NEAT Camera Successfully Tested on the Palomar 48" (Oschin) Sky Survey Telescope

ASTEROID HUNTERS BRING OLDIE-BUT-GOODIE INTO NEW AGE

NASA astronomers searching for asteroids headed toward Earth are expanding their sky-watching repertoire by adding high-tech, computerized electronic upgrades to the classic 1.2-meter- diameter (48-inch) Oschin telescope atop Palomar Mountain near San Diego, California.

The NEAT-Oschin alliance got a test run on June 9 and 10, when Pravdo and two other JPL astronomers, Dr. David Rabinowitz and Jeffrey Schroeder, took the NEAT camera to the Oschin telescope. They obtained the first-ever electronic images from that venerable sky eye.

See full story at:

http://huey.jpl.nasa.gov/~spravdo/oschin.htm

A number of asteroid detections were accomplished with the NEAT camera and Oschin 48" telescope. These observations are credited with the new observatory code 644, and are listed below:

NEAT/Oschin asteroid detections

Below are images taken with the NEAT camera and Palomar 48" telescope on 6/9-10/99.

Asteroid Kytheria

Dumbbell Nebula M27

Spiral Galaxy M64

NEAT Camera Mounted on Palomar 48" (J. Schroeder partly in frame)

NEAT Computer System in Palomar 48" Dome (H. Petrie of Caltech, D. Rabinowitz, and S. Pravdo left to right)