Currently, the HETE satellite's science instrument fields-of-view map onto the celestial sphere as shown below. The distortion in the shape of the field-of-view is due to the mapping of the celestial sphere onto a azimuthal equal-area projection.

Because HETE is anti-solar pointing, its field-of view drifts along the ecliptic at a rate of about one degree per day. However, due to regular offsets from anti-solar to reduce contamination by moonlight of the SXCs, the pointing of the HETE instruments can differ from antisolar by up to 50 degrees.

Shown are the Fregate FOV (70 degrees radius) and the sensitive regions of the SXC and WXM X and Y detectors (the X and Y detectors have slightly different FOVs because of different levels of obstruction by the mechanical supports of the instruments).

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Where is HETE now?

The map below shows the locations of the HETE primary ground stations, burst alert stations, the orbit track of HETE, and the location of the satellite at the time indicated in the upper-right-hand corner. By clicking on the image, you can open a window which will update the location of the HETE satellite every minute or so.

The red circles around each ground station indicate the range of each station. When the HETE satellite icon is within a circle, the satellite is visible and audible to the ground station.

The wavy yellow line on the map is the terminator: the places on the Earth where it is exactly sunset or sunrise. You can tell which side of the line is day and which is night by looking for the large yellow disk, which indicates the sub-solar point, the point on Earth where it is currently high noon. The satellite icon will darken when it is in the Earth's shadow (which is not when it crosses the terminator!).