"Parallax Measurements of Near-Earth Asteroids"

With the growing importance of refining the orbits of near-earth asteroids, ASNSW members Andrew Murrell and Chris Mlynarik have recently conducted very precise observations from positions on Mt. Kaputar in the States North West, and from Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran.

Positions were determined from observations on the summit of Mt Kaputar using the Murrell 20", and again after a rapid drive to Siding Spring.

A complex formula allowing for the time delay between observations and the distance between the two sites was loaded into Andrew's field-model modified 286-12 computer, which has been upgraded with an amazing 2 Megabytes of RAM, needed for the complex calculations.

The precise distance between the two sites was carefully measured using a very long and accurate measuring tape, as portrayed in this image.