Image-processing techniques in precisely measuring positions of Jupiter and its Galilean satellites

¹ Department of Computer Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China
² National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100012, PR China
³ Joint Laboratory for Optical Astronomy, CAS, Kunming 650011, PR China
⁴ Center of Astrophysics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510400, PR China
⁵ Department of Mathematics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China
⁶ Yunnan Observatory, National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Kunming 650011, PR China

Corresponding author: Q. Y. Peng, pengqy@public.guangzhou.gd.cn

Received: 2 July 2002
Accepted: 20 December 2002

Abstract

Two image-processing techniques are developed to measure precisely the positions of Jupiter and its Galilean satellites. One is used to detect the edge of Jupiter's CCD image and fit it with an ellipse, thereby obtaining the planetary center. The other is used to remove the positional effect of Jupiter's scattering light that has on the measurement of a close satellite. 133 frames of CCD images are measured by using these techniques, and these measured positions of Galilean satellites are compared to the ones computed with the ephemerides of Jacobson's JUP204 and Arlot's G5. Preliminary analysis of the data as Jupiter-satellite or inter-satellite positions shows that a standard error (i.e. internal precision) as small as 0.03 arcsec can be reached in right ascension and declination. It is believed that these techniques would be useful for astrometric and photometric CCD observations of Galilean satellites, especially for CCD observations in the forthcoming mutual phenomena of Galilean satellites.