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Paper   IPM / Astronomy / 13052
School of Astronomy
  Title:   739 observed NEAs and new 2-4 m survey statistics within the EURONEAR network
  Author(s): 
1.  O. Vaduvescu
2.  M. Birlan
3.  A. Tudorica
4.  M. Popescu
5.  F. Colas
6.  D.J. Asher
7.  A. Sonka
8.  O. Suciu
9.  D. Lacatus
10.  A. Paraschiv
11.  T. Badescu
12.  O. Tercu
13.  A. Dumitriu
14.  A. Chirila
15.  B. Stecklum
16.  J. Licandro
17.  A. Nedelcu
18.  E. Turcu
19.  F. Vachier
20.  L. Beauvalet
21.  F. Taris
22.  L. Bouquillon
23.  F. Pozo Nunez
24.  J.P. Colque Saavedra
25.  E. Unda-Sanzana
26.  M. Karami
27.  H.G. Khosroshahi
28.  R. Toma
29.  H. Ledo
30.  A. Tyndall
31.  L. Patrick
32.  D. Fohring
33.  D. Muelheims
34.  G. Enzian
35.  D. Klaes
36.  D. Lenz
37.  P. Mahlberg
38.  Y. Ordenes
39.  K. Sendlinger
  Status:   Published
  Journal: Planetary and Space Science
  Vol.:  85
  Year:  2013
  Pages:   299-311
  Supported by:  IPM
  Abstract:
We report follow-up observations of 477 program Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) using nine telescopes of the EURONEAR network having apertures between 0.3 and 4.2 m. Adding these NEAs to our previous results we now count 739 program NEAs followed-up by the EURONEAR network since 2006. The targets were selected using EURONEAR planning tools focusing on high priority objects. Analyzing the resulting orbital improvements suggests astrometric follow-up is most important days to weeks after discovery, with recovery at a new opposition also valuable. Additionally we observed 40 survey fields spanning three nights covering 11 square degrees near opposition, using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), resulting in 104 discovered main belt asteroids (MBAs) and another 626 unknown one-night objects. These fields, plus program NEA fields from the INT and from the wide field MOSAIC II camera on the Blanco 4 m telescope, generated around 12000 observations of 2000 minor planets (mostly MBAs) observed in 34 square degrees. We identify Near Earth Object (NEO) candidates among the unknown (single night) objects using three selection criteria. Testing these criteria on the (known) program NEAs shows that the best selection method is our �?-μ model which checks solar elongation and sky motion and the MPC's NEO rating tool. Our new data show that on average 0.5 NEO candidates per square degree should be observable in a 2 m-class survey (in agreement with past results), while an average of 2.7 NEO candidates per square degree should be observable in a 4 m-class survey (although our Blanco statistics were affected by clouds). At opposition just over 100 MBAs (1.6 unknown to every 1 known) per square degree are detectable to R=22 in a 2 m survey based on the INT data (in accordance with other results), while our two best ecliptic Blanco fields away from opposition lead to 135 MBAs (2 unknown to every 1 known) to R=23.

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