CoLiTec: research and development

Abstract

Software for automated frames processing of asteroid surveys given as series of frames are necessary for the most effective astronomical observations. This possibility is provided by the CoLiTec software that allows not only to detect asteroids, but also to perform astrometric and photometric measurements in real time with the visual confirmation of processing results, http://www.neoastrosoft.com. Full reliability of the detection of moving objects is retained up to the lower limit of SNR equal to 3 units in case of a minimum series consisting of four frames, with no stars covering of asteroid. CoLiTec has abilities for detecting very slow and very fast objects. Range of visible velocities of detected asteroids is from 0.7 to 40.0 pix./frame. For example, the fasters NEO is K12C29D asteroid (40.0 pix./frame) or the slowest object is ISON C/2012 S1 comet (0.8 pix./frame). Some CoLiTec features are: automatic detection of faint moving objects (SNR> 2.5); working with very wide field of view (up to 10 degrees); auto calibration and cosmetic correction; fully automatic robust algorithm of astrometric and photometric reduction; automatic rejection of objects with poor observations; multi-threaded support for multi-cores systems and local network; processing pipeline managed by OLDAS (OnLine Data Analysis System). CoLiTec software equipped with the modern viewer of obtained results with a user-friendly GUI. LookSky runs independently of the main program and it can be used for independent review of CoLiTec processing results when the main program is processing data. A mobile version of the viewer is also available. CoLiTec processing results can be monitored from anywhere in the world. CoLiTec has assisted in making over 1,500 preliminary discoveries of asteroids, including 4 NEO, 21 Trojan asteroids of Jupiter and 1 Centaur. It has been used in about 600 000 observations, during which four comets (C/2010 X1 (Elenin), P/2011 NO1 (Elenin), C/2012 S1 (ISON), P/2013 V3 (Nevski)) were discovered. By the overall results of 2011 and 2012, observatory ISON-NM, equipped with a 45-cm telescope and CoLiTec software, ranked 7th worldwide in both number of observations of asteroids and the number of their preliminary discoveries. Pipeline for digital video processing was developed by CoLiTec Team. It is presented as a flexible platform for receiving, processing video with in any resolution, as well as easy integration of different modules required to improve image quality, delineation and recognition of moving objects in the video series. The communication describes the new principles, cross-platform technologies that have been integrated since the last conference during creation of the new version of CoLiTec software. Also it describes improved quality control of the performed processing that has been revised. Considerable attention was given for the astrometry and photometry improving with help of reserves for increasing measurement accuracy at the last year. Also possibility of individual binding astrometry and photometry reduction to telescopes for increasing observations accuracy was provided. The comparative analysis of the accuracy was performed between the CoLiTec and Astrometrica software. The analysis showed the benefits of the CoLiTec software using with astrometry and photometry of asteroids in relation with Astrometrica using, especially when using wide field and low quality frames. We are going to pay considerable attention for development of computational methods for research of parameters of intraframe and interframe processing. It will be necessary to increase measurements accuracy and sensitivity of already developed and implemented processing algorithms in CoLiTec software.