Minor Planet Search Using TOAST

1
Minor Planet Search Using TOAST
Simulation In addition to the actual search, a
program was written using the FORTRAN programming
language. This program utilized
statistics provided by the Minor Planet Center
webpage to simulate the outcome of a search such
as ours. The program uses parameters such as the
limit of how faint an object TOAST can detect to
make the simulation as accurate as possible.
This program computes approximately how many
minor planets could possibly be found in a
certain number of days. Results of several
computations are shown in figure 2.
Abstract This research project used TOAST
(Transient Object Automated Search Telescope) to
perform a search for new minor planets and take
observations of known minor planets (more
commonly known as asteroids). A set search
pattern was used during the month of July and
observations submitted to the Minor Planet
Center. In addition to the actual search a
simulation program was written which predicts how
many new asteroids might possibly be discovered.
Joel G. Downs and Timothy R. Young
Physics Department -University of North Dakota
Motivation The motivation for finding new
asteroids is to increase the database of known
asteroids and therefore increase the knowledge
about the structure of our solar system. In
addition, observations of known asteroids are
used to update orbital data. Asteroids play an
important role in understanding the creation of
our solar system, they are thought to be
remnants of planetary creation (Binzel, 1989).
The more data that we are able to gather, the
better the theoretical models of solar creation
will be. In addition to this, there are
many potentially hazardous asteroids which come
quite close to the Earths orbit. By scanning
the sky in search of asteroids we can find these
asteroids and possibly prevent a cataclysmic
event.
Results The search pattern was able to take
about 50 to 60 images a night, resulting in 25 to
30 areas of the sky searched per night and 320
total areas in 13 nights of observing. The
search did not discover any new asteroids. These
results were not unexpected after running the
simulation program. As you can see in figure 2,
a much longer search period would be needed to
discover a minor planet within the limitations of
TOAST. Observations of several known asteroids
were taken and these were submitted to the Minor
Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian
Observatory. The asteroids reported were number
690 Wratislavia and number 1457 Ankara. The
observations were acknowledged by Harvard and
were accepted as good observations.
Figure 1 TOAST
TOAST (fig. 1) The Transient Object Automated
Search Telescope is a 10 Meade LX200 telescope
mounted inside a robotic dome and controlled by a
computer. The images in the search were taken
by an SBIG ST-7e CCD camera attached to the
telescope. Software packages used in conjunction
with the telescope were CCDsoft, The Sky, and
Digital Domeworks (Young).
Future Work In the future the search can be
conducted over a longer period of time. This
would greatly increase chances of finding an
asteroid. In addition, using a telescope with
fewer limitations would also increase the
likelihood of finding an asteroid. One
improvement would be to use a larger telescope.
This would allow us to see fainter
objects. Gamma Ray Burst Detection Another
program along with the asteroid search and
follow-up observations will be a new pilot
program to detect the optical afterglow of gamma
ray bursts. This is a new area for small robotic
telescopes that will aid in the understanding of
how gamma ray bursts are produced and the objects
that produce them. Currently it is thought that
hypernovae are responsible.
Search Method Each night in July that was clear
enough to observe, TOAST was used to search in a
straight pattern through the asteroid belt.
Images were taken along a line for a half hour
and then the pattern was repeated, giving
two images of each area in an hour. The images
were then compared to see if any objects were
moving across the star field in that area. This
comparison involves aligning the two images and
then blinking them. The blinking process is a
lot like a rapid slide show, flashing one image
right after the other. Figure 3 shows three
images of the minor planet Euterpe taken in an
hour and then shows these three Images combined.
Euterpe is circled in green and a reference star
is circled in yellow.
References Binzel, Richard P., T. Gehrels, and
M. Shapley Matthews. 1989. Asteroids II. The
University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, AZ. MPC
Submission Information, Minor Planet
Center, http//cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/info/TechIn
fo.html, July 15, 2003 Young, Timothy R. TOAST
Presentation Poster. 2003.
This research is supported by 1. NASA ND EPSCoR
NCC5-582 2. AAS small grants program 3. NSF
EPSCoR EPS-9874802 4. ND EPSCoR AURA program