DOCSLIB.ORG

UNIVERSITY of HAWAII at MANOA Institute for Astrononmy Pan-STARRS Project Management System

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
UNIVERSITY of HAWAII at MANOA Institute for Astrononmy Pan-STARRS Project Management System Pan-STARRS Document Control PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA Institute for Astrononmy Pan-STARRS Project Management System Appearance of and response to interesting and rare objects discovered by MOPS Richard J. Wainscoat Pan-STARRS Solar System Group Institute for Astronomy October 28, 2006 c Institute for Astronomy 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 Revision History Revision Number Release Date Description 00 2006.10.20 First draft Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup ii October 28, 2006 Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 TBD / TBR Listing Section No. Page No. TBD/R No. Description Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup iii October 28, 2006 Contents 1 Overview 1 2 Referenced Documents 1 3 Facilities available for followup observations 1 4 Fuzzy objects—comets or outgassing asteroids 2 4.1 Introduction .................................................. 2 4.2 Signature ................................................... 2 4.3 Response ................................................... 2 4.4 Followup ................................................... 2 4.5 Naming of Comets discovered by Pan-STARRS ............................... 3 5 Objects with high inclination, retrograde, or highly eccentric orbits 3 5.1 Introduction .................................................. 3 5.2 Signature ................................................... 3 5.3 Response ................................................... 4 5.4 Followup ................................................... 4 5.5 Dead comets .................................................. 4 6 Distant objects 4 6.1 Introduction .................................................. 4 6.2 Signature ................................................... 4 6.2.1 Scattered KBOs ............................................ 4 6.2.2 Distant planets ............................................ 4 6.2.3 Very nearby stars ........................................... 5 6.2.4 Additional efforts to detect very distant objects ........................... 5 6.3 Response ................................................... 5 6.4 Followup ................................................... 6 6.5 Ambiguity between very nearby stars and very distant planets ........................ 6 7 Trojan asteroids 6 7.1 Introduction .................................................. 6 7.2 Signature ................................................... 6 7.2.1 Trojans of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune ........................... 6 7.2.2 Trojans of Mars ............................................ 7 7.2.3 Trojans of Earth ........................................... 7 7.3 Response ................................................... 7 7.4 Followup ................................................... 7 8 Objects not in heliocentric orbits—Interstellar comets 7 8.1 Introduction .................................................. 7 8.2 Signature ................................................... 8 8.3 Response ................................................... 8 8.4 Followup ................................................... 8 9 Objects not in heliocentric orbits—Planetary Satellites 8 iv Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 9.1 Introduction .................................................. 8 9.2 Signature ................................................... 8 9.3 Response ................................................... 9 9.4 Followup ................................................... 9 10 Asteroid Collisions 9 10.1 Introduction .................................................. 9 10.2 Signature ................................................... 10 10.3 Response ................................................... 10 10.4 Followup ................................................... 10 11 Near Earth Objects 10 11.1 Introduction .................................................. 10 11.2 Signature ................................................... 10 11.3 Response ................................................... 10 11.3.1 Potentially Hazardous Objects .................................... 10 11.3.2 Death Plunge Objects ......................................... 11 11.4 Followup ................................................... 11 12 Objects with strange light curve variations or strange colors 11 12.1 Introduction .................................................. 11 12.2 Signature ................................................... 12 12.3 Response ................................................... 12 12.4 Followup ................................................... 12 13 Widely separated KBOs seen as binaries 12 13.1 Introduction .................................................. 12 13.2 Signature ................................................... 12 13.3 Response ................................................... 12 13.4 Followup ................................................... 12 14 Summary 13 Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup v October 28, 2006 List of Figures vi Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 1 Overview MOPS will find millions of objects in the Solar System. A small percentage of these objects (which will still be a large number of objects) will be of particular scientific or public interest. For the most interesting objects, very careful verification is needed before widespread or public release. The predicted 5σ sensitivities to point sources in the Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) opposition survey are gAB = 23.24, rAB = 22.70, iAB = 22.59, zAB = 21.59, and yAB = 20.12 (see PSDC-230-002-04 for more details). The sensitivities in the gri passbands are well matched for typical solar system colors. Sensitivities in the z and y passbands are significantly poorer for objects with typical solar system colors. Predicted 5σ sensitivities to an NEO moving at 0.5 deg/day are gAB = 23.06, rAB = 22.62, iAB = 22.48. Sensitivities in the sweet spot regions will be lower due to increased sky brightness (the sky is approximately a factor 2 brighter at 2 airmasses than at the zenith), poorer seeing (about 50% worse), and higher extinction (color dependent loss of 5–15% per airmass). MOPS will detect objects with motions as small as 0.1 arcsec in 10 days for objects detected at a signal-to-noise ratio of 5. Variations in seeing may limit detections of very slow motions. The maximum rate of motion that MOPS can detect will be limited by the Air Force streak removal, currently expected to be approximately 10 degrees per day. This document identifies many of the more interesting and rare objects that Pan-STARRS will (or may) discover. For some of these objects, immediate or rapid followup will be necessary. The document also discusses those cases for which rapid release of object discovery is necessary or desirable. In many cases, extensive precovery efforts will also be warranted, including searches of the 3σ database of transients when warranted. The precovery observations will be extremely valuable in refining orbits. 2 Referenced Documents PSDC-230-002-04 Mission Concept Statement for PS1 PSDC-002-014-00 Death Plunge Objects 3 Facilities available for followup observations The University of Hawaii has access to all telescopes on Mauna Kea. These are the twin Keck telescopes, the Subaru and Gemini telescopes, the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (3.8-meters), the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6-meter telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (3.0 meters), the UH 2.2-meter telescope, the UH 0.6-meter telescope (soon to be replaced by a 0.9-meter telescope), the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, and the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) has access to the MMT, the Magellan telescopes, and the SMA, as well as its own 1.2-m and 1.5-m telescopes. Some followup observations will be passed on to collaborating institutions, including Spacewatch, Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO), and Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO). Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup 1 October 28, 2006 Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 4 Fuzzy objects—comets or outgassing asteroids 4.1 Introduction Any moving objects discovered by MOPS that have a non-stellar PSF are expected to be comets or outgassing asteroids. Any non-stellar moving object should first be checked against an up to date database of known comets with reliable orbits, and also checked for possible matches with previously discovered, and subsequently lost comets. The discovery rate for comets will be small enough that each discovery should be carefully checked by hand. In particular, because the area being surveyed is so large, there is a possibility for an asteroid be located on top of a galaxy (or bright star) on the first observation, then located on top of a different galaxy (or bright star) on a subsequent observation. Imperfect subtraction of the static sky in such cases potentially could lead to a false identification of a comet. Until the static sky subtraction is better understood from real data, careful checking of rare discoveries seems warranted. Ghost images resulting from the Pan-STARRS optics or from reflections inside the camera are also possible. It is possible that some of these may manifest themselves as comet-like objects. It will be important to properly understand these during the commissioning period. 4.2 Signature Moving object
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Comet's Tale, and Therefore the Object As a Whole Would the Section Director Nick James Highlighted Have a Low Surface Brightness
    1 Diebold Schilling, Disaster in connection with two comets sighted in 1456, Lucerne Chronicle, 1513 (Wikimedia Commons) THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section – British Astronomical Association Journal – Number 38 2019 June britastro.org/comet Evolution of the comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) along a total of ten days on January 2018. Composition of pictures taken with a zoom lens from Teide Observatory in Canary Islands. J.J Chambó Bris 2 Table of Contents Contents Author Page 1 Director’s Welcome Nick James 3 Section Director 2 Melvyn Taylor’s Alex Pratt 6 Observations of Comet C/1995 01 (Hale-Bopp) 3 The Enigma of Neil Norman 9 Comet Encke 4 Setting up the David Swan 14 C*Hyperstar for Imaging Comets 5 Comet Software Owen Brazell 19 6 Pro-Am José Joaquín Chambó Bris 25 Astrophotography of Comets 7 Elizabeth Roemer: A Denis Buczynski 28 Consummate Comet Section Secretary Observer 8 Historical Cometary Amar A Sharma 37 Observations in India: Part 2 – Mughal Empire 16th and 17th Century 9 Dr Reginald Denis Buczynski 42 Waterfield and His Section Secretary Medals 10 Contacts 45 Picture Gallery Please note that copyright 46 of all images belongs with the Observer 3 1 From the Director – Nick James I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the We have had a couple of relatively bright Comet’s Tale. Many thanks to Janice but diffuse comets through the winter and McClean for editing this issue and to Denis there are plenty of images of Buczynski for soliciting contributions. 46P/Wirtanen and C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) Thanks also to the section committee for in our archive.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Anthro–Earth
    The Rosette Gazette Volume 22,, IssueIssue 7 Newsletter of the Rose City Astronomers July, 2010 RCA JULY 19 GENERAL MEETING The State Of Anthro–Earth THE STATE OF ANTHRO-EARTH: A Visitor From Far, Far Away Reviews the Status of Our Planet In This Issue: A Talk (in Earth-English) By Richard Brenne 1….General Meeting Enrico Fermi famously wondered why we hadn't heard from any other planetary 2….Club Officers civilizations, and Richard Brenne, who we'd always suspected was probably from another planet, thinks he might know the answer. Carl Sagan thought it was likely …...Magazines because those on other planets blew themselves up with nuclear weapons, but Richard …...RCA Library thinks its more likely that burning fossil fuels changed the climates and collapsed the 3….Local Happenings civilizations of those we might otherwise have heard from. Only someone from another planet could discuss this most serious topic with Richard's trademark humor 4…. Telescope (in a previous life he was an award-winning screenwriter - on which planet we're not Transformation sure) and bemused detachment. 5….Special Interest Groups Richard Brenne teaches a NASA-sponsored Global Climate Change class, serves on 6….Star Party Scene the American Meteorological Society's Committee to Communicate Climate Change, has written and produced documentaries about climate change since 1992, and has 7.…Observers Corner produced and moderated 50 hours of panel discussions about climate change with 18...RCA Board Minutes many of the world's top climate change scientists. Richard writes for the blog "Climate Progress" and his forthcoming book is titled "Anthro-Earth", his new name 20...Calendars for his adopted planet.
    [Show full text]
  • The Comet's Tale
    THE COMET’S TALE Journal of the Comet Section of the British Astronomical Association Number 33, 2014 January Not the Comet of the Century 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) imaged by Damian Peach on 2013 December 24 using 106mm F5. STL-11k. LRGB. L: 7x2mins. RGB: 1x2mins. Today’s images of bright binocular comets rival drawings of Great Comets of the nineteenth century. Rather predictably the expected comet of the century Contents failed to materialise, however several of the other comets mentioned in the last issue, together with the Comet Section contacts 2 additional surprise shown above, put on good From the Director 2 appearances. 2011 L4 (PanSTARRS), 2012 F6 From the Secretary 3 (Lemmon), 2012 S1 (ISON) and 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) all Tales from the past 5 th became brighter than 6 magnitude and 2P/Encke, 2012 RAS meeting report 6 K5 (LINEAR), 2012 L2 (LINEAR), 2012 T5 (Bressi), Comet Section meeting report 9 2012 V2 (LINEAR), 2012 X1 (LINEAR), and 2013 V3 SPA meeting - Rob McNaught 13 (Nevski) were all binocular objects. Whether 2014 will Professional tales 14 bring such riches remains to be seen, but three comets The Legacy of Comet Hunters 16 are predicted to come within binocular range and we Project Alcock update 21 can hope for some new discoveries. We should get Review of observations 23 some spectacular close-up images of 67P/Churyumov- Prospects for 2014 44 Gerasimenko from the Rosetta spacecraft. BAA COMET SECTION NEWSLETTER 2 THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section contacts Director: Jonathan Shanklin, 11 City Road, CAMBRIDGE. CB1 1DP England. Phone: (+44) (0)1223 571250 (H) or (+44) (0)1223 221482 (W) Fax: (+44) (0)1223 221279 (W) E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected] WWW page : http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/ Assistant Director (Observations): Guy Hurst, 16 Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, BASINGSTOKE, Hampshire.
    [Show full text]
  • The Planetary Report) Watching As a Bust
    The Board of Dlrec:tolll The naming of comets can, indeed, be a very difficult matter. Traditionally these small, CARL SAGAN BRUCE MURRAY President Vice President icy solar system bodies were named for their discoverers. But because some people are Director" Laboratory Professor of Planetary very persistent (for example, there are four Comets Meier) a particular name is needed for Planetary Studies. Science, California Camell University Institute of Technology for each individu.al comet. Thus, at discovery a comet is assigned a letter designation LOUIS FRIEDMAN HENRY TANNER based on the order of discovery or recovery in a certain year. So, Comet 1982i was the Executive Director Corporate Secretary and 9th comet found in 1982. Later, comets are assigned new names based on their peri­ Assistant Treasurer, Cafifom;a THOMAS O. PAINE Institute of Technology helion (closest approach to the Sun). 1984 XXll1 was the 23rd comet to pass perihelion Former Administrator. NASA: Chairman, National JOSEPH RYAN in 1984. Confused? Here is a poetic attempt to explain. Commission on Space O'Melveny & Myers Board of Advlsolll DIANE ACKERMAN GARRY E. HUNT poet and author Space -Scientist, THE NAMING OF COMETS (With apologies to T. S. Eliot) United Kingdom ISAAC ASIMOV aulhor HANS MARK BY DAVID H. LEW Chancellor, RICHARD BERENDZEN University of Texas System Presid8nt, American University JAMES MICHENER The naming of Comets is a difficult matter, JACQUES BLAMONT author Chief Scien#st, Centre National It isn't just one of your holiday games; d'Etudes Spatlales, France PHILIP MORRISON Institute Professor, You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter RAY BRADBURY Massachusetts poet and author Institute of Technofogy When I tell you, a comet has THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
    [Show full text]
  • Ionic Emissions in Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS)
    MNRAS 000,1–12 (2019) Preprint 23 April 2020 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Ionic emissions in comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) Kumar Venkataramani1;2? Shashikiran Ganesh1 and Kiran S.Baliyan1 1 Astronomy & Astrophysics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India. 2 Department of Physics, Leach Science Center, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. 23 April 2020 ABSTRACT We carried out observations of a peculiar comet, C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS), using a low resolution spectrograph mounted on the 1.2m telescope at Mount Abu Infrared Observatory, India. The comet was observed on two dates in January 2018, when it was at a heliocentric distance of 2.8 AU. Study based on our observations revealed that the optical spectrum of this comet is quite unusual as compared to general cometary spectra. Most of the major cometary emissions like C2,C3 and CN were absent in comet C/2016 R2. However, the comet spectrum + + showed very strong emission bands from ionic species like CO and N2 . A mean N2/CO ratio of 0.09 ± 0.02 was derived from the spectra and an extremely low depletion factor of 1.6 ± 0.4 has been estimated for this ratio as compared to the solar nebula. We have also detected minor + + emission features beyond 5400 Å, albeit marginally. The column densities of CO and N2 were calculated from their emission bands. The optical spectrum suggests that the cometary ice is dominated by CO. The low depletion factor of N2/CO ratio in this comet, as compared to the solar nebula and the unusual spectrum of the comet are consequences of distinctive processing at the location of its formation in the early solar nebula.
    [Show full text]
  • Planetary Science Division Status Report
    Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division June 12, 2017 Presentation at SBAG Planetary Science Missions Events 2016 March – Launch of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter * Completed July 4 – Juno inserted in Jupiter orbit September 8 – Launch of Asteroid mission OSIRIS – REx to asteroid Bennu September 30 – Landing Rosetta on comet CG October 19 – ExoMars EDM landing and TGO orbit insertion 2017 January 4 – Discovery Mission selection announced February 9-20 - OSIRIS-REx began Earth-Trojan search April 22 – Cassini begins plane change maneuver for the “Grand Finale” August 21 – Total Solar Eclipse across the US September 15 – Cassini crashes into Saturn – end of mission September 22 – OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby 2018 May 5 - Launch InSight mission to Mars August – OSIRIS-REx arrival at Bennu October – Launch of ESA’s BepiColombo November 26 – InSight landing on Mars 2019 January 1 – New Horizons flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014MU69 https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/subject-matter-experts Discovery Program Discovery Program NEO characteristics: Mars evolution: Lunar formation: Nature of dust/coma: Solar wind sampling: NEAR (1996-1999) Mars Pathfinder (1996-1997) Lunar Prospector (1998-1999) Stardust (1999-2011) Genesis (2001-2004) Comet diversity: Mercury environment: Comet internal structure: Lunar Internal Structure Main-belt asteroids: CONTOUR (2002) MESSENGER (2004-2015) Deep Impact (2005-2012) GRAIL (2011-2012) Dawn (2007-TBD) Exoplanets Lunar surface: ESA/Mercury Surface: Mars Interior: Trojan Asteroids: Metal Asteroids: Kepler (2009-TBD) LRO (2009-TBD) Strofio (2017-TBD) InSight (2018) Lucy (2021) Psyche (2022) NEW Discovery Missions Launch in 2022 Launch in 2021 14 JAXA: Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission • Phobos sample return, Deimos multi-flyby • Launch 2024, Return sample in 2029 or 2030 • NASA to provide (pending formal agreement) a neutron & gamma-ray spectrometer (NGRS) • Proposals for NGRS instrument solicited through Stand-Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3).
    [Show full text]
  • Colours of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System II - a Statistical Analysis, Revisited
    Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. MBOSS2 c ESO 2012 April 26, 2012 Colours of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System II - A Statistical Analysis, Revisited O. R. Hainaut1, H. Boehnhardt2, and S. Protopapa3 1 European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl Schwarzschild Straße, 85 748 Garching bei M¨unchen, Germany e-mail: [email protected] 2 Max-Planck-Institut f¨ur Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck Straße 2, 37 191 Katlenburg- Lindau, Germany 3 Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20 742-2421, USA Received —; accepted — ABSTRACT We present an update of the visible and near-infrared colour database of Minor Bodies in the outer Solar System (MBOSSes), now including over 2000 measurement epochs of 555 objects, extracted from 100 articles. The list is fairly complete as of December 2011. The database is now large enough that dataset with a high dispersion can be safely identified and rejected from the analysis. The method used is safe for individual outliers. Most of the rejected papers were from the early days of MBOSS photometry. The individual measurements were combined so not to include possible rotational artefacts. The spectral gradient over the visible range is derived from the colours, as well as the R absolute magnitude M(1, 1). The average colours, absolute magnitude, spectral gradient are listed for each object, as well as their physico-dynamical classes using a classification adapted from Gladman et al., 2008. Colour-colour diagrams, histograms and various other plots are presented to illustrate and in- vestigate class characteristics and trends with other parameters, whose significance are evaluated using standard statistical tests.
    [Show full text]
  • An Upper Limit on Earth's Trojan Asteroid Population
    49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083) 1149.pdf AN UPPER LIMIT ON EARTH’S TROJAN ASTEROID POPULATION FROM OSIRIS-REX. S. Cambi- oni*1, R. Malhotra1, C. W. Hergenrother1, B. Rizk1, J. N. Kidd1, C. Drouet d’Aubigny1, S. R. Chesley2, F. Shelly1, E. Christensen1, D. Farnocchia2, and D. S. Lauretta1. 1Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona; 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory; *[email protected] Introduction: In February 2017, the OSIRIS-REx survey. The limiting visual magnitude of the survey – (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identifica- estimated to be V = 13.8 – is identified as the magni- tion, and Security Regolith Explorer) spacecraft con- tude at which the sensitivity drops to 50%. ducted a survey of the Sun-Earth L4 region for Earth Simulations of ETs around L4 and L5: Minor Trojan (ET) asteroids (Earth Trojan Asteroid Survey, planets can share the orbit of Earth in a dynamically ETAS) using the OCAMS MapCam, the onboard sur- stable state if they remain near the triangular Lagrangi- vey imager [1]. The existence and size of a primordial an points, L4 and L5, leading or trailing a planet by ~ population of ETs remains poorly constrained, and 60 degrees in longitude [5]. To remain in libration represents a major gap in our inventory of small bodies about L4 or L5, the Jacobi constant of the minor plan- in near-Earth space. The discovery of a surviving pri- ets must lie between the value for L4/L5 and the value mordial ET population would provide important con- for the Lagrangian point L3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Decam View of the Solar System
    The DECam view of the Solar System David E. Trilling (NAU) Why is DECam interesting for Solar System science? Why is DECam interesting for Solar System science? It’s all about the etendue! Why is DECam interesting for Solar System science? It’s not about the south, or the filters, or anything else (to first order). What is DECam? • 3 deg2 imager for NOAO/CTIO 4m • R~24 in ~60 sec • R~25 in ~6 min • R~26 in ~1 hr • R~27 in ~1 night What is the Solar System? What is the Solar System? Some current Solar System topics • Near Earth Objects (NEOs) • Trojan asteroids (Earth, Mars, Neptune) • Irregular satellites of giant planets • Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) • … plus many others (comets? 1000s of asteroids? you name it) Near Earth Objects (NEOs) Near Earth Objects (NEOs) • What is the population of NEOs? – Size distribution, orbital distribution – Evolution of near-Earth space • What is the impact risk? Both are addressed by a WIDE, DEEP search NEO search comparison NEO surveys to V=18 NEO search comparison NEO surveys to V=21 NEO search comparison NEO surveys to V=24 NEO search comparison NEO surveys to V=24 60 sec NEO search • Discover many 100s of NEOs in a single night. • A few night run gives you 10% percent of all known NEOs. • More than 80% of DECam NEO discoveries will be fainter than any other survey would discover • Capability to discover NEOs smaller than 50 m Trojan asteroids Trojan asteroids Trojan asteroids • Orbit +/-60 degrees from their planet • Stable over 4.5 billion years • Probe the early Solar System • Jupiter, Neptune, Mars … • … and now Earth Trojan asteroids • Thousands of known Jupiter Trojans • 8 known Neptune Trojans • ~4 known Mars Trojans • 1(?) known Earth Trojan • To use Trojans as probes of Solar System history, you need a DEEP, WIDE search Trojan asteroids • Biggest survey for Neptune Trojans to date(Sheppard & Trujillo 2010) covered 49 deg2 to R~25.7 over six years.
    [Show full text]
  • The Orbit of 2010 TK7. Possible Regions of Stability for Other Earth Trojan Asteroids
    Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. ForarXiv October 15, 2018 (DOI: will be inserted by hand later) The orbit of 2010 TK7. Possible regions of stability for other Earth Trojan asteroids R. Dvorak1, C. Lhotka2, L. Zhou3 1 Universit¨atssternwarte Wien, T¨urkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Wien, Austria, 2 D´epartment de Math´ematique (naXys), Rempart de la Vierge, 8, B-5000 Namur, Belgium, 3 Department of Astronomy & Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ministry of Education, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China Received; accepted Abstract. Recently the first Earth Trojan has been observed (Mainzer et al., ApJ 731) and found to be on an interesting orbit close to the Lagrange point L4 (Connors et al., Nature 475). In the present study we therefore perform a detailed investigation on the stability of its orbit and moreover extend the study to give an idea of the probability to find additional Earth–Trojans. Our results are derived using different approaches: a) we derive an analytical mapping in the spatial elliptic restricted three–body problem to find the phase space structure of the dynamical problem. We explore the stability of the asteroid in the context of the phase space geometry, including the indirect influence of the additional planets of our Solar system. b) We use precise numerical methods to integrate the orbit forward and backward in time in different dynamical models. Based on a set of 400 clone orbits we derive the probability of capture and escape of the Earth Trojan asteroids 2010 TK7. c) To this end we perform an extensive numerical investigation of the stability region of the Earth’s Lagrangian points.
    [Show full text]
  • Monthly Newsletter of the Durban Centre - May 2018
    Page 1 Monthly Newsletter of the Durban Centre - May 2018 Page 2 Table Of Contents Chairman’s Chatter …...…………………….…...….………..….…… 3 The Man Of Mars ……..………………………………...…….……….. 5 At The Eye Piece ……………...…………………………….….…….... 9 The Cover Image - Eta Carinae ……………….……….………….... 11 Comets Continued.………………………………..……..………….... 14 The Green Flash …….………………...…….………..………………. 21 Sutherland 2018 …..…..………………………………..…..………… 23 The Month Ahead …..…………………...….…….……………..…… 27 Minutes Of The Previous Meeting ……………………..…….……. 28 Public Viewing Roster …………………………….……….…..……. 29 Pre-loved Astronomical Equipment ..…………..….…........…… 30 Committee Nomination Form For 2018-19 …………………..….. 31 Image by Angus Burns from Newcastle, KZN Member Submissions Disclaimer: The views expressed in ‘nDaba are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily the views of the Durban Centre, nor the Editor. All images and content is the work of the respective copyright owner Page 3 Chairman’s Chatter By Mike Hadlow Dear Members, We are moving into May and autumn and are starting to get into a period of clearer skies and great viewing. We have certainly had some fantastic viewing evenings over the last 2 weeks. Particularly, the end of last week. For those of you who have been watching the skies, in the late evening we could see a risen Scorpio following Jupiter, with both Mars and Saturn following closely. Three of the five visible planets in one night and if you looked a little earlier you would have seen Venus on the western horizon just after sunset! Our activities over the last month were dominated by our trip to Sutherland which turned out to be a most fantastic trip. Not only did the skies play ball, (the Cape rain held out till the 26 April), but our hosts at SALT did the usual, taking us through SALT and in the evening through the control centre where we had the working astronomers giving us a presentation.
    [Show full text]
  • A Near-Sun Solar System Twilight Survey with LSST
    A near-Sun Solar System Twilight Survey with LSST Rob Seaman, Paul Abell, Eric Christensen, Michael S. P. Kelley, Megan E. Schwamb, Renu Malhotra, Mario Juri´c,Quanzhi Ye Michael Mommert, Matthew M. Knight, Colin Snodgrass, Andrew S. Rivkin November 30, 2018 Abstract We propose a LSST Solar System near-Sun Survey, to be implemented during twi- light hours, that extends the seasonal reach of LSST to its maximum as fresh sky is uncovered at about 50 square degrees per night (1500 sq. deg. per lunation) in the morning eastern sky, and surveyable sky is lost at the same rate to the western evening sky due to the Earth's synodic motion. By establishing near-horizon fence post picket lines to the far west and far east we address Solar System science use cases (including Near Earth Objects, Interior Earth Objects, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids, Earth Trojans, near-Sun asteroids, sun-grazing comets, and dormant comets) as well as pro- vide the first look and last look that LSST will have at the transient and variable objects within each survey field. This proposed near-Sun Survey will also maximize the overlap with the field of regard of the proposed NEOCam spacecraft that will be stationed at the Earth's L1 Lagrange point and survey near quadrature with the Sun. This will allow LSST to incidently follow-up NEOCam targets and vice-versa (as well as targets from missions such as Euclid), and will roughly correspond to the Earth's L4 and L5 regions. 1 White Paper Information Corresponding Author: Rob Seaman ([email protected]) 1.
    [Show full text]