New Research in Sky Surveillance - Interpretation of Low-Luminosity Objects
Abstract
Spacewatch is an exploration of the whole solar system for minor planets and comets, from the inner solar system to beyond Neptune's orbit. During this report period, Spacewatch discovered 23 Earth-approachers (EAs), 9,910 main belt asteroids (MBAs), a new satellite of Jupiter, 2 comets, 9 Centaurs or scattered-disk objects, and 6 Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs). Spacewatch made a new estimate of the number of km-sized EAs, from which it has been estimated that only 50% of such objects have been found by all groups and that the remainder of km-sized EAs may tend to have orbits that make them more difficult to detect. Relevant to that, Spacewatch continued to develop new software and equipment that will provide sensitivity to slower angular motion, dimmer targets, and faster coverage of sky area. Spacewatch extended knowledge of the distribution of MBAs vs. absolute magnitude by 4 mags, found departures in this distribution from a simple power-law, and contributed this fit to the first empirical determination of the transition from mechanical strength to gravitational bonding in the critical specific energy vs. size relation of asteroids. In the outer solar system, Spacewatch extended knowledge of the luminosity distribution of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunians to brighter magnitudes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 15, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA385327
Entities
People
- Robert S. Mcmillan