Pluto was observed on several occasions from August 2006 to November 2006. Pluto was moving slowly through a very dense star field in Ophiuchus. It's magnitude was approximately 14. During this time period the IAUC changed Pluto from one of the nine major planets to one of several dwarf planets. Pluto now carries designation 134340 by the Minor Planet Center. These observations were made with a 12 inch (0.3 m) Meade 200LX-GPS telescope which is a Schmidt-Cassegrain or SCT. A Meade f/6.3 focal reducer was used to give a field of view of approximately 20 x 15 arc minutes and focal length of approximately 2015 mm. All obervations were made from location 32° 15' 59"N, 90° 51' 22"W, observatory code H47 Vicksburg.
The images are 1600 x 1200 pixels in size with a 0.75 arc sec/pixel image scale. The CCD used was an SBIG ST-2000XCM auto guided with an SBIG AO-7 adaptive optics unit. Several 120 second unfiltered images were acquired using the SBIG software program CCDOPS during each imaging session and calibrated with dark and flat frame corrections. The ST-2000XCM CCD camera is a color single shot type. A luminance grey scale channel was extracted from each calibrated image for astrometric analysis using the SBIG software program CCDOPS.
The software program Astrometrica was used to obtain an astrometric plate solution from a stack of the images with its Track and Stack feature. Track and Stack improves the signal to noise ratio of the reference object in the resultant image. The USNO-B1.0 catalog of reference positions was used as reference data with Astrometrica. Astrometrica calculates the time stamp of the middle of the observations.
NASA/JPL Horizons web application (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons)was used to generate a predicted position corresponding the time stamp of each set of obersvations for comparison. Positions are all J2000.0. Since all observations were unfiltered, magnitide data is not included here, even though they were calculated by Astrometrica which uses aperature photometry.
Comparison of the measured and predicted atrometric positions were all within 0.5 arc seconds as can be seen in the following data table. This is sub-pixel accuracy.
| Time Stamp | Date Time | RA Measured | DEC Measued | RA Predicted | DEC Predicted |
| YYYY MM DD,hh:mm:ss UT | YYYY MM DD | HH MM SS | DEG MM SS | HH MM SS | DEG MM SS |
| 2006 08 12, 4:42:09 UT | 2006 08 12.19594 | 17 35 47.11 | -15 51 08.2 | 17 35 47.12 | -15 51 08.3 |
| 2006 08 19, 4:19:46 UT | 2006 08 19.18039 | 17 35 28.97 | -15 53 07.7 | 17 35 28.98 | -15 53 08.0 |
| 2006 08 20, 4:12:27 UT | 2006 08 20.17532 | 17 35 26.87 | -15 53 25.2 | 17 35 26.86 | -15 53 25.8 |
| 2006 09 15, 2:29:31 UT | 2006 09 15.10383 | 17 35 16.21 | -16 01 56.7 | 17 35 16.19 | -16 01 57.3 |
| 2006 09 16, 2:26:14 UT | 2006 09 16.10155 | 17 35 17.51 | -16 02 17.7 | 17 35 17.54 | -16 02 18.3 |
| 2006 09 17, 2:28:23 UT | 2006 09 17.10305 | 17 35 19.04 | -16 02 39.0 | 17 35 19.02 | -16 02 39.4 |
| 2006 09 21, 2:10:12 UT | 2006 09 21.09042 | 17 35 26.29 | -16 04 04.2 | 17 35 26.28 | -16 04 04.5 |
| 2006 09 23, 2:03:15 UT | 2006 09 23.08559 | 17 35 30.71 | -16 04 46.8 | 17 35 30.69 | -16 04 47.3 |
| 2006 09 28, 1:43:21 UT | 2006 09 28.07177 | 17 35 44.01 | -16 06 34.5 | 17 35 44.02 | -16 06 34.8 |
| 2006 10 07, 1:07:43 UT | 2006 10 07.04703 | 17 36 16.07 | -16 09 47.8 | 17 36 16.05 | -16 09 48.2 |
| 2006 10 14, 0:47:06 UT | 2006 10 14.03271 | 17 36 47.86 | -16 12 17.0 | 17 36 47.84 | -16 12 17.2 |
COD H47 CON C. Bell, 107 Judson Circle Vicksburg MS 39180 [charbell@bellsouth.net] OBS C. Bell MEA C. Bell TEL 0.3-m Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD ACK MPCReport file updated 2007.01.01 20:33:44 AC2 charbell@bellsouth.net NET USNO-B1.0 D4340 C2006 08 12.19594 17 35 47.11 -15 51 08.2 H47 D4340 C2006 08 19.18039 17 35 28.97 -15 53 07.7 H47 D4340 C2006 08 20.17532 17 35 26.87 -15 53 25.2 H47 D4340 C2006 09 15.10383 17 35 16.21 -16 01 56.7 H47 D4340 C2006 09 16.10155 17 35 17.51 -16 02 17.7 H47 D4340 C2006 09 17.10305 17 35 19.04 -16 02 39.0 H47 D4340 C2006 09 21.09042 17 35 26.29 -16 04 04.2 H47 D4340 C2006 09 23.08559 17 35 30.71 -16 04 46.8 H47 D4340 C2006 09 28.07177 17 35 44.01 -16 06 34.5 H47 D4340 C2006 10 07.04703 17 36 16.07 -16 09 47.8 H47 D4340 C2006 10 14.03271 17 36 47.86 -16 12 17.0 H47 ----- end -----The following residuals in arc seconds were calculated by FIND_ORB.
06 08 12.19594 H47 17 35 47.11 -15 51 08.2 .04+ .03- 30.580 31.166
06 08 19.18039 H47 17 35 28.97 -15 53 07.7 .06- .05+ 30.682 31.167
06 09 08.13289 H47 17 35 10.45 -15 59 32.0 .00 .13- 31.003 31.171
06 09 15.10383 H47 17 35 16.21 -16 01 56.7 .22+ .10+ 31.122 31.172
06 09 16.10155 H47 17 35 17.51 -16 02 17.7 .49- .16+ 31.139 31.172
06 09 17.10305 H47 17 35 19.04 -16 02 39.0 .12+ .06+ 31.156 31.173
06 09 21.09042 H47 17 35 26.29 -16 04 04.2 .18+ .15- 31.224 31.173
06 09 23.08559 H47 17 35 30.71 -16 04 46.8 .21+ .05+ 31.257 31.174
06 09 28.07177 H47 17 35 44.01 -16 06 34.5 .24- .19- 31.342 31.175
06 10 07.04703 H47 17 36 16.07 -16 09 47.8 .05+ .09+ 31.489 31.176
06 10 14.03271 H47 17 36 47.86 -16 12 17.0 .03- .00 31.599 31.177
Station data:
(H47) Vicksburg (N32.2662 W90.8561). Observer C. Bell. 0.3-m
Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD.
The following orbital elements were calculated by FIND_ORB from these observations:
Orbital elements:
(134340)
Peripluto 2006 Sep 23.045797 TT
Epoch 2006 Oct 14.0 TT = JDT 2454022.5 Find_Orb
q 8941.0642km (2000.0) P Q
H -1.3 Peri. 79.56956 0.38720812 -0.23752705
Node 260.58981 -0.58051142 -0.81348133
e 3.1525014 Incl. 64.55827 0.71629348 -0.53087570
From 11 observations 2006 Aug. 12-Oct. 14; RMS error 0.229 arcseconds
Using method of Gauss:
Orbital elements:
(134340)
Peripluto 2006 Oct 10.853072 TT = 20:28:25 (JD 2454019.353072)
Epoch 2006 Oct 14.0 TT = JDT 2454022.5 Find_Orb
q 11562.0666km (2000.0) P Q
H -1.2 G 0.15 Peri. 93.13639 0.63157255 -0.17426712
Node 257.96194 -0.37905135 -0.91942223
e 8.8870661 Incl. 50.57577 0.67634028 -0.35255316
From 11 observations 2006 Aug. 12-Oct. 14; RMS error 0.294 arcseconds
The folllowing are the MPC orbital elements for (134340) Pluto:
Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0 TT = JDT 2454200.5 MPC M 24.68057 (2000.0) P Q n 0.00392439 Peri. 114.39423 -0.67271953 +0.68646726 T = 2447911.48468 JDT a 39.8065305 Node 110.32479 -0.73935522 -0.60939936 q = 29.6797151 e 0.2544009 Incl. 17.12114 -0.02832487 -0.39673055 P 251 H -0.7 G 0.15 U 0 From 1844 observations at 78 oppositions, 1914-2006, mean residual 0".65. Last observed on 2006 Sept. 25. Perturbed ephemeris below based on elements from MPO 102381. Discovery date : 1930 01 23 Discovery site : Flagstaff Discoverer(s) : Tombaugh, C. W.The following greyscale images are the output of the Astrometrica Track and Stack operation. They were imported into PhotoShop CS2 using the NASA/ESA Fits Liberator plugin with log stretching. The images were not cropped or processed otherwise. They were exported into jpg format for web page use. They are each 1600 pixels wide x 1200 pixels height, the same as the pixel resolution of the camera. Pluto is denoted with yellow tic marks in each image. North is up and East is to the left in all images.
| Time Stamp: 2006 08 12, 4:42:09 UT |
| Motion: 0.03"/min in PA 250.0° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 52.92s, De = -15d 50m 41.8" |
| Rotation = 3.69° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 08 19, 4:19:46 UT |
| Motion: 0.03"/min in PA 241.9° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 25.46s, De = -15d 51m 19.2" |
| Rotation = 3.96° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.2' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 08 20, 4:12:27 UT |
| Motion: 0.02"/min in PA 240.3° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 28.13s, De = -15d 53m 04.5" |
| Rotation = -2.91° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.1' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 15, 2:29:31 UT |
| Motion: 0.02"/min in PA 140.2° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 15.69s, De = -16d 00m 28.7" |
| Rotation = 0.74° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.2' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 16, 2:26:14 UT |
| Motion: 0.02"/min in PA 137.3° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 16.30s, De = -15° 58m 36.7" |
| Rotation = 3.75° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 17, 2:28:23 UT |
| Motion: 0.02"/min in PA 134.7° |
| Measured Coordinates: 17h 35m 19.04s -16d 02m 39.0s |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 17.77s, De = -16d 02m 29.8" |
| Rotation = -0.64° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 21, 2:10:12 UT |
| Motion: 0.02"/min in PA 126.3° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 22.85s, De = -16d 03m 45.9" |
| Rotation = -1.80° |
| Pixel Size: 0.75" x 0.75", Field of View: 20.1' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 23, 2:03:15 UT |
| Motion: 0.03"/min in PA 123.0° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 33.86s, De = -16d 04m 16.8" |
| Rotation = 1.57° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.1' x 15.1' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 09 28, 1:43:21 UT |
| Motion: 0.03"/min in PA 116.9° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 35m 44.91s, De = -16d 07m 45.2s |
| Rotation = -0.35° |
| Pixel Size: 0.75" x 0.75", Field of View: 20.1' x 15.1 |
| Time Stamp: 2006 10 07, 1:07:43 UT |
| Motion: 0.04"/min in PA 110.0° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 36m 15.39s, De = -16d 09m 14.4s |
| Rotation = -1.60° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.2' |
| Time Stamp: 2006 10 14, 0:47:06 UT |
| Motion: 0.05"/min in PA 106.5° |
| Center Coordinates: RA = 17h 36m 51.18s, De = -16d 12m 28.7s |
| Rotation = 0.33° |
| Pixel Size: 0.76" x 0.76", Field of View: 20.2' x 15.1' |