First Detection of Two Near‐Earth Asteroids With a Southern Hemisphere Planetary Radar System

Benson, Craig R.; Stacy, N.J.S.; Benner, L. A. M.; Edwards, P. G.; Baines, Graham; Boyce, Russell; Giorgini, Jon D.; Jao, Joseph S.; Martinez, George; Slade, M. A.; Teitelbaum, L.; Anabtawi, A.; Kahan, Daniel; Oudrhiri, Kamal; Philips, Ceri; Stevens, J.; Kruzins, Ed; Lazio, T. Joseph W.

doi:10.1002/2017rs006398

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…We employed a bistatic approach, for each day using one of the three Deep Space Network (DSN) C-band (7259 MHz, 4.1 cm) 20 kW power transmitters at the three Deep Space Stations, DSS-43, 35, and 36, of the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in Tidbinbilla with reception at the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in Narrabri, which is 566 km to the north. Our observation and data reduction techniques are similar to those described by Benson et al (2017a), Benson et al (2017b), andAbu-Shaban et al (2018) for previous NEA radar observations with the southern hemisphere planetary radar system that utilised the Parkes Radio Telescope to receive echoes at a transmitter frequency of 2.1 GHz. For 2003 SD220, we used the ATCA to receive echoes centred on 7159.45 MHz, a frequency that could not be received at Parkes.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 81%

Bistatic Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroid (163899) 2003 SD220 from the Southern Hemisphere

Horiuchi,

Molyneux,

Stevens

et al. 2020

Preprint

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We report results of Canberra-ATCA Doppler-only continuous wave (CW) radar observations of near-Earth asteroid (163899) 2003 SD220 at a receiving frequency of 7159 MHz (4.19 cm) on 2018 December 20, 21, and 22 during its close approach within 0.019 au (7.4 lunar distances). Echo power spectra provide evidence that the shape is significantly elongated, asymmetric, and has at least one relatively large concavity. An average spectrum per track yields an OC (opposite sense of circular polarisation) radar cross section of 0.39, 0.27, and 0.25 km 2 , respectively, with an uncertainty of 35 %. Variations by roughly a factor of two in the limb-to-limb bandwidth over the three days indicate rotation of an elongated object. We obtain a circular polarization ratio of 0.21 ± 0.07 that is consistent with, but somewhat lower than, the average among other S-class near-Earth asteroids observed by radar.

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Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 81%

Bistatic Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroid (163899) 2003 SD220 from the Southern Hemisphere

Horiuchi,

Molyneux,

Stevens

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…The DSS-14 is currently the main operational ground-based planetary radar, named the Goldstone Solar System Radar (GSSR), significantly employed for the observation of NEOs [28,29]: it observes NEOs for about 20% of its operational time. Also, the DSS-43 in Canberra has been performing, since 2015, planetary radar activities [30]. The DSS-63 is located at the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex owned by NASA/JPL, just outside of Madrid (Spain), in Robledo de Chavela.…”

Section: Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a European Facility for Ground-Based Radar Observations of Near-Earth Objects

Pupillo,

Righini,

Orosei

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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In this work, we present the preliminary results of radar observations of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) carried out by European radio telescopes in the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) project “NEO observation concepts for radar systems”, aimed at deriving the functional requirements of a planetary radar system, evaluating the available European assets to perform NEO radar observations, and carrying out test radar campaigns. In the first part of the project, we executed the performance analysis of a possible European planetary radar system. Instrumental features, as much as issues like the impact of weather conditions on signal propagation at different radio frequencies, were considered. This paper focused on the test campaigns, performed in the years 2021–2022 in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which led to the observation of several asteroids including 2021 AF8, (4660) Nereus, and 2005 LW3, which allowed us to derive astrometric measurements, as well as to measure physical properties, such as rotation periods, and observe how one of the targets is actually a binary asteroid. The obtained results demonstrated that European radio astronomical dishes, although employed only as receivers (in bistatic or multistatic configurations) and for a limited amount of time, are able to provide a significant contribution to the constitution of a European network to increase the opportunities for NEO monitoring and studies, if a transmitting antenna—equipped with a suitable high-power transmitter—were made available.

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“…In 2015 the Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Program (SHARP) (Benson et al, 2017) began its first radar observations using available antenna time on the 70 and 34 m beam waveguide antennas located at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep space debris—Detection of potentially hazardous asteroids and objects from the southern hemisphere

Kruzins,

Benner,

Boyce

et al. 2023

Front. Space Technol.

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Space debris are composed of both natural and human made objects, some in near Earth orbits while others are passing through deep space. Asteroids may represent one form of near Earth and deep space debris. In this article we report on a set of asteroid observations from the southern hemisphere. We indicate that Apollo and Aten class asteroids represent another form of deep space debris of a potentially hazardous nature to orbiting spacecraft and/or Earth based locations. We also show some of the operational challenges, types of facilities and the importance of geographic diversity, that is, necessary for detecting, observing and characterising asteroids, especially PHA’s. For many years, space agencies and institutions have observed and monitored near Earth asteroids and objects (NEO’s) using high gain radio frequency antennas and optical telescopes in the northern hemisphere (GSSR, Arecibo, Catalina, Pan-STARRS, Atlas and Linear) 1) However a regular operational system to monitor the southern skies does not have the same level of maturity and is where a percentage of asteroids and various human made objects are not detected until they pass into northern skies. To fill that gap the Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Program (SHARP) 2) located in Australia uses available antenna time on either a 70 or 34 m beam waveguide antenna located at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) to transmit a Doppler compensated continuous radio wave at 2.114 GHz (14.2 cm) and 7.15945 GHz (4.2 cm) toward the NEO and receive its echoes at the 64 m Parkes or 6 m × 22 m Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) antennas at Narrabri in Australia. This mode of NEO observation is termed a deep space bistatic radar. The southern hemisphere program has also recently been joined by the 12 m University of Tasmania antennas at Hobart (Tasmania) and Katherine (Northern Territory). Combining SHARPS bistatic radar with small optical apertures located at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and University of Western Australia (UWA) allows combined optical/RF NEO detections. Whilst sub-metre class optical instruments have contributed independently to asteroid detection over decades, the use of coordinated small 0.3–0.5 m instruments synchronized to large asteroid radars offers an observational flexibility and adaptability when larger optical systems 3) are dedicated to other forms of professional optical astronomy. Since 2015, SHARP has illuminated and tracked over 30 NEO’s ranging in diameter from 7 to 5000 m at ranges of 0.1–18 lunar distances (LD) from Australia.

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First Detection of Two Near‐Earth Asteroids With a Southern Hemisphere Planetary Radar System

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Bistatic Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroid (163899) 2003 SD220 from the Southern Hemisphere

Bistatic Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroid (163899) 2003 SD220 from the Southern Hemisphere

Toward a European Facility for Ground-Based Radar Observations of Near-Earth Objects

Deep space debris—Detection of potentially hazardous asteroids and objects from the southern hemisphere

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