Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids

该项目将继续正在进行的近地小行星天体测量(位置)观测计划。对新观测到的天体进行天文测量跟踪对于确定轨道并在今后的观测机会中找回这些天体至关重要；2008年和2009年新发现的近地天体中，有60%以上后来由于缺乏足够的后续行动而丢失。该项目支持的首席研究人员和学生将使用夏威夷大学的2.24米望远镜和莫纳克亚的其他望远镜进行天体测量。使用的望远镜和专门技术使这个团队能够观察到更暗的物体，位置更准确，比其他小组更容易进入南天半球。他们将采用最新和最准确的天体测量参考星表，PPMXL星表，用于NEA天体测量，并向社区提供这个定制的星表。将对他们的数据处理流水线进行改进，以加快这一过程，并能够对每个对象进行更多的位置测量。最后，该小组将计划并进行物理特征的测量，包括选定的可能适合人类探索的物体的形状、反照率和颜色。准确的NEA天体测量对于追踪可能与地球相撞的潜在危险小行星是最关键的；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，例如地球是如何获得水的，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；反过来，这些学生将有机会指导高中生使用哈雷卡拉上的法鲁克斯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.