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The Catalina Sky Survey The Catalina Sky Survey Current Operaons and Future CapabiliKes Eric J. Christensen A. Boani, A. R. Gibbs, A. D. Grauer, R. E. Hill, J. A. Johnson, R. A. Kowalski, S. M. Larson, F. C. Shelly IAWN Steering CommiJee MeeKng. MPC, Boston, MA. Jan. 13-14 2014 Catalina Sky Survey • Supported by NASA NEOO Program • Based at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona • Leader of the NEO discovery effort since 2004, responsible for ~65% of new discoveries (~46% of all NEO discoveries). Currently discovering NEOs at a rate of ~600/year. • 2 survey telescopes run by a staff of 8 (observers, socware developers, engineering support, PI) Current FaciliKes Mt. Bigelow, AZ Mt. Lemmon, AZ 0.7-m Schmidt 1.5-m reflector 8.2 sq. deg. FOV 1.2 sq. deg. FOV Vlim ~ 19.5 Vlim ~ 21.3 ~250 NEOs/year ~350 NEOs/year ReKred FaciliKes Siding Spring Observatory, Australia 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt 4.2 sq. deg. FOV Vlim ~ 19.0 2004 – 2013 ~50 NEOs/year Was the only full-Kme NEO survey located in the Southern Hemisphere Notable discoveries include Great Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1), rediscovery of Apophis Upcoming FaciliKes Mt. Lemmon, AZ 1.0-m reflector 0.3 sq. deg. FOV 1.0 arcsec/pixel Operaonal 2014 – currently in commissioning Will be primarily used for confirmaon and follow-up of newly- discovered NEOs Will remove follow-up burden from CSS survey telescopes, increasing available survey Kme by 10-20% Increased FOV for both CSS survey telescopes 5.0 deg2 1.2 ~1,100/ G96 deg2 night 19.4 deg2 2 703 8.2 deg 2 ~4,300 deg per night New 10k x 10k cameras will increase the FOV of both survey telescopes by factors of 4x and 2.4x. Discovery rate expected to increase by ~2-3x Proposed FaciliKes • CLASS: the Catalina LCOGT Asteroid Southern Survey • 3 x 1.0-m telescopes, 25 sq. deg FOV equivalent • Flexible operaon – can survey separately or together • ~5800 sq. deg. coverage per night to V~20.4, or ~2000 sq. deg. to V~21.6 (assuming 4 visits) • To be located on Cerro Tololo, Chile Notable CSS capabiliKes • Real-Kme data processing and reporKng • Visual validaon, sensiKve to NEOs to ~1 sigma • Broad sensiKvity to both large and small NEOs – Good sensiKvity to large (H<22) objects – Best sensiKvity to small objects (H>24) – Unique sensiKvity to imminent impactors Survey biases: relave efficiencies Plots show distribuKon of H magnitudes of NEO discoveries from 2010 - 2013 Survey biases: relave efficiencies Plots show distribuKon of H magnitudes of NEO discoveries from 2010 - 2013 DetecKng small imminent impactors • 2008 TC3 and 2014 AA were both discovered by CSS (G96) with ~1 day to impact, at V~19-20 • Real-Kme processing, real-Kme idenKficaon, and real-Kme reporKng, plus same-night follow-up is REQUIRED to characterize impact probabiliKes, maximize Kme for physical studies, and accurately predict impact Kme and locaon • Impacts by small ~3-m asteroids represent the most frequent detectable impact events, and provide real-world exercises for dealing with the impact threat. A “fire drill” for NEO impacts. • ~40% of impactors are visible within ~30 degrees of opposiKon in the days leading up to impact • Q: How to enable real-Kme sensiKvity to small impactors? A. Rich Kowalski • Embedding humans into the discovery pipeline enables: – real-Kme awareness of interesKng objects – flexible operaon, follow-up scheduling – > 99% pure data stream (no false posiKves) – SensiKvity down to ~1 sigma • CSS’s reliance on real-Kme processing and human validaon allowed the discovery of 2008 TC3 and 2014 AA Coordinaon among surveys • CSS and Pan-STARRS are taking first steps toward inter-survey coordinaon • Goal is to ensure both surveys are not looking at the same sky on the same night, and also to construcKvely combine survey biases to achieve beJer completeness • Sky divided into regions that switch between surveys every 3 days Coordinaon among surveys • CSS and Pan-STARRS are taking first steps toward inter-survey coordinaon • Goal is to ensure both surveys are not looking at the same sky on the same night, and also to construcKvely combine survey biases to achieve beJer completeness • Sky divided into regions that switch between surveys every 3 days Ground-based NEO surveys • Ground-based visible light surveys have advantages and disadvantages relave to space-based IR surveys, which can be measured in terms of: – Discovery capability / ScienKfic output – Cost – Risk of downKme / failure / loss – Available observing hours (dayKme / moonlight / weather) – Longevity: ability to maintain / upgrade – Operaonal flexibility • Ground-based visible light surveys and space-based IR surveys are complementary: each enhances and is enhanced by the other • CSS is studying designs, costs, and capabiliKes for a dedicated, purpose-built next-generaon NEO survey telescope(s) Quesons? Eric Christensen [email protected] Ground-based NEO survey assets Opera'onal Funded Near Future? G96 G96 upgrade CLASS? 703 703 upgrade F51 F51 PS2? 12% 100% SST? 691 ATLAS 704 Survey biases: relave efficiencies Plots show distribuKon of H magnitudes of NEO discoveries from 2010 - 2013 G96$(CSS)$ 703$(CSS)$ E12$(CSS)$ 250" 120" 30" 200" 100" 25" 80" 20" 150" 60" 15" 100" 40" 10" 50" 20" 5" 0" 0" 0" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" F51$(Pan)STARRS)$ 704$(LINEAR)$ C51$(NEOWISE)$ 140" 40" 40" 120" 35" 35" 30" 100" 30" 25" 25" 80" 20" 20" 60" 15" 15" 40" 10" 10" 20" 5" 5" 0" 0" 0" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 691$(Spacewatch)$ Other&surveys&& All#surveys# 25" 35" 600" 30" 20" 500" 25" 400" 15" 20" 300" 10" 15" 200" 10" 5" 5" 100" 0" 0" 0" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" 15" 16" 17" 18" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25" 26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32" Ground-based NEO surveys • CSS studying cost/engineering/performance issues for dedicated next-gen NEO survey • All exisKng and past NEO survey telescopes were built for another mission, and re-purposed for NEO survey • A ~4m-class system could efficiently survey to V~23-24, covering the sky ~2-4x per lunaon • Could be built and operated for ~10 years, for less than the launch costs of a dedicated space-based IR survey • Complementary with space-based IR surveys .
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