Bibcode
Vaduvescu, O.; Birlan, M.; Tudorica, A.; Popescu, M.; Colas, F.; Asher, D. J.; Sonka, A.; Suciu, O.; Lacatus, D.; Paraschiv, A.; Badescu, T.; Tercu, O.; Dumitriu, A.; Chirila, A.; Stecklum, B.; Licandro, J.; Nedelcu, A.; Turcu, E.; Vachier, F.; Beauvalet, L.; Taris, F.; Bouquillon, L.; Pozo Nunez, F.; Colque Saavedra, J. P.; Unda-Sanzana, E.; Karami, M.; Khosroshahi, H. G.; Toma, R.; Ledo, H.; Tyndall, A.; Patrick, L.; Föhring, D.; Muelheims, D.; Enzian, G.; Klaes, D.; Lenz, D.; Mahlberg, P.; Ordenes, Y.; Sendlinger, K.
Bibliographical reference
Planetary and Space Science, Volume 85, p. 299-311.
Advertised on:
9
2013
Citations
9
Refereed citations
9
Description
We report follow-up observations of 477 program Near-Earth Asteroids
(NEAs) using nine telescopes of the EURONEAR network having apertures
between 0.3 and 4.2 m. Adding these NEAs to our previous results we now
count 739 program NEAs followed-up by the EURONEAR network since 2006.
The targets were selected using EURONEAR planning tools focusing on high
priority objects. Analyzing the resulting orbital improvements suggests
astrometric follow-up is most important days to weeks after discovery,
with recovery at a new opposition also valuable. Additionally we
observed 40 survey fields spanning three nights covering 11 square
degrees near opposition, using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5 m Isaac
Newton Telescope (INT), resulting in 104 discovered main belt asteroids
(MBAs) and another 626 unknown one-night objects. These fields, plus
program NEA fields from the INT and from the wide field MOSAIC II camera
on the Blanco 4 m telescope, generated around 12000 observations of 2000
minor planets (mostly MBAs) observed in 34 square degrees. We identify
Near Earth Object (NEO) candidates among the unknown (single night)
objects using three selection criteria. Testing these criteria on the
(known) program NEAs shows that the best selection method is our
ɛ‑μ model which checks solar elongation and sky motion
and the MPC's NEO rating tool. Our new data show that on average 0.5 NEO
candidates per square degree should be observable in a 2 m-class survey
(in agreement with past results), while an average of 2.7 NEO candidates
per square degree should be observable in a 4 m-class survey (although
our Blanco statistics were affected by clouds). At opposition just over
100 MBAs (1.6 unknown to every 1 known) per square degree are detectable
to R=22 in a 2 m survey based on the INT data (in accordance with other
results), while our two best ecliptic Blanco fields away from opposition
lead to 135 MBAs (2 unknown to every 1 known) to R=23.
Related projects
Minor Bodies of the Solar System
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid
Julia de
León Cruz