ABSTRACT
There are various algorithms currently in use to detect asteroids from ground-based observatories, but they are generally restricted to linear or mildly curved movement of the target object across the field of view. Space based sensors in high inclination, low Earth orbits can induce significant parallax in a collected sequence of images, especially for objects at the typical distances of asteroids in the inner Solar System. This results in a highly non-linear motion pattern of the asteroid across the sensor, which requires a more sophisticated search pattern for detection processing. Both the classical pattern matching used in ground based asteroid search and the more sensitive matched filtering and synthetic tracking techniques, can be adapted to account for highly complex parallax motion. A new shift vector generation methodology is discussed along with its impacts on commonly used detection algorithms, processing load, and responsiveness to asteroid track reporting. The matched filter, template generator, and pattern matcher source code for the software described herein are available via GitHub.
ABSTRACT
The asteroid impact near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on 15 February 2013 was the largest airburst on Earth since the 1908 Tunguska event, causing a natural disaster in an area with a population exceeding one million. Because it occurred in an era with modern consumer electronics, field sensors, and laboratory techniques, unprecedented measurements were made of the impact event and the meteoroid that caused it. Here, we document the account of what happened, as understood now, using comprehensive data obtained from astronomy, planetary science, geophysics, meteorology, meteoritics, and cosmochemistry and from social science surveys. A good understanding of the Chelyabinsk incident provides an opportunity to calibrate the event, with implications for the study of near-Earth objects and developing hazard mitigation strategies for planetary protection.