Ready for EURONEAR NEA surveys using the NEARBY moving source detection platform

• Published in: New astronomy Vol. 88; p. 101600
• Main Authors: Vaduvescu, O., Gorgan, D., Copandean, D., Bacu, V., Stefanut, T., Sabou, A., Nandra, C., Boldea, C., Pinter, V., Popescu, M., Petrescu, E., Bertesteanu, D., Davison, T., Pérez Toledo, F.M., Boldea, A., Predatu, M., Zegmott, T., Wilson, T.G., Hudin, L., Stanescu, M., Stanica, A., Buhulea, A., Stoica, A., Timpea, A., Anghel, S., Ciobanu, D., Toma, R., Casanova, V., Stecklum, B., Choque-Challapa, N., Short, P., Tudorica, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-10-2021
• Subjects: asteroid surveys; Moving object processing system (MOPS); near Earth asteroids (NEAs); software platform; software platform; asteroid surveys; Moving object processing system (MOPS); near Earth asteroids (NEAs)
• DOI: 10.1016/j.newast.2021.101600
• EISSN: 1384-1092
• ISSN: 1384-1076

•Between 2017 and 2019 we developed in Romania the NEARBY cloud-based online platform to reduce survey images, detect, validate and report in near real time asteroid detections and NEA candidates. In 2018 and 2019 we tested NEARBY during a few pilot mini-surveys observed with the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma. Two NEAs were discovered, recovered and reported promptly to MPC, other 4 recently discovered NEAs were confirmed, and other 22 Hungarias and 7 Mars crossing asteroids were discovered using NEARBY. We compare NEARBY with other few available software, presenting case study for possible future planned EURONEAR surveys.
In 2015 we started a PhD thesis aiming to write a moving objects processing system (MOPS) aimed to detect near Earth asteroids (NEAs) in astronomical surveys planned within the EURONEAR project. Based on this MOPS experience, in 2017 we proposed the NEARBY project to the Romanian Space Agency, which awarded funding to the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN) and the University of Craiovafor building a cloud-based online platform to reduce survey images, detect, validate and report in near real time asteroid detections and NEA candidates. The NEARBY platform was built and is available at UTCN since Feb 2018, being tested during 5 pilot surveys observed in 2017-2018 with the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma. Two NEAs were discovered in Nov 2018 (2018 VQ1 and 2018 VN3), being recovered and reported to MPC within 2 hours. Other 4 discovered NEAs were found from a few dozen possible NEA candidates promptly being followed, allowing us to discover 22 Hungarias and 7 Mars crossing asteroids using the NEARBY platform. Compared with other few available software, NEARBY could detect more asteroids (by 8-41%), but scores less than human detection (by about 10%). Using resulted data, the astrometric accurancy, photometric limits and an INT NEA survey case study are presented as guidelines for planning future surveys.