| About ROSAT |
ROSAT Home Page | ROSAT Images |
|---|
The solar panels of the ROSAT spacecraft are fixed with respect to
the XRT axis
(Figure 1.1).
In order to maintain a sufficient power supply, the solar panels
must always be pointed within a 
cone around the Sun.
Consequently, the sky accessible to ROSAT at any given time is a
band perpendicular to the solar vector
(corresponding to 
% of the whole sky).
Due to the solar motion, this viewing path covers the whole sky in a
period of six months.
Targets in the vicinity of the ecliptic plane can be observed
twice a year for 
days, whereas targets within 
of the ecliptic poles can be observed at all times.
During the reduced pointing phase, the sun angle constraint
was 
, as detailed in
Sect. 1.2.3 above.