AbstractThe BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE)-Constellation is a group of Canadian/Austrian nanosatellites that will examine the apparently brightest stars in the sky for variability using precise differential photometry. The constellation consists of four low Earth-orbiting nanosatellites, divided into pairs, with each member of a pair having a different optical filter. Each BRITE satellite will observe a region of interest for up to 100 days or longer, allowing the measurement of stellar oscillations on the order of hours to months. Each BRITE satellite utilizes a number of new, innovative technologies including reaction wheels, star tracker and optical telescope, all sized and designed around space flight laboratory's 5-kg, 20 × 20 × 20 cm 3 CanX nanosatellite bus. The BRITE science instrument is a low power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector coupled with a custom lens system designed to provide a telecentric, slightly defocused image optimized for observing stellar intensity with an accuracy of 1mmag per data point per orbit down to a visual magnitude of + 3.5 . Photometric measurements will have an error amplitude spectrum no greater than 20ppm over measurement periods longer than a month. The optics will have a small (30mm) aperture and a maximum length of 100mm in order to fit within the nanosatellite bus.


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    Title :

    The BRITE space telescope: Using a nanosatellite constellation to measure stellar variability in the most luminous stars



    Published in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 65 , 5-6 ; 643-650


    Publication date :

    2009-01-07


    Size :

    8 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English