Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2
Mission type | Astronomy |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 1968-110A |
SATCAT № | 3597 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | Grumman |
Dry mass | 2,012 kilograms (4,436 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 7 December 1968, 08:40:09 | UTC
Rocket | Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
End of mission | |
Last contact | January 1973 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee | 768 kilometres (477 mi) |
Apogee | 777 kilometres (483 mi) |
Inclination | 35.0 degrees |
Period | 100.30 minutes |
Epoch | 6 January 1969[1] |
The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2 (OAO-2, nicknamed Stargazer) was a space observatory launched on December 7, 1968.[2] An Atlas-Centaur rocket launched it into a nearly circular 750 kilometres (470 mi) altitude Earth orbit.[3] Data was collected in ultraviolet on many sources including comets, planets, and galaxies.[2][4] It had two major instrument sets facing in opposite directions; the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and the Wisconsin Experiment Package (WEP).[4] One discovery was large halos of hydrogen gas around comets,[4] and it also observed Nova Serpentis.[2]
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, also called Celescope, had four 12 inch Schwarzschild telescopes that fed into Uvicons.[5] Various filters, photocathodes, and electronics aided in collecting data in several ultraviolet light passbands.[5] The experiment was completed in April 1970.[5] By the time it finished about 10 percent of the sky was observed.[5]
The Wisconsin Experiment Package had eleven different telescopes for ultraviolet observations.[6] For example, there was a photoelectric photometer fed by a 16 inch telescope with a six-position filter wheel.[6] WEP observed over 1200 targets in ultraviolet light before the mission ended in early 1973.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Joseph A. Angelo - Spacecraft for Astronomy (2009) - Page 20 (Google Books)
- ↑ Gunter - OAO-2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory OAO-2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 High-Resolution Telescopes
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wisconsin Experiment Package
External links
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