ScienceProblem: SolarSystemObjects

PrimaryActor:

astronomer

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ScienceGoal:

enable the location of objects located in the solar system from survey data

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DataSets:

Optical survey data, infrared survey data.

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ProblemDescription:

Several problemas can be studied by measuring the astrometric position and brightness of solar system objects, in particular minor planet bodies. 1- Astrometric measurements of pre-discovery images of new object allow to a fast and accurate determination of its orbit. This is particularly important in the case of trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) and near earth objects (NEOs). To obtain a rather accurate orbit of a TNO atrometric measurements separated by several years are necessary because of their long periods. NEOs are potentialy hazarous objects, and a fast and accurate determination of their orbit is very important to evaluate possible collisions with earth. 2- There are a lot of minor planets bodies wich orbits are not well known that needs more astrometric measurements. The Minor Planet Center use to ask for observations of these objects (http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html), and some of them are probably in several images in the archive. 3- Absolute nuclear mangitude distribution and colors of comets, Centaurs and TNOs. By measuring the brightnes of the cometary nucleus and Centaurs and TNOs, is it possible to obtain their size distribution (see e.g. Licandro et al. 2000, Tancredi et al. 2000, Fernandez et al. 1999). This is very important to estimate thier population, formation mechanisms and evolution. Also by determining colors it is possible to go inside their surface properties. 4- Activity at large heliocentric distances: some comets and Centaurs (like Chiron) are active (present coma) at unusually large distances

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CurrentSolution:

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VOSolution:

For visible and infrared images: 1- search for know S.S. objects in the images. Knowing the center of the field, field size and UT of the observations is it possible to compute wich objects up to a certain brightnes are in the image. 2- determine astrometric position and brigthes of the objects. 3- locate close to simultaneous multicolor broadband optical and infrared data.

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Discussion:

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KeyReferences:

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GoodStyle: Please add comments below. This area should be used for refinement of the above document. If you want to ask questions or start a dialogue with the author, please use (or create) a topic in the Science Problems Forum. For other ScienceProblems, refer to the ScienceProblemList.
Author: Once the refinements here and comments in the forum die down, perhaps you could rewrite the problem, incorporating the comments and refinements.

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-- JavierLicandro - 04 Jul 2002