[vsnet-grb 92470] GCN/FERMI_POINTDIR Notice type now available

Bacodine vxw at capella.gsfc.nasa.gov
Sun Feb 22 07:14:36 JST 2009


TO:  All GCN Notice recipients
RE:  FERMI Pointing Direction Notice is available
DT:  21 Feb 09


INTRODUCTION:

The Fermi spacecraft Pointing Direction GCN Notice is now available.
They are available by the socket method and the email-based
(full format & cell/pager formats) methods.

The Fermi spacecraft observes the sky with a zenith-pointing orientation
with an additional north-south nodding motion of +- ~30 deg
(one orbit biased to the northern hemisphere and the next orbit
biased to the southern hemisphere).

The GCN/FERMI_POINTING_DIRECTION Notice gives the current RA,Dec
pointing direction at the time of the issuance of the notice
and for another 29 samples extrapolated into the future every 2 minutes.
This notice type is issued every 60 minutes.

This pointing information is obtained from the Fermi MOC.
On rare occaisions the actual spacecraft pointing direction
will deviate from the planned pointing direction because
of a TOO or when the spacecraft repoints in response to a GBM
burst detection.


GROUND-BASED OBSERVATION STRATEGIES:
(This is useful mostly for robotic telescopes)
The RA,Dec information in this notice can be used (a) to obtain
pre-burst images by having your telescope "follow along" (granted
image tiling is needed given the large FOV of the FERMI instruments);
or at the very least, (b) it can be used to reduce the slew-time
of your telescope to the new burst target.
(This completes the set of Pointing Direction Notice types
for the INTEGRAL, Swift, AGILE, and Fermi spacecraft.)


ACTION ITEM:
If you want to receive this FERMI Pointing Direction notice type,
please send me a request to have them enabled.  (And/or if you have
any other changes to your configuration.)
You can do this by forwarding this email to  scott at milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov


NOTICE CONTENT:
An example of the FERMI Pointing Direction Notice (full-format email) is given below.
The GCN/FERMI_POINTING_DIRECTION Notice gives the current RA,Dec
pointing direction at the time of the notice and for another 29 samples
extrapolated into the future every 2 minutes.  There is also a flag
indicating when the s/c is in the SAA.

        TITLE:           GCN/FERMI NOTICE
        NOTICE_DATE:     Sat 21 Feb 09 20:39:28 UT
        NOTICE_TYPE:     Fermi Pointing Direction
        CURR_POINT_RA:   284.48d {+18h 57m 56s} (J2000),
                         284.68d {+18h 58m 43s} (current),
                         283.40d {+18h 53m 36s} (1950)
        CURR_POINT_DEC:  -58.54d {-58d 32' 26"} (J2000),
                         -58.53d {-58d 31' 40"} (current),
                         -58.61d {-58d 36' 28"} (1950)
        CURR_DATE:       14883 TJD;    52 DOY;   09/02/21
        CURR_TIME:       74400.00 SOD {20:40:00.00} UT
        DELTA_TIME:      120 [sec]
        SUN_POSTN:       335.28d {+22h 21m 07s}  -10.28d {-10d 16' 32"}
        SUN_DIST:         61.43 [deg]   Sun_angle= 3.4 [hr] (West of Sun)
        MOON_POSTN:      299.56d {+19h 58m 14s}  -21.86d {-21d 51' 51"}
        MOON_DIST:        38.20 [deg]
        MOON_ILLUM:      10 [%]
        GAL_COORDS:      337.67,-23.71 [deg] galactic lon,lat of the pointing direction
        ECL_COORDS:      279.23,-35.56 [deg] ecliptic lon,lat of the pointing direction
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   296.2d -59.8d (J2000)   -   74520.00 SOD {20:42:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   308.6d -60.5d (J2000)   -   74640.00 SOD {20:44:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   321.2d -60.4d (J2000)   -   74760.00 SOD {20:46:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   333.6d -59.7d (J2000)   -   74880.00 SOD {20:48:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   345.3d -58.3d (J2000)   -   75000.00 SOD {20:50:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   356.2d -56.4d (J2000)   -   75120.00 SOD {20:52:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:     6.2d -54.0d (J2000)   -   75240.00 SOD {20:54:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    15.4d -51.3d (J2000)   -   75360.00 SOD {20:56:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    23.8d -48.3d (J2000)  SAA  75480.00 SOD {20:58:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    31.6d -45.2d (J2000)  SAA  75600.00 SOD {21:00:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    38.8d -41.9d (J2000)  SAA  75720.00 SOD {21:02:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    45.7d -38.7d (J2000)  SAA  75840.00 SOD {21:04:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    52.3d -35.4d (J2000)  SAA  75960.00 SOD {21:06:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    58.7d -32.3d (J2000)   -   76080.00 SOD {21:08:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    64.9d -29.2d (J2000)   -   76200.00 SOD {21:10:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    71.0d -26.2d (J2000)   -   76320.00 SOD {21:12:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    66.9d  -2.3d (J2000)   -   76440.00 SOD {21:14:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    58.0d +33.4d (J2000)   -   76560.00 SOD {21:16:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    55.1d +49.7d (J2000)   -   76680.00 SOD {21:18:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    63.1d +52.7d (J2000)   -   76800.00 SOD {21:20:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    71.8d +55.6d (J2000)   -   76920.00 SOD {21:22:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    81.3d +58.2d (J2000)   -   77040.00 SOD {21:24:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:    92.0d +60.5d (J2000)   -   77160.00 SOD {21:26:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   103.6d +62.3d (J2000)   -   77280.00 SOD {21:28:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   116.3d +63.5d (J2000)   -   77400.00 SOD {21:30:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   129.6d +64.0d (J2000)   -   77520.00 SOD {21:32:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   143.0d +63.7d (J2000)   -   77640.00 SOD {21:34:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   156.0d +62.7d (J2000)   -   77760.00 SOD {21:36:00.00} UT
        FUTURE_RA_DEC:   168.1d +61.1d (J2000)   -   77880.00 SOD {21:38:00.00} UT
        COMMENTS:        Fermi Pointing Direction.
        COMMENTS:        The Sun & Moon distances and the GAL/ECL_COORDS are at the time of the CURR_POINT.
        COMMENTS:        The FUTURE columns are Ra, Dec, SAA_flag, Time (Sec-of-Day and hh:mm:ss.ss UT).
        COMMENTS:        Most of the discontinuities in the pointing direction are when the s/c 'nods' between hemispheres.
        COMMENTS:        The LAT FOV is ~100deg diameter.



MORE INFORMATION:
Can be found at: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn/fermi.html
The socket packet contents can be found at:
http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn/sock_pkt_def_doc.html


FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Fermi-LAT Instrument Team is progressing towards releasing to the public
the LAT_UPDATE_POSITION and the LAT_GND_TRIG_POSITION notice types.  Stay tuned.


Sincerely,
Scott

Scott Barthelmy                      NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD   20771
PHONE:  301-286-3106                 (office)       CELL:   301-346-3733
FAX:    301-286-1684                 (1st choice,  -1682 2nd choice)
EMAIL:  scott at lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov
PAGER:  3013463733 at cingularme.com
WEB:    http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn

///////////////////////////// Your Current Configuration ////////////////////////

Site_name: VSNET
Lon,Lat=  135.75   35.00
Distribution_method: EMAIL  Attachment_format: NONE
Address: vsnet-grb at ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp   
Filter:  ALL
Error_limit=   360.100 [deg, diameter]
Delta_T_limit= 999.900 [hr]
Swift_Trigger_ID_filter:   Disabled
Sources & Notice Types/Subtypes:
    RXTE-PCA_Alert_wont:      Disabled
    RXTE-PCA_Alert_will:      Disabled
    RXTE-PCA_nosaw:           Enabled
    RXTE-PCA_saw:             Enabled
    RXTE-ASM:                 Enabled
    IPN_RAW:                  Disabled
    IPN_POS:                  Enabled
    RXTE-ASM_TRANS:           Enabled
    HETE_TEST:                Disabled
    TYPE2_TEST:               Disabled
    INTEGRAL_Test_notices:    Disabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_TEST:       Disabled
    AGILE_GRB_TEST:           Disabled
    FERMI_GBM_TEST:           Disabled
    FERMI_LAT_TEST:           Disabled
    INTEGRAL_POINTDIR:        Disabled
    INTEGRAL_SPIACS:          Enabled
    INTEGRAL_WAKEUP:          Enabled
    INTEGRAL_REFINED:         Enabled
    INTEGRAL_OFFLINE:         Enabled
    GRB_CNTRPART:             Disabled
    MILAGRO_POS:              Disabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_ALERT:      enabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_POS:        enabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_POS_NACK:   enabled
    SWIFT_BAT_SUBTHRESH_POS:  Disabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_LIGHTCURVE: enabled
    SWIFT_FOM_2OBS:           enabled
    SWIFT_SC_2SLEW:           enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_POS:            enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_POS_NACK:       enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_SPECTRUM:       enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_IMAGE:          enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_LIGHTCURVE:     enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_IMAGE:         enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_SRCLIST:       enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_POS:           enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_POS_NACK:      Disabled
    SWIFT_BAT_GRB_LC_PROC:    enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_SPECTRUM_PROC:  enabled
    SWIFT_XRT_IMAGE_PROC:     enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_IMAGE_PROC:    enabled
    SWIFT_UVOT_SRCLIST_PROC:  enabled
    SWIFT_FULL_DATA_INIT:     enabled
    SWIFT_FULL_DATA_UPDATE:   enabled
    SWIFT_POINTDIR:           enabled
    SWIFT_BAT_TRANS:          Disabled
    SWIFT_BAT_SLEW_POS:       Disabled
    SWIFT_TOO_FOM:            enabled
    SWIFT_TOO_SLEW:           enabled
    AGILE_GRB_WAKEUP_POS:     Disabled
    AGILE_GRB_GROUND_POS:     Disabled
    AGILE_GRB_REFINED_POS:    Disabled
    AGILE_POINTDIR:           Disabled
    FERMI_GBM_ALERT:          Disabled
    FERMI_GBM_FLT_POS:        Disabled
    FERMI_GBM_GND_POS:        Disabled
    FERMI_POINTDIR:           Disabled
    SIMBAD-NED:               Disabled


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1) When requesting changes to your configuration,
it helps if you refer to your site_name.
2) If your site has more than one recipient (ie a list),
please review the list to see if anybody should be deleted;
(the volume of bounce-back-to-gcn emails gets large after a while).
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