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Results

Our analysis of the 1991 and 1993 observations is almost complete ([Beu93]). In 1991, we obtained 249 relative positions of the major satellites whilst in 1993 we obtained 598 positions. In comparison with the theories described by [Har93] and [Har94], the root-mean-square residuals for the four satellites Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Titan (whose orbits are the best-determined) are better than 0.10 arc-seconds. We expect that these residuals will be improved even further as a result of refined calibration techniques currently being investigated.

During the campaign of August 1994, we were able to observe for only two nights due to serious forest fires on the island of La Palma which forced the evacuation of the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. (The reader is referred to Spectrum (1994) for a description and photograph of the fire.) Nonetheless, during the two nights we were able to obtain seven images of M92, nine of M15 and 29 images of Saturn and its satellites. Reduction and analysis of these observations is in progress.