scholarly journals Strategy for NEO follow-up observations

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 185-185
Author(s):  
Milos Tichy ◽  
Michaela Honkova ◽  
Jana Ticha ◽  
Michal Kocer
Keyword(s):  
Small Bodies ◽  
Time Uncertainty ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Observation Strategy ◽  
On Line ◽  
Single Night ◽  
Uncertainty Map ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Earth Objects

AbstractThe Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) belong to the most important small bodies in the solar system, having the capability of close approaches to the Earth and even possibility to collide with the Earth. In fact, it is impossible to calculate reliable orbit of an object from a single night observations. Therefore it is necessary to extend astrometry dataset by early follow-up astrometry. Follow-up observations of the newly discovered NEO candidate should be done over an arc of several hours after the discovery and should be repeated over several following nights. The basic service used for planning of the follow-up observations is the NEO Confirmation Page (NEOCP) maintained by the Minor Planet Center of the IAU. This service provides on-line tool for calculating geocentric and topocentic ephemerides and sky-plane uncertainty maps of these objects at the specific date and time. Uncertainty map is one of the most important information used for planning of follow-up observation strategy for given time, indicating also the estimated distance of the newly discovered object and including possibility of the impact. Moreover, observatories dealing with NEO follow-up regularly have prepared their special tools and systems for follow-up work. The system and strategy for the NEO follow-up observation used at the Klet Observatory are described here. Methods and techniques used at the Klet NEO follow-up CCD astrometric programme, using 1.06-m and 0.57-m telescopes, are also discussed.

scholarly journals Solar System Science with Robotic Telescopes

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S285) ◽  
pp. 352-354
Author(s):  
T. A. Lister
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Automated System ◽  
System Science ◽  
Sky Surveys ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Robotic Telescopes ◽  
On Line ◽  
Near Earth Objects

AbstractAn increasing number of sky surveys is already on-line or soon will be, leading to a large boost in the detection of Solar System objects of all types. For Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) that could potentially hit the Earth, timely follow-up is essential. I describe the development of an automated system which responds to new detections of NEOs from Pan-STARRS and automatically observes them with the LCOGT telescopes. I present results from the first few months of operation, and plans for the future with the 6-site, 40-telescope global LCOGT Network.

scholarly journals From Discovery to Impact - Near Earth Asteroids

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
Miloš Tichý ◽  
Michaela Honková ◽  
Jana Tichá ◽  
Michal Kočer
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Current System ◽  
Small Bodies ◽  
Impact Site ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Near Earth Asteroids ◽  
Near Earth Objects

The Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are the most important of the small bodies of the solar system, having the capability of close approaches to the Earth and the chance to collide with the Earth.  We present here the current system of discovery of these dangerous objects, standards for selecting useful and important targets for NEO follow-up astrometry, system of impact probabilities calculations, and also determination of impact site and evacuation area.

scholarly journals New Tools for the Optimized Follow-Up of Imminent Impactors

Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Maddalena Mochi ◽  
Giacomo Tommei
Keyword(s):  
Orbit Determination ◽  
Main Belt ◽  
Impact Monitoring ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Current Observation ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Fly Eye ◽  
Near Earth Asteroids ◽  
Near Earth Objects

The solar system is populated with, other than planets, a wide variety of minor bodies, the majority of which are represented by asteroids. Most of their orbits are comprised of those between Mars and Jupiter, thus forming a population named Main Belt. However, some asteroids can run on trajectories that come close to, or even intersect, the orbit of the Earth. These objects are known as Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) or Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and may entail a risk of collision with our planet. Predicting the occurrence of such collisions as early as possible is the task of Impact Monitoring (IM). Dedicated algorithms are in charge of orbit determination and risk assessment for any detected NEO, but their efficiency is limited in cases in which the object has been observed for a short period of time, as is the case with newly discovered asteroids and, more worryingly, imminent impactors: objects due to hit the Earth, detected only a few days or hours in advance of impacts. This timespan might be too short to take any effective safety countermeasure. For this reason, a necessary improvement of current observation capabilities is underway through the construction of dedicated telescopes, e.g., the NEO Survey Telescope (NEOSTEL), also known as “Fly-Eye”. Thanks to these developments, the number of discovered NEOs and, consequently, imminent impactors detected per year, is expected to increase, thus requiring an improvement of the methods and algorithms used to handle such cases. In this paper we present two new tools, based on the Admissible Region (AR) concept, dedicated to the observers, aiming to facilitate the planning of follow-up observations of NEOs by rapidly assessing the possibility of them being imminent impactors and the remaining visibility time from any given station.

scholarly journals Four-billion year stability of the Earth–Mars belt

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (1) ◽  
pp. 1151-1157
Author(s):  
Yukun Huang (黄宇坤) ◽  
Brett Gladman
Keyword(s):  
Semimajor Axis ◽  
Orbital Stability ◽  
Terrestrial Planet ◽  
Small Bodies ◽  
Mean Motion Resonances ◽  
Mean Motion ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Steady State Model ◽  
Near Earth Objects

ABSTRACT Previous work has demonstrated orbital stability for 100 Myr of initially near-circular and coplanar small bodies in a region termed the ‘Earth–Mars belt’ from 1.08 < a < 1.28 au. Via numerical integration of 3000 particles, we studied orbits from 1.04–1.30 au for the age of the Solar system. We show that on this time-scale, except for a few locations where mean-motion resonances with Earth affect stability, only a narrower ‘Earth–Mars belt’ covering a ∼ (1.09, 1.17) au, e < 0.04, and I < 1° has over half of the initial orbits survive for 4.5 Gyr. In addition to mean-motion resonances, we are able to see how the ν3, ν4, and ν6 secular resonances contribute to long-term instability in the outer (1.17–1.30 au) region on Gyr time-scales. We show that all of the (rather small) near-Earth objects (NEOs) in or close to the Earth–Mars belt appear to be consistent with recently arrived transient objects by comparing to a NEO steady-state model. Given the <200 m scale of these NEOs, we estimated the Yarkovsky drift rates in semimajor axis and use these to estimate that a diameter of ∼100 km or larger would allow primordial asteroids in the Earth–Mars belt to likely survive. We conclude that only a few 100-km sized asteroids could have been present in the belt’s region at the end of the terrestrial planet formation.

GW170817: Swift UV detection of a blue kilonova, and improving the search in O3

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S338) ◽  
pp. 53-60
Author(s):  
Aaron Tohuvavohu ◽  
Jamie A. Kennea ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Operational Capabilities ◽  
Observation Strategy ◽  
Ongoing Work ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Flexible Planning ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSwift’s rapid slewing, flexible planning, and multi-wavelength instruments make it the most capable space-based follow-up engine for finding poorly localized sources. During O1 and O2 Swift successfully tiled hundreds of square-degrees of sky in the LVC localization regions, searching for, and identifying, possible X-ray and UV/O transients in the field. Swift made important contributions to the discovery and characterization of the kilonova AT 2017gfo, discovering the UV emission and providing the deepest X-ray upper limits in the first 24 hours after the trigger, strongly constraining the dynamics and geometry of the counterpart. Swift tiled 92% of the galaxy convolved error region down to average X-ray flux sensitivities of 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1, significantly increasing our confidence that AT 2017gfo is indeed the counterpart to GW 170817 and sGRB 170817. However, there remains significant room for improvement of Swift’s follow-up in preparation for O3. This will take the form of both revised observation strategy based on detailed analysis of the results from O2, and significant changes to Swift’s operational capabilities. These improvements are necessary both for maximizing the likelihood that Swift finds a counterpart, and minimizing the impact that follow-up activities have on other Swift science priorities. We outline areas of improvement to the observing strategy itself for optimal tiling of the LVC localization regions. We also discuss ongoing work on operational upgrades that will decrease latency in our response time, and minimize impact on pre-planned observations, while maintaining spacecraft health and safety.

scholarly journals On the Impact Monitoring of Near-Earth Objects: Mathematical Tools, Algorithms, and Challenges for the Future

Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Giacomo Tommei
Keyword(s):  
European Space Agency ◽  
Historical Evolution ◽  
Planetary Protection ◽  
Impact Monitoring ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
The Future ◽  
Operational Systems ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Earth Objects

The Impact Monitoring (IM) of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is a young field of research, considering that 22 years ago precise algorithms to compute an impact probability with the Earth did not exist. On the other hand, the year 2020 just passed saw the increase of IM operational systems: in addition to the two historical systems, CLOMON2 (University of Pisa/SpaceDyS) and Sentry (JPL/NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) started its own system AstOD. Moreover, in the last five years three systems for the detection of imminent impactors (small asteroidal objects detected a few days before the possible impact with the Earth) have been developed: SCOUT (at JPL/NASA), NEORANGER (at University of Helsinki) and NEOScan (at University of Pisa/SpaceDyS). The IM science, in addition to being useful for the planetary protection, is a very fascinating field of research because it involves astronomy, physics, mathematics and computer science. In this paper I am going to review the mathematical tools and algorithms of the IM science, highlighting the historical evolution and the challenges to be faced in the future.

scholarly journals Probing the interior of asteroid Apophis: a unique opportunity in 2029

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 481-482
Author(s):  
Patrick Michel ◽  
J. Y. Prado ◽  
M. A. Barucci ◽  
O. Groussin ◽  
A. Hérique ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Approach ◽  
Small Bodies ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Fundamental Information ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Access Information ◽  
Scientific Value ◽  
Near Earth Objects

AbstractThe near Earth asteroid (99942) Apophis, discovered in 2004, (with a diameter of about 270 meters) will come back very close to the Earth on April 13, 2029.The close approach of Apophis to the Earth in 2029 will present an unique opportunity for characterizing this object, serving both science and mitigation purposes. The object will be easily visible from the Earth and it can be expected that its shape and thermal properties will be well determined from ground based observations. However, the characterization of its interior will not be achievable from purely terrestrial observations. Such a characterization, beyond its high scientific value, is essential for planning any mitigation operation, should it be necessary in the future.Near Earth objects are a precious source of information as they represent a mixture of different populations of small bodies containing fundamental information on the origin and early evolution of the solar system.Monitoring the response of Apophis to the gravitational constraints induced by its close approach to the Earth may provide a way to access information on its internal structure.A study to identify some affordable mission scenarii for such a mission is presently underway at CNES (the French Space Agency).We will present the scientific and mitigation objectives of such a mission as well as the preliminary results of the mission analysis and the main system characteristics.

scholarly journals Can we predict the impact conditions of metre-sized meteoroids?

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (1) ◽  
pp. L69-L73
Author(s):  
Jorge I Zuluaga ◽  
Pablo A Cuartas-Restrepo ◽  
Jonathan Ospina ◽  
Mario Sucerquia
Keyword(s):  
Ray Tracing ◽  
Configuration Space ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
The Other ◽  
Compelling Evidence ◽  
Orbital Elements ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Impossible Task ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Earth Objects

ABSTRACT Every year, a few metre-sized meteoroids impact the atmosphere of the Earth. Most (if not all) of them are undetectable before the impact. Therefore, predicting where and how they will fall seems to be an impossible task. In this letter, we show compelling evidence that we can constrain in advance, the dynamical and geometrical conditions of an impact. For this purpose, we analyse the well-documented case of the Chelyabinsk (Russia) impact and the more recent and smaller Viñales (Cuba) event, whose conditions we estimate and provide here. After using the Gravitational Ray Tracing (GRT) algorithm to ‘predict’ the impact conditions of the aforementioned events, we find that the speed, incoming direction, and (marginally) the orbital elements of the corresponding meteoroids could be constrained in advance, starting only on one hand, with the geographical location and time of the impact, and on the other hand, with the distribution in configuration space of near-Earth objects (NEOs). Any improvement in our capability to predict or at least to constrain impact properties of medium-sized and large meteoroids will help us to be better prepared for its potentially damaging effects.

scholarly journals Klet Observatory – European Contribution to Detecting and Tracking of Near Earth Objects

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Miloš Tichý
Keyword(s):  
Ccd Camera ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Minor Planets ◽  
Earth Object ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Orbit Computation ◽  
Near Earth Asteroids ◽  
International Strategies ◽  
Near Earth Objects

Near Earth Object (NEO) research is an expanding field of astronomy. Is is important for solar system science and also for protecting human society from asteroid and comet hazard.  A near-Earth object (NEO) can be defined as an asteroid or comet that has a possibility of making an approach to the Earth, or possibly even collide with it. The discovery rate of current NEO surveys reflects progressive improvement in a number of technical areas. An integral part of NEO discovery is astrometric follow-up fundamental for precise orbit computation and for the reasonable judging of future close encounters with the Earth including possible impact solutions. A wide international cooperation is fundamental for NEO research.  The Klet Observatory (South Bohemia, Czech Republic) is aimed especially at the confirmation, early follow-up, long-arc follow-up and recovery of Near Earth Objects. It ranks among the world´s most prolific professional NEO follow-up programmes.  The first NEO follow-up programme started at Klet in 1993 using 0.57-reflector equipped with a small CCD camera. A fundamental upgrade was made in 2002 when the 1.06-m KLENOT telescope was put into regular operation. The KLENOT Telescope is the largest telescope in Europe used exclusively for observations of minor planets (asteroids) and comets and full observing time is dedicated to the KLENOT team.  Equipment, technology, software, observing strategy and results of both the Klet Observatory NEO Project between 1993-2010 and the first phase of the KLENOT Project from March 2002 to September 2008 are presented. They consist of thousands of precise astrometric measurements of Near Earth Objects and also three newly discovered Near Earth Asteroids.  Klet Observatory NEO activities as well as our future plans fully reflect international strategies and cooperation in the field of NEO studies.

Formation of Lunar Craters and Bright Rays as a Result of Meteorite Impacts

1962 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 415-418
Author(s):  
K. P. Stanyukovich ◽  
V. A. Bronshten
Keyword(s):  
Explosive Charge ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Meteorite Impacts ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Lunar Craters ◽  
The Impact

The phenomena accompanying the impact of large meteorites on the surface of the Moon or of the Earth can be examined on the basis of the theory of explosive phenomena if we assume that, instead of an exploding meteorite moving inside the rock, we have an explosive charge (equivalent in energy), situated at a certain distance under the surface.

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