Radar observations
Radar astronomy is one of the most effective methods of Earth-based remote sensing of asteroids, comets and planets of the solar system. The size, shape, spin period, high spatial resolution radar maps, surface and subsurface physical properties can be obtained using radar observations. Such observations suggest a transmitting and receiving antenna systems, a highly sensitive equipment for detecting echo signals and a software for observations scheduling and data processing. The Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAA RAS) regularly participates in international radar observations of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) [1,2] and the Moon. Usually, the sources of radio signals are the 70-meter antenna of the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (USA) and, until 2021, the 305-meter radio telescope located at the Arecibo Observatory (Puerto Rico), equipped with powerful transmitters. Detection of signals reflected from asteroids is performed with 32-meter or 13.2-meter radio telescopes of the Russian VLBI Network Quasar. The first radar observations in IAA RAS were carried out in July 2015 in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology and the Goldstone Observatory. The object of study was the potentially hazardous asteroid 2011 UW158 during its close approach to the Earth.
Observations of NEOs
Observation Date | Object | Notes |
---|---|---|
2021 Dec 04-21 | 2003 SD220 | Asteroid |
2021 Dec 04-10 | 4660 Nereus | Asteroid |
2021 May 03 | 2021 AF8 | Asteroid |
2020 Nov 30 | 2020 SO | Artificial Object |
2020 Apr 19-22 | 1998 OR2 | Asteroid |
2018 Dec 17-22 | 2003 SD220 | Asteroid |
2018 Mar 05 | 2017 VR12 | Asteroid |
2017 Sep 04 | 3122 Florence | Triple Asteroid |
2017 Apr 18-20 | 2003 BD44 | Asteroid |
2017 Apr 18-20 | 2014 JO25 | Asteroid |
2016 Oct 31 | 2003 YT1 | Binary Asteroid |
2016 Oct 29 | 2003 TL4 | Asteroid |
2015 Jul 18-19 | 2011 UW158 | Asteroid |
Observations of the Moon
Observation Date | Region | Notes |
---|---|---|
2021 Sep 07 | Tycho | Crater |
2021 Sep 07 | Mare Serenitatis | Lunar mare |
2021 Sep 07 | Rima Hadley | Rille, Apollo 15 landing region |
2021 Sep 01 | Archimedes | Crater |
2020 Oct 26-29 | Archimedes | Crater |
2020 Aug 13 | Mare Imbrium | Lunar mare |
2019 Apr 26 | Mare Imbrium | Lunar mare, Chang'e 3 landing region |
Observations of Planets
Observation Date | Planet |
---|---|
2022 Jan 22 | Venus |
Potential radar targets in 2022-23
Close-Approach Date | Object | H |
D, m |
P, h |
R, au |
R, LD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 Jan 18 | 1994 PC1 | 16.6 | 1052 (±303) | 2.6 | 0.01325 | 5.15 |
2022 Mar 04 | 2001 CB21 | 18.4 | 560-1300 | 3.3 | 0.03283 | 12.78 |
2022 Apr 28 | 2008 AG33 | 19.4 | 350-780 | - | 0.02167 | 8.43 |
2022 May 27 | 1989 JA | 17.5 | 1800 | 12.0 | 0.02690 | 10.47 |
2022 Nov 23 | 2005 LW3 | 21.6 | 130-280 | - | 0.00762 | 2.97 |
2022 Dec 27 | 2010 XC15 | 21.4 | 140-310 | - | 0.00516 | 2.01 |
2023 Feb 03 | 2011 AG5 | 21.9 | 110-250 | - | 0.01215 | 4.73 |
2023 Feb 16 | 2005 YY128 | 18.2 | 600-1300 | - | 0.03073 | 11.96 |
2023 Apr 13 | 2012 KY3 | 18.5 | 540-1200 | - | 0.03198 | 12.44 |
2023 Apr 26 | 2006 HV5 | 19.8 | 307 (±76) | - | 0.01618 | 6.30 |
2023 Jun 12 | 1994 XD | 19.1 | 400-900 | 2.7 | 0.02114 | 8.23 |
2023 Jun 15 | 2020 DB5 | 19.3 | 370-820 | - | 0.02880 | 11.21 |
2023 Jul 12 | 2018 UY | 20.6 | 200-450 | - | 0.01904 | 7.41 |
2023 Oct 15 | 2011 GA | 20.8 | 180-410 | - | 0.01744 | 6.79 |
2023 Oct 17 | 1998 HH49 | 21.3 | 150-330 | - | 0.00784 | 3.05 |
2023 Nov 02 | 2003 UC20 | 18.3 | 1876 (±37) | 29.6 | 0.03511 | 13.66 |
2023 Dec 06 | 2001 QQ142 | 18.4 | 550-1200 | - | 0.03694 | 14.38 |
Publications
Related Links
Remarks
This website section is maintained by Dr. Yuri Bondarenko and Dr. Dmitrii Marshalov.
This work was supported by the Russian Scientific Foundation grant No. 16-12-00071.