A. Mainzer, T. Grav, J. Masiero, J. Bauer, R. M. Cutri, R. S. McMillan, C. R. Nugent, D. Tholen, R. Walker, E. L. Wright
Enhancements to the science data processing pipeline of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WISE) mission, collectively known as NEOWISE, resulted in the detection of $>$158,000 minor planets in four infrared wavelengths during the fully cryogenic portion of the mission. Following the depletion of its cryogen, NASA's Planetary Science Directorate funded a four month extension to complete the survey of the inner edge of the Main Asteroid Belt and to detect and discover near-Earth objects (NEOs). This extended survey phase, known as the NEOWISE Post-Cryogenic Survey, resulted in the detection of $\sim$6500 large Main Belt asteroids and 88 NEOs in its 3.4 and 4.6 $\mu$m channels. During the Post-Cryogenic Survey, NEOWISE discovered and detected a number of asteroids co-orbital with the Earth and Mars, including the first known Earth Trojan. We present preliminary thermal fits for these and other NEOs detected during the 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-Cryogenic Surveys.
View original:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.0502
No comments:
Post a Comment