Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids

该项目将继续进行一项正在进行的近地小行星天体测量（位置）观测方案。对新的观测进行天体测量后续行动对于确定轨道和在今后有机会观测时回收天体至关重要; 2008年和2009年新发现的近地小行星中，60%以上后来由于缺乏充分的后续行动而丢失。该项目支助的主要研究员和学生将使用夏威夷大学2.24米望远镜和莫纳克亚山上的其他望远镜进行天体测量。使用的望远镜和专门技术使该小组能够观测较暗的物体，具有更高的位置准确性，并且比其他小组更容易进入南天半球。他们将调整最新和最准确的天体测量参考目录，PPMXL目录，用于NEA天体测量，并将此定制目录提供给社区。将对其数据处理管道进行改进，以加快过程并实现每个对象的更多位置测量。最后，该小组将计划和进行物理特性的测量，包括形状，轮廓和颜色，选择对象是人类探索的可能候选人。精确的近地天体测量对于跟踪可能与地球相撞的具有潜在危险的小行星至关重要;因此，该项目对撞击具有广泛的影响。这对地球科学问题有影响，例如地球如何获得水，以及减轻撞击危险的战略。该项目将对研究生进行观测技术和太阳系动力学方面的教育;而这些学生将有机会指导高中生使用哈雷阿卡拉上的Falukes教育望远镜进行小行星研究。

This project will continue an ongoing program of astrometric (positional) observations of Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Astrometric follow-up of new observations is essential in order to determine orbits and recover the objects at future observing opportunities; over 60% of NEAs newly discovered in 2008 and 2009 were subsequently lost due to the lack of adequate follow-up. The Principal Investigator and students supported by this project will perform astrometric measurements using the University of Hawaii 2.24-meter telescope and other telescopes on Mauna Kea. The telescopes and specialized techniques used enable this team to observe fainter objects, with greater positional accuracy, and with better access to the south celestial hemisphere than other groups. They will adapt the newest and most accurate astrometric reference catalog, the PPMXL catalog, for use in NEA astrometry and provide this customized catalog to the community. Improvements will be made to their data processing pipeline to speed the process and enable more positional measurements per object. Finally, the group will plan and carry out measurements of physical characteristics, including shapes, albedos and colors, of selected objects that are possible candidates for human exploration. Accurate NEA astrometry is most critical for the tracking of potentially hazardous asteroids that could collide with Earth; the project thus has broad impacts on impacts. This has implications for Earth-science questions, such as how Earth acquired its water, as well on strategies for mitigating the impact hazard. The project will educate graduate students in observational techniques and in Solar System dynamics; these students, in turn, will have the opportunity to mentor high school students in using the Falukes educational telescope on Haleakala for asteroid research.