Data mining of near‐Earth asteroids in the Subaru Suprime‐Cam archive

Abstract

As part of the EURONEAR project, almost 70,000 mosaic Suprime-Cam images taken between 1999 and 2013 were data-mined for about 9,800 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) known by 2013 May. Using our PRECOVERY server and the new Find Subaru CCD tool, we scrutinized 4,186 candidate CCD images possibly holding 518 NEAs. We found 113 NEAs as faint as V < 25 magnitude, their positions being measured in 589 images using Astrometrica, and then reported to the Minor Planet Center. Among them, 18 objects represent encounters of previously single opposition NEAs, their orbital arcs being extended by up to 10 years. In the second part of this work, we searched for unknown NEAs in 78 sequences (780 CCD fields) of 4-5 mosaic images selected from the same Suprime-Cam archive and totaling 16.6 deg 2 , with the aim to assess the faint NEA distribution observable with an 8-m class survey. A total of 2,018 moving objects were measured, from which we identified 18 better NEA candidates. Using the Rc filter in good weather conditions, mostly dark time and sky directions slightly biased towards the ecliptic, at least one NEA could be discovered in every 1 deg 2 surveyed. KEYWORDSminor planets, asteroids -solar system: general -astrometry -methods: data analysis -astronomical databases: miscellaneous † Based on data collected at Subaru Telescope and obtained from the SMOKA, which is operated by the Astronomy Data Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The total data transfer disk space used for this project was above 2.5 TB, being supported by Matei Conovici.

Mega-Archive and the EURONEAR tools for data mining world astronomical images

“…In 2013 we provided Find CCD Subaru 29 to search for known NEAs in the SuprimeCam archive [6]. In 2016 we extended this work to other few cameras, namely VST-OmegaCam, INT-WFC, VISTA-VIRCAM, CFHT-MegaCam, Blanco-DECam and Subaru-HSC.…”

NEARBY Platform for Automatic Asteroids Detection and EURONEAR Surveys

“…Since 2006, the European Near Earth Asteroids Research (EURONEAR) project aims to increase the European contribution in the NEO field using existing telescopes available in both hemispheres to the members of this network. In particular, it ameliorated orbits of about 1,500 known NEAs based on observations using mostly 1-2m class telescopes ( [26], [28], [30], [7]) and another 500 NEAs based on data mining of existing image archives of 2-8m class telescopes ( [27], [29], [31], [34]). This project involved many students and amateur astronomers who reduced the images and used Astrometrica software to visually search, measure and report all moving objects appearing in all frames, which included few dozen thousands main belt asteroids (MBAs).…”

Solar system astronomy with the 3.6-m DOT and the 4-m ILMT

“…Recent results can be found in Parker & Kavelaars (2010), who look to provide limits on the distant populations of the Trans Neptunian Objects. One of the newest references on this line of work is that of Vaduvescu et al (2017) who used images taken by the Subaru telescope with its Suprime-Cam. After accounting for already known asteroids in the 2018 moving objects measured over an area of 16.6 square degree, they were able to identify 18 Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) candidates.…”