Authors: Dourneau G., Dulou M. R., Le Campion J. F., and Veillet C.
Year: 1986
Title: Astrometric observations of Saturn's satellites made at the ESO in 1981 and comparison with theory. In french
Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume: 160
Number: 2
Pages: 280-286
Keywords: Saturn, faint, major, observation, data, position, photographic, analysis
Abstract: Based on 55 plates taken with the 1.50-m Danish La Silla ESO reflector during the 1981 opposition, the first absolute astrometric positions of Saturn's satellites I-VIII are obtained. Observations of 496 satellite positions were reduced by means of the coordinates of 57 secondary stars in the satellite field obtained with the 33cm Observatoire de Bordeaux astrograph in 1982. The Bordeaux plates were reduced using a second order relation to determine the plate constant solution, and for the La Silla plates, a first order linear reduction model was used. The existence of two satellites at the L4 and L5 Lagrangian point of the Thetys orbit was unambiguously established. In addition to absolute coordinates, relative intersatellite distances with respect to Titan or Rhea are given. Results are compared with computed residuals using the theory of Kozai as improved by Rapaport (1977), and a better than 0.05 arcsec relative intersatellite coordinate precision is confirmed. Observatory: La Silla ESO. Observers: Dourneau G., Dulou M. R., Le Campion J. F., Veillet C. Telescope: 1.50-m Danish La Silla ESO reflector. Receiver: photographic. Period: 1981.
%F: AC(Bordeaux I, Universite, Observatoire, Floirac, France) AD(Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Geodynamiques et Astronomiques, Grasse, France)
Bibliogaphic Code: 1986A%26A...160..280D
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