1 research outputs found
NEOExchange -- An online portal for NEO and Solar System science
Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) has deployed a network of ten identical 1-m
telescopes to four locations. The global coverage and flexibility of the LCO
network makes it ideal for discovery, follow-up, and characterization of all
Solar System objects, and especially Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). We describe the
"LCO NEO Follow-up Network" which makes use of the LCO network of robotic
telescopes and an online, cloud-based web portal, NEOexchange, to perform
photometric characterization and spectroscopic classification of NEOs and
follow-up astrometry for both confirmed NEOs and unconfirmed NEO candidates.
The follow-up astrometric, photometric, and spectroscopic characterization
efforts are focused on those NEO targets that are due to be observed by the
planetary radar facilities and those on the NHATS lists. Astrometry allows us
to improve target orbits, making radar observations possible for objects with a
short arc or large orbital uncertainty and also allows for the detection and
measurement of the Yarkovsky effect on NEOs. Photometric & spectroscopic data
allows us to determine the light curve shape and amplitude, measure rotation
periods, determine the taxonomic classification, and improve the overall
characterization of these targets. We describe the NEOexchange follow-up portal
and the methodology adopted which allows the software to be packaged and
deployed anywhere, including in off-site cloud services. This allows
professionals, amateurs, and citizen scientists to plan, schedule and analyze
NEO imaging and spectroscopy data using the LCO network and acts as a
coordination hub for the NEO follow-up efforts. We illustrate these
capabilities with examples of first period determinations for radar-targeted
NEOs and its use to plan and execute multi-site photometric and spectroscopic
observations of (66391) 1999 KW4, the subject of the most recent planetary
defense exercise campaign.Comment: 35 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Icarus. Available on the web at
https://lco.global/neoexchange/ code available from GitHub at
https://github.com/LCOGT/neoexchange