Astronomical School’s Report, 2020, Volume 16, Issue 1, Pages 16–21

https://doi.org/10.18372/2411-6602.16.03
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UDC 520:523.34

Telescope pointing software for slit spectroscopy of the lunar exosphere

Velikodsky Yu.I.1, 2, Berezhnoy A.A.3, Velichko S.F.2, 4, Pakhomov Yu.V.5

1National Aviation University, Liubomyra Huzara Ave. 1, 03058 Kyiv, Ukraine
2Institute of Astronomy, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Sumska St. 35, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine
3Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Universitetskij pr. 13, 119991 Moscow, Russia
4IC AMER Observatory of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Akademika Zabolotnoho St. 27, 03143 Kyiv, Ukraine
5Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyatnitskaya St. 48, 119017 Moscow, Russia

Abstract

Detailed description of the original pointing software used for spectral observations of the lunar exosphere is given. The software allows to point the spectrograph of 2-m telescope of Terskol Observatory inside and outside the lunar disk with accuracy of about 2″. Observations of Na lines in the exosphere of the Moon on January 8 and October 7, 2017, do not reveal quick variability of Na lines at time scales of about 20 minutes. On January 8, 2017, the intensity of Na lines above the south pole of the Moon was stronger than that above the north pole of the Moon.

Keywords: telescope pointing; Moon; exosphere; spectroscopy; software

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