A Very Wide Area Survey for Trans-Neptunian Objects

在过去的十年里，随着在海王星外区域发现了大量的小型固体天体，对外太阳系的探索发展迅速。这些天体是用中型和大型望远镜上的CCD相机发现的，迄今为止，这些望远镜已经测量了约100平方度的天空。这个新项目由宾夕法尼亚大学的查尔斯·阿尔科克博士领导，旨在为最近非常成功的外太阳系调查提供重要补充。具体来说，阿尔科克博士的调查将覆盖约3000平方度，对冥王星和最近发现的海王星外天体（TNO）之间大小的物体具有高灵敏度。为MACHO项目（通过引力透镜技术探测大质量物体的项目）开发的强大观测系统将用于调查。这个奖项是由行星天文学计划颁发的

AST 0073845AlcockThe exploration of the outer Solar System has developed rapidly in the past decade, with the discovery of large numbers of small, solid objects in the trans-Neptunian region. These objects have been found with CCD cameras on medium and large sized telescopes, which to date have surveyed ~100 square degrees of sky. This new project, led by Dr. Charles Alcock of the University of Pennsylvania, is intended to provide an important complement to recent, very successful surveys of the outer Solar System. Specifically, Dr. Alcock's survey will cover ~3000 square degrees with high sensitivity to objects in the size range between Pluto and recently discovered trans-Neptunian objects (TNO). A powerful observing system developed for the MACHO project (a project to detect massive objects via the technique of gravitational lensing) will be utilized for the survey. This award is made through the Planetary Astronomy Program.***