Highlights Description of the space debris data acquisition with standard astronomical optical telescopes. Astrometric reduction, data validation and orbit improvement for space debris objects. Photometric data acquisition, light curve construction and processing, measurement error propagation. Public catalogue of space debris light curves with electronic link.

    Abstract The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia (FMPI) operates its own 0.7-m Newtonian telescope (AGO70) dedicated to the space surveillance tracking and research, with an emphasis on space debris. The observation planning focuses on objects on geosynchronous (GEO), eccentric (GTO and Molniya) and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) orbits. To verify the system’s capabilities, we conducted an observation campaign in 2017, 2018 and 2019 focused on astrometric and photometric measurements. In last two years we have built up a light curve catalogue of space debris which is now freely available for the scientific community. We report periodic signals extracted from more than 285 light curves of 226 individual objects. We constructed phase diagrams for 153 light curves for which we obtained apparent amplitudes.


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    Title :

    Space debris observations with the Slovak AGO70 telescope: Astrometry and light curves



    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 65 , 8 ; 2018-2035


    Publication date :

    2020-01-25


    Size :

    18 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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