Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Aug 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999noao.prop..379p&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #1999B-0379
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The number of known Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) is increasing at an accelerated rate due to new wide-field projects dedicated to the discovery of KBOs. However, if the effort and observing time spent on the discoveries of KBOs are to have any long-term scientific significance, then it is necessary and urgent that there be a similar effort dedicated to recovery observations. Recovery data with accurate astrometry will assure that the KBO orbits are determined well enough for future observations for physical studies (spectra, lightcurves, dynamical structure, etc.). We recently received an augmentation to our NASA Planetary Astronomy project (``Physical Studies of Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects'') specifically to fill this need of a focused project to aggressively recover Kuiper Belt objects to stem the tide of objects being lost after initial discovery. Our proposed observations will recover at least 60, possibly as many as 80 KBOs in this semester. We have an efficient and proven pipeline to find objects, provide sub- arcsecond absolute astrometry, calibrated photometry, and report results to the Minor Planet Center to refine the orbital elements.
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