Event Details

250112 is a Centaur. For all event details (including sense-up) visit: RECON Event Detail Page for 250112.

We wanted to provide a summary of common issues that we’ve noticed in our review of data from our most recent campaigns:

• Confirm you are in the right field
  • Be sure you are using the Equinox of Date Coordinates (labeled in bold text on Event Detail Page)
  • Use the Star Training Set or Precise Goto to find the field
  • The ultimate confirmation is if you can match your field to the field images provided for the event.
• Check the focus
  • Adjust the focus until the stars look like point sources instead of little ‘donuts’.
  • Or use the Bahtinov Mask on a bright alignment star
  • Better the focus, the more stars you can see and the better the data quality
• Use UTC date when naming directory and files
  • When using YYYYMMDD naming convention, be sure to use UT date.
  • For example, this event would be 20200218

Print this page and the Event Detail Page (see link above) and practice on the target star field prior to the event.

Pre-Event Checklist

1. Complete the RECON Campaign Signup Form for this event. Some participants have had trouble using Internet Explorer to sign up when there are more than one upcoming campaign.  We recommend using an alternate internet browser.  Submissions are updated hourly on our Signup Status Page.
2. Keep power supply plugged in at all times except when in use. Make sure laptop is fully charged well in advance of the event.
3. Print this page and the Event Detail Page (see link above) and practice on the target star field prior to the event.

Feel free to contact the RECON leadership team anytime by emailing tnorecon-org@mailman.boulder.swri.edu.

Observation Protocol

See our Full Campaign Observation Protocol Page for details on files to save:List

1. Position Video
2. Event Video
3. Sky Field Video
4. Dark Field Video

You should configure VirtualDub to save files sequentially by using “Set Capture File” to save as C:/Users/RECON/Data/YYYYMMDD/YYYYMMDD_01. You should record the filenames and information about each file using the RECON Observation Logsheet or a text file with the same information.

Image of Star Field

Post-Event Details

Regardless of whether your team was able to collect data, we need all teams to complete the RECON Campaign Observation Report Form within one week of the event. To view reports from teams from throughout the network, check out the Event Reporting Status Page.

If your team collected data, we also need you to save an electronic version of your log sheet and upload both your videos and observation log to SwRI in Boulder. For more information procedures for uploading data, visit Reporting Observations.