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Asteroid Hunting
March 07, 2003A lot of attention has been paid in recent years to the asteroid threat issue. The International Asteroid Patrol has been set up to monitor the flight of potentially dangerous celestial rocks in visual diapason. However, the accuracy of optical methods for determining the trajectory leaves much to be desired. That accounts for inaccuracy of numerous forecasts predicting the date when the space "killer" is to collide with the Earth.
The scientists of the Radio-Astronomical Institute (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) have suggested that RT-70 radio-telescope (located in the town of Yevpatoria) should be used to determine and refine the coordinates of selected asteroids. The radio-telescope is equipped with a special guidance system which permits to point the telescope at any spot in the sky. The specificity of RT-70 is its ability to perform two functions: to send radio signals into space and to receive them. There are only two of such universal telescopes in the world.
The Kharkov radio-astronomers have carried out the first radio-location session. The RT-70 telescope antenna radiated radio-frequency pulses in the direction of 1998 WT 24 asteroid, and the echo pulse was synchronously received by Russian and foreign radio-astronomers at several antennas simultaneously. Application of the radio-interferometry method, i.e. coordinated effort of several radio-telescopes located at a distance from each other, allowed to determine the celestial body coordinates at that point with the highest possible precision, and, consequently, to calculate its trajectory. A successful experiment of this type, which took place for the first time in the world, proved that the radio-location method could discover an asteroid, calculate peculiarities of its orbit and surface when it was at a large distance from the Earth.
This method is also applicable for discovering the space garbage. Thirty years of cosmonautics have contaminated the near-earth space with a lot of fragments of worn out space vehicles. Of course, as time passes, part of the debris falls down to the Earth and gets burnt in its atmosphere, but the remainder (dozens of thousands of fragments varying in dimensions) stay firmly in the geostationary orbits and can threaten spaceships. To efficiently track the movement of these fragments around the Earth and to avoid the collision when planning new launches and landings, a special catalogues were made and are continuously filled up with new and more precise data.
The study primarily involves optical devices and laser location. Experiments with RT-70 have proved that radio-location is able to help in compiling such catalogues. The Kharkov specialists sent signals from RT-70 radio-telescope in the direction of one of the fragments in the geostationary orbit, the signal reflection being steadily accepted by the English, French, Italian, Poles, etc., i.e. all the countries that have appropriate equipment. This allowed to determine the fragments dimensions, speed of rotation, orbit and other parameters necessary for the catalogue.
The research also involved the specialists from the Astro-Cosmic Center (Physical Institute of Academy of Sciences), Institute of Radio Electronics (Russian Academy of Sciences) and Institute of Applied Astronomy (Russian Academy of Sciences).
Informnauka (Informscience) Agency
Asteroid News and Current Asteroid Events RSSCosmic connections: Imperial scientist locates the origin of cosmic dust
The research, published in the journal Geology, shows that some of the cosmic dust falling to Earth comes from an ancient asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. This research improves our knowledge of the solar system, and could provide a new and inexpensive method for understanding space.
Tunguska catastrophe: Evidence of acid rain supports meteorite theory
The Tunguska event is regarded as one of the biggest natural disasters of modern times. On 30 June 1908 one or more explosions took place in the area close to the Tunguska River north of Lake Baikal. The explosion(s) flattened around 80 million trees over an area of more than 2000 square kilometres.
Discovery of the source of the most common meteorites
When observing with the GEMINI telescopes, two astronomers from Brazil and the United States discovered for the first time asteroids that are similar to "ordinary chondrites", the most common meteorites found on Earth. Until now, astronomers have failed to identify their asteroidal sources because of the various geologic processes that occur after the meteorites are ejected from their asteroidal parent body.
The Mystery of Mass Extinctions Is No Longer Murky
If you are curious about Earth's periodic mass extinction events such as the sudden demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, you might consider crashing asteroids and sky-darkening super volcanoes as culprits.
Ebb and flow of the sea drives world's big extinction events
If you are curious about Earth's periodic mass extinction events such as the sudden demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, you might consider crashing asteroids and sky-darkening super volcanoes as culprits.
Plutoid chosen as name for Solar System objects like Pluto
Almost two years after the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly introduced the category of dwarf planets, the IAU, as promised, has decided on a name for transneptunian dwarf planets similar to Pluto.
Engineering researcher seeks answers to asteroid deflection
An Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) has been established on the Iowa State campus to bring researchers from around the world to develop asteroid deflection technologies. The center was signed into effect in April by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
65-million-year-old asteroid impact triggered a global hail of carbon beads
The asteroid presumed to have wiped out the dinosaurs struck the Earth with such force that carbon deep in the Earth's crust liquefied, rocketed skyward, and formed tiny airborne beads that blanketed the planet.
UMd-led team finds ancient asteroids formed at solar system's start
Using visible and infrared data collected from telescopes on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a team of scientists, led by the University of Maryland's Jessica Sunshine, have identified three asteroids that appear to be among our Solar System's oldest objects.
Meteorites a rich source for primordial soup
The organic soup that spawned life on Earth may have gotten generous helpings from outer space, according to a new study. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have discovered concentrations of amino acids in two meteorites that are more than ten times higher than levels previously measured in other similar meteorites.
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