100 newly discovered Near Earth Objects classified by the Gal Hassin

Meteoritic impacts have shaped various aspects of Earth and its ecosystem. However, we should not consider impacts as a risk solely confined to our past. In particular, Near Earth Objects (NEOs) constitute a family of asteroids and comets that require continuous monitoring.

 

Technically, a NEO is defined as an object orbiting the Sun at a distance ranging from 0.98 to 1.3 Astronomical Units (AU) – where 1 AU equals 150 million km, the average distance between Earth and the Sun. Consequently, these asteroids’ orbits come in close proximity to that of our planet. Among NEOs, the ones considered hazardous, known as Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHAs), are those with orbits that bring them within a minimum distance from Earth’s orbit, known as the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID), of less than 0.05 AU or those larger than 140 km. Currently, there are over 30,000 objects classified as NEOs, approximately 2,300 of which are PHAs. The newly discovered objects, which awaits for a final classification, are listed in the Confirmation Page (CP) of the Minor Planet Center. These objects must be observed quickly, in order to classify them before they can be lost.

 

The main space agencies have long initiated observational campaigns aimed at the discovery and monitoring of NEOs using various types of telescopes. This effort is made possible, in part, by the involvement of several independent observing facilities equipped with small telescopes. The data collected from NEO observations by this network of telescopes is made publicly accessible through the NEODyS portal.

 

For the past few years, the Gal Hassin observing facility, located near the village of Isnello in the Sicilian mountains of Madonie, has joined the endeavor of NEO observation. This has been made possible by its reflector telescope, the Galhassin Robotic Telescope (GRT), with a 400mm aperture and a focal ratio of f3.8. The GRT offers a wide field of view spanning 83×83 arcminutes. The significant role played by the GRT in NEO observations has recently been recognized with the Shoemaker NEO Grant 2019 awarded by the Planetary Society of Pasadena, California.

 

Currently, the Gal Hassin is celebrating the confirmation of the 100th NEO through observations made with the GRT. These 100 NEOs confirmed by the GRT exhibit V magnitudes ranging from 15 to 20, with apparent velocities spanning from 0.1 to 200 arcseconds per minute. A comparison with other European facilities dedicated to NEO observations demonstrates the efficiency of the GRT in this field: it ranks among the top three facilities for confirming 70% of the NEOs and is the first facility for 40% of these NEOs. Furthermore, the GRT is among the top 20 observatories worldwide that contributed to NEO observations in 2022, according to the NEODyS portal. This activity will continue in the future thanks to the dedication of Gal Hassin astronomer A. Nastasi and INAF collaborators Giovanni Valsecchi (INAF-IAPS) e Mario di Martino (INAF – Astrophysical Observatory of Turin), and especially with the aid of the Wide-Field Mufara Telescope, a 1-meter telescope recently installed on Mount Mufara (1650 meters).

 

The figure (click here to view it in its entirety) illustrates the distribution of apparent velocity vs. magnitude for the 100 NEOs observed with the GRT. “L34” is the code assigned to the GRT by the Minor Planet Center.

 

Mario Giuseppe Guarcello  ( follow mariospiegacose) ( mariospiegacose) ( follow mariospiegacose)

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