18.69 -24 13 29.3 71.3 -277.2 67 2008 1 17 1 15 54482.553 2 22 20.00 -24 14 38.5 71.4 -276.8 64 2008 1 17 1 30 54482.563 2 22 21.30 -24 15 47.7 71.5 -276.5 61 2008 1 17 1 45 54482.574 2 22 22.61 -24 16 56.8 71.7 -276.2 58 2008 1 17 2 0 54482.584 2 22 23.92 -24 18 5.7 71.9 -275.8 54 2008 1 17 2 15 54482.595 2 22 25.24 -24 19 14.7 72.1 -275.5 51 2008 1 17 2 30 54482.605 2 22 26.56 -24 20 23.5 72.3 -275.2 48 2008 1 17 2 45 54482.615 2 22 27.89 -24 21 32.2 72.5 -274.9 45 2008 1 17 3 0 54482.626 2 22 29.22 -24 22 40.9 72.8 -274.6 42 2008 1 17 3 15 54482.636 2 22 30.55 -24 23 49.5 73.1 -274.3 38 2008 1 17 3 30 54482.647 2 22 31.89 -24 24 58.1 73.3 -274.1 35 2008 1 17 3 45 54482.657 2 22 33.23 -24 26 6.5 73.6 -273.8 32 2008 1 17 4 0 54482.667 2 22 34.58 -24 27 14.9 73.9 -273.5 29 2008 1 17 4 15 54482.678 2 22 35.94 -24 28 23.3 74.2 -273.3 26 2008 1 17 4 30 54482.688 2 22 37.30 -24 29 31.6 74.5 -273.0 23 2008 1 17 4 45 54482.699 2 22 38.67 -24 30 39.8 74.8 -272.8 19