Lots of Data

[Tom Droege <tdroege@veriomail.com>]

The last several nights I have been getting a lot of data.  I was concerned 
that I would not get any data in December, January, and February as these 
have been a problem in recent years.  If spring is normal I will finish out 
the band centered on +7.5 degrees.  So far, I have several 56 image runs 
for every area fro 20 h to 12 h.  By next August I should close around the 
band. I then plan to move TOM1 to another area that it can see, probably 
centered at 4 degrees, and do the same thing next year.  Except next year I 
will come back to 7.5 degrees from time to time to get single images of the 
stars that have been measured with 56 image runs.

I looks like I will get two 56 frame runs on most of the stars.  This 
should give me data for a 100x+ catalog of the stars in a 1400 square 
degree area.  Possibly 300,000 stars.  My guess is that I already have 36 
million measurements and should get to 50 million before I complete the pass.

When I get back to measure the same stars that were measured a year 
earlier, I should be able to get calibrations on things that have drifted 
in the optics.  It will be interesting to see how well we can calibrate 
everything.

I am now up to 325 or so CDs.  The tower of coins is now tall enough that I 
fear it will topple.  Sort of leaning tower of Pisa dimensions.

Tom Droege