Astrometric observations of Near Earth Objects and Minor Planet Center

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Sioulas

<p>NOAK Observatory, Stavraki (IAU code L02) Ioannina, Greece ([email protected])</p> <p><strong>Introduction</strong></p> <p>In this work, the astrometric observations of four asteroids will be presented which took place on 2019 from NOAK observatory located at Stavraki in Greece. The results and the procedure of submitting the measurements to MinorPlanetCenter will be discussed.</p> <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>Astrometry is the measurement of positions, parallaxes and proper motion of an astronomical body. Especially the astrometry of Near Earth Objects (NEO) demands great accuracy and the cooperation between the professional and amateur astronomers for better results. All these objects that need confirmation are listed in the Near Earth Object Confirmation Page (NEOCP) and in the Possible Comet Confirmation Page (PCCP) at the site of the Minor Planet Center (MPC). When an object is confirmed, then a Minor Planet Electronic Circular (MPES) is published, including observations, the observers details and the orbital elements of the object. Due to the high number of the objects that need confirmation is important to use all available telescopes to track them.</p> <p>My amateur observatory participates in the effort to record all these objects in the Solar System. The Observatory also conducts observations of various objects and other phenomena such as exoplanet transits contributing to the Ariel Space Mission with the Exoclock Project. However, the main goal of the observatory is to conduct asteroid and comet photometry and the methods, observations and results will be discussed in this presentation.</p> <p>The observatory is registered in IAU as L02, «NOAK Observatory, Stavraki», in the town of Ioannina, Greece.</p> <p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p> <p>I would like to thank Anastasia Kokori and Angelos Tsiaras for encouraging me to publish my work and for their advice. </p> <p><strong>References </strong></p> <p>[1] Minor Planet Center: https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/</p> <p>[2] Astrometrica: http://www.astrometrica.at/</p> <p>[3] Roger Dymock: Asteroids and Dwarf Planets</p> <p>[4] Brian D. Warner: A Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry and Analysis</p> <p>[5] Project Pluto: https://www.projectpluto.com/</p> <p>[6] NEODyS-2: https://newton.spacedys.com/</p> <p>[7] Center for Near Earth Objects Studies: https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Sioulas

<p><strong>Photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 665 Sabine and Minor Planet Bulletin</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Nick Sioulas</p> <p>NOAK Observatory, Stavraki (IAU code L02) Ioannina, Greece ([email protected])</p> <p><strong>Introduction</strong></p> <p>In this work, the photometric observations of the main-belt asteroid 665 Sabine were conducted from the NOAK Observatory, in Greece in order to determine its synodic rotation period. The results were submitted to Asteroid Lightcurve Photometry Database (ALCDEF) and Minor Planet Bulletin.</p> <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>The Minor Planet Bulletin is the official publication of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). All amateurs and professionals can publish their asteroid photometry results, including lightcurves, H-G parameters, color indexes, and shape/spin axis models. It is also the refereed journal by the SAO/NASA ADS. All MPB papers are indexed in the ADS.</p> <p> </p> <p>The lightcurve of an asteroid can be used to determine the period, the shape and its size. We can also understand its composition (if it is a solid body or something else) and the orientation of the spin axes. Due to the high number of the asteroids the need of measuring them is important and all available telescopes are necessary to track them.</p> <p> </p> <p>My amateur observatory participates in the effort to record all these objects in the Solar System. It also conducts observations of various objects and other phenomena such as exoplanet transits, contributing to the Ariel Space Mission with the Exoclock Project, asteroid occultations and comet photometry.</p> <p>The observatory is registered in IAU as L02, «NOAK Observatory, Stavraki», in the town of Ioannina, Greece.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p>[1] Roger Dymock: Asteroids and Dwarf Planets</p> <p>[2] Brian D. Warner: A Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry and Analysis</p> <p>[3] http://alcdef.org/index.php</p> <p>[4] http://www.minorplanet.info/MPB/</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Černis ◽  
I. Wlodarczyk ◽  
J. Zdanavičius

AbstractWe present the statistics of the asteroids observed and discovered at the Molėtai Observatory, Lithuania, in 2008–2009 within the project for astrometric observations of the near-Earth objects (NEOs), the main belt asteroids and comets. CCD observations of the asteroids were obtained with the 35/51-cm Maksutov-type meniscus telescope. In the Minor Planet Circulars and the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (2008–2009), 11 900 astrometric positions of 2522 asteroids were published. Among them 95 were new asteroids, including four belonging to the Trojan group: (352655) 2008QX28, 2008 SE8, (353194) 2009 SM100 and (264068) 2009 SQ148. For the asteroids discovered at Molėtai their precise orbits are calculated. Because of short observational arc, a few asteroids have low-precision orbits and some asteroids are considered lost. For the three Main Belt asteroids with low-precision orbital elements, 2008 QP32, 2008 SD8 and 2008 SG150, we present their ephemerides for 2017. They can be brighter than 20 mag.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Černis ◽  
I. Wlodarczyk ◽  
I. Eglitis

AbstractThe paper presents statistics of the asteroids observed and discovered at the Baldone Observatory, Latvia, in 2008–2013 within the project for astrometric observations of the near-Earth objects (NEOs), the main belt asteroids and comets. CCD observations of the asteroids were obtained with the 0.80/1.20 m, f/3 Schmidt telescope and a ST-10XME 15 × 10 mm CCD camera. In the Minor Planet Circulars and the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (2008–2013) we published 3511 astrometric positions of 826 asteroids. Among them, 43 asteroids were newly discovered at Baldone. For 36 of these asteroids the precise orbits are calculated. Because of short observational arc and small number of observations, a few asteroids have low-precision orbits and their tracks have been lost. For seven objects with poorly known orbits we present their ephemerides for 2015–2016. The orbits and the evolution of orbital elements of two asteroids, (428694) 2008 OS9 from the Apollo group and the Centaur (330836) Orius (2009 HW77), are recalculated including new observations obtained after 2011.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S236) ◽  
pp. 377-380
Author(s):  
K. Černis ◽  
J. Zdanavičius ◽  
K. Zdanavičius ◽  
G. Tautvaišienė

AbstractWe describe an observational project devoted to astrometric observations of Near-Earth Objects (NEO), main belt asteroids and comets at the Molėtai Observatory, Lithuania. Exposures are obtained with the two telescopes of the observatory: 0.35/0.50 m f/3.5 Maksutov telescope and the 1.65 m reflector with focal reductor f/3.1 and CCD camera. The results of more than 10,000 positions of asteroids and comets have been published in the Minor Planet Circulars and Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. During the 2001–2006 period 130 new asteroids were discovered. The latest discovery is the high-inclination asteroid 2006 SF77 belonging to the NEO Aten group.


1815 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-283
Author(s):  
S. Groombridge

By comparing the longitudes and latitudes of the fixed stars, as computed from their right ascensions, and north polar distances, determined by observations made at distant periods, Astronomers have been enabled to ascertain, with the utmost accuracy, the precession of the equinoxes. The great accuracy, however, which has lately been introduced into the construction of astronomical instruments, and the more general cultivation of Practical Astronomy, will hereafter be the means of ascertaining the minute changes in the places of the fixed stars, which have been denominated their proper motion, and which, probably, arise from a motion of the solar system in absolute space.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Černis ◽  
I. Wlodarczyk ◽  
J. Zdanavičius

AbstractThe paper presents statistics of the asteroids observed and discovered at the Molėtai Observatory, Lithuania, in 2005–2007 within the project for astrometric observations of the near-Earth objects (NEOs), the main belt asteroids and comets. CCD observations of asteroids were obtained with the 35/51 cm Maksutov-type meniscus telescope and the 1.65 m Ritchey-Chretien reflector. In the Minor Planet Circulars and the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (2005–2007) we published 17 003 astrometric positions of 2980 asteroids. Among them 112 were new normal asteroids and one NEO (2006 SF77) discovered at Molėtai; a few NEOs were found by our team independently. For the asteroids discovered at Molėtai their precise orbits were calculated. Because of short observational arc, a few asteroids have low-precision orbits and some asteroids have been lost. For three of them with low-precision orbital elements (NEO 2006 SF77 and two Mars crossers – 2006 SN368 and 2007 VM315), we present their ephemerides for 2016–2018.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (T29A) ◽  
pp. 340-364
Author(s):  
Steve Chesley ◽  
Daniela Lazzaro ◽  
Andrea Milani ◽  
Yoshikawa Makoto ◽  
Shinsuke Abe ◽  
...  

This triennium has seen progress in a number of directions related to Commission 20 objectives. Foremost, the growth in the number of astrometric observations of small solar system bodies continues to accelerate and the total number of measurements recorded by the Minor Planet Center now exceeds 135 million. Currently the Pan-STARRS project and the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) dominate detection and discovery efforts, while the NEO-WISE space mission contributes infrared detections valuable for understanding the size distribution of populations. Looking forward, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is now funded and in construction on Cerro Pachon in Chile. LSST has the potential to revolutionize the field by conducting a multi-color, ten-year, all-sky survey with a limiting magnitude ~24.5 in the r-band. Survey operations are set to begin in 2022.


1999 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 81-86
Author(s):  
S. Berinde

AbstractThe first part of this paper gives a recent overview (until July 1st, 1998) of the Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) database stored at Minor Planet Center. Some statistical interpretations point out strong observational biases in the population of discovered NEAs, due to the preferential discoveries, depending on the objects’ distances and sizes. It is known that many newly discovered NEAs have no accurately determinated orbits because of the lack of observations. Consequently, it is hard to speak about future encounters and collisions with the Earth in terms of mutual distances between bodies. Because the dynamical evolution of asteroids’ orbits is less sensitive to the improvement of their orbital elements, we introduced a new subclass of NEAs named Earth-encounter asteroids in order to describe more reliably the potentially dangerous bodies as impactors with the Earth. So, we pay attention at those asteroids having an encounter between their orbits and that of the Earth within 100 years, trying to classify these encounters.


Author(s):  
Bryan Holler

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Please check back later for the full article. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognizes five objects as dwarf planets: Ceres in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; and Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake in the trans-Neptunian region beyond the orbit of Neptune. However, the definition used by the IAU applies to many other trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and can be summarized as any nonsatellite large enough to be rounded by its own gravity. Practically speaking, this means any nonsatellite with a diameter >400 km. In the trans-Neptunian region, there are more than 100 objects that satisfy this definition, based on published results and diameter estimates. The dynamical structure of the trans-Neptunian region records the migration history of the giant planets in the early days of the solar system. The semi-major axes, eccentricities, and orbital inclinations of TNOs across various dynamical classes provide constraints on different aspects of planetary migration. For many TNOs, the orbital parameters are all that is known about them, due to their large distances, small sizes, and low albedos. The TNO dwarf planets are a different story. These objects are large enough to be studied in more detail from ground- and space-based observatories. Imaging observations can be used to detect satellites and measure surface colors, while spectroscopy can be used to constrain surface composition. In this way, TNO dwarf planets not only help provide context for the dynamical evolution of the outer solar system, but also reveal the composition of the primordial solar nebula as well as the physical and chemical processes at work at very cold temperatures. The largest TNO dwarf planets, those officially recognized by the IAU, plus others such as Sedna, Quaoar, and Gonggong, are large enough to support volatile ices on their surfaces in the present day. These ices are able to exist as solids and gases on some TNOs, due to their sizes and surface temperatures (similar to water ice on Earth) and include N2 (nitrogen), CH4 (methane), and CO (carbon monoxide). A global atmosphere composed of these three species has been detected around Pluto, the largest TNO dwarf planet, with the possibility of local atmospheres or global atmospheres at perihelion for Eris and Makemake. The presence of nonvolatile species, such as H2O (water), NH3 (ammonia), and organics provide valuable information on objects that may be too small to retain volatile ices over the age of the solar system. In particular, large quantities of H2O mixed with NH3 points to ancient cryovolcanism caused by internal differentiation of ice from rock. Organic material, formed through radiation processing of surface ices such as CH4, records the radiation histories of these objects as well as providing clues to their primordial surface compositions. The dynamical, physical, and chemical diversity of the >100 TNO dwarf planets are key to understanding the formation of the solar system and subsequent evolution to its current state. Most of our knowledge comes from a small handful of objects, but we are continually expanding our horizons as additional objects are studied in more detail.


2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 85-87
Author(s):  
Türkanə Mirzəli qızı Əliyeva ◽  
◽  
Vəfa Əjdər qızı Qafarova ◽  

The article provides extensive information on the formation, evolution and structure of the solar system. It also discusses the planets of the solar system and the dwarf planets. Its noted that the Kuiper objects are the celestial bodies which belongs to the solar system. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is currently helps studying four objects in the Kuiper belt. There is also talked about TTauri type stars. The article discusses the future transformation of the Sun from a Red Giant to a White Dwarf. Key words: Kuiper Belt, T Tauri Star, Dwarf Planets, Planet X


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