New Delhi: Most of the asteroids in the Solar System occupy the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, there are populations of asteroids distributed throughout the Solar System, and those within 1.3 astronomical units (AU) of the Sun are considered to be near Earth asteroids (NEAs). The Earth is a at a distance of one AU from the Sun.
New asteroids are primarily discovered now through transient sky surveys, where astronomical instruments monitor portions of the sky for objects that appear to change their brightness or positions. The extended exposure times used by these surveys result in streaked images, reducing the accuracy for the necessary measurements of orbital parameters, which in turn can be used to predict the orbits of the asteroids.
Now, according to a report in China Global Television Network (CGTN), researchers from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory in Ukraine have pioneered a technique known as rotating-drift-scan (RDS) charged coupled device (CCD), that allows the asteroids to be imaged as a point source even with long exposure times.
Leveraging a massive dataset
The researchers used an extensive dataset of over 11,000 positional measurements of 500 NEAs captured by small 50 cm telescopes in the Chinese city of Xi’an and the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. The observations in Xi’an were conducted between 2019 and 2023, while the ones in Mykolaiv between 2011 and 2022.
The new technique can be used to setup a network of small aperture telescopes, that can be used to enhance the global asteroid monitoring system. By hunting down more asteroids and characterising their orbits more precisely, scientists can identify potential impactors sooner, and take steps to mitigate the damage from the impact, or even deflect the asteroid and put in on a safer trajectory. A paper describing the research has been published in the Astronomical Journal.
Chennai: Reacting to Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai’s claim that former AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha was a “far superior” Hindutva leader, expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala said it only shows the ignorance of the BJP leader. Jayalalitha had faith in God; But not in religion’. BJP state president Annamalai calling former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa a Tamil Nadu States News India: Top News India, States News, States News Headlines, Online State News India, State Politics news
