Scientific Outputs

Overview of Main Results

NEOROCKS has:

• Implemented the orbit dynamics tools needed to optimise the selection of NEOs for follow-up physical observations.
• Attempted a rapid response experiment to test our ability to observe and characterize newly discovered objects within challenging response times (days). The coordinated contribution of scientific practices and industrial operational procedures demonstrated that by using existing EU assets it is possible to set-up an integrated imminent impactor rapid response system encompassing both dynamical and physical characterisation.
• Developed a data management system as the basis for a Technical Web Portal with a state-of-the art database of NEO physical properties. It is hosted inside the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC). Over 700 NEOs have been observed and characterised, while thousands of multi-filter observations of hundreds of NEOs have been extracted by public archives. The portal, whose major functionality is a comprehensive physical properties database is compliant by design with state-of-the-art internationally data management practices.

More information on our outputs can be found in the Final Newsletter and in the various publications below.

NEOROCKS, NEODyS and NEOScan

NEOROCKS links up and feeds into NEODyS and NEOScan. NEODyS provides information and services for all Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). NEOScan is a system dedicated to the scan of the Minor Planet Center NEO Confirmation Page (NEOCP). The goal is to identify asteroids as NEAs, MBAs or distant objects to confirm or remove from the NEOCP and to give early warning of imminent impactors, to trigger follow-up observations.

You can access the Main page of NEODyS from here.

Specific input from NEOROCKS can be found in the following tools:

• NEODyS Priority List: Known NEOs which need orbit consolidation with observations. Targets up to Vmag=22. Priority based on observational constraints and orbit quality;
• NEODyS Faint Object Priority List: Known NEOs prioritized as for the PL, but with Vmag up to 25. This is aimed for meter-class telescopes or above;
• NEOScan Priority List: NEO candidates on the NEO Confirmation Page. This page is very frequently updated and aims to drive observers to those targets that will be soon lost if not observed;
• NEOScan Ephemerides and Observation Predication: Ephemerides tool for NEO candidates on the NEOCP.

Publications

Plenty of further information on our scientific outputs is available in our publications.

• Popescu, M. et al (2020), Physical characterization of 2020 AV2, the first known asteroid orbiting inside Venus orbit, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 496, Issue 3 (August 2020) and Apophis T-9 Years: Knowledge Opportunities for the Science of Planetary Defense, 4-6 November 2020 (virtual)
• Ieva, S et al (2020), Extended photometric survey of near-Earth objects, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 644
• Sergeyev, A. & Carry, B (2021), A million asteroid observations in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 652
• Hromakina, t et all, Photometric survey of 55 near-earth asteroids, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 656
• Zinzi, A et al, The NEO Physical Properties Database of the Neorocks EU Project, 5th Planetary Data Workshop & Planetary Science Informatics & Analytics, June 28 – July 02 2021
• Simion, N. G., et al (2021), Spectral properties of near-Earth objects with low-Jovian Tisserand invariant, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 508, Issue 1
• Leva, S. et al (25 April 2022), A comprehensive study of the opposition effect on 15 NEOs
• Rożek, A. et al (09 March 2023), Observations of two superfast rotator NEAs: 2021 NY1 and 2022 AB, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 521, Issue 3*
• Rożek, A. et al (04 July 2022), Physical properties of near-Earth asteroid (2102) Tantalus from multi-wavelength observations, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 515, Issue 3
• Rożek, A. et al (01 March 2023), Orbital period change of Dimorphos due to the DART kinetic impact, Nature, Volume 616
• Sergeyev, A et al (2022), Multi-filter photometry of Solar System Objects from the SkyMapper Southern Survey, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 658, February 2022, A109
• Popescu, M. et al (02 December 2022), Mineralogical analysis of 14 PHAs from ViNOS data, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 519, Issue 2*
• Popescu, M. et al (June 21, 2023), Discovery and physical characterization as the first response to a potential asteroid collision: The case of 2023 DZ2, Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Barnardi, F. et al (2022 May), Apophis Planetary Defense Campaign, The Planetary Science Journal, Vol. 3, Issue 5
• Perna, D. et al (31 May 2023), Clustering the properties of near-Earth objects: Physico-dynamical links among NEOs, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 674, id.A50
• Popescu, M. et al, The physical properties of the near-Earth asteroid 2001 SG286, 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference (held virtually), 26-30 April, 2021
• Popescu, M. et al (2023), European perspectives for Apophis observing campaigns, Apophis T-7 Years: Knowledge Opportunities for the Science of Planetary Defense (held virtually), 10-12 May, 2023
• Popescu, M. et al (2023), Optical counterpart of NEAs observed with radar in the frame of the EU NEOROCKS project, Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Conference 2023, 18-23 June, 2023
• Dotto, E. et al  (Dec 12, 2022), The NEOROCKS Rapid Response Experiment: lessons learned and future developments, EU ESA Workshop on Imminent Impactors Warning Coordination, 12-14 December 2022
• Popescu, M. et al, NEOROCKS Characterization Program of Near-Earth Asteroids Previously Observed with Radar, XV Reunión de la Sociedad Española de Astronomía
• Morate, D. et al, The 99942 Apophis observational campaign at the Canary Islands observatories during its 2021 close approach: preliminary results, 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference 2021, held 26-30 April 2021 Onlne, id.1
• Popescu, M. et al (2021), Spectro-photometric studies of near-Earth asteroids using broad-band filters over the visible wavelengths, AAS Division of Planetary Science meeting #53, id. 306.08. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society., Vol. 53, No. 7
• Morate, D. et al (2022), The 2021 Apophis Close Approach Observational Campaign at the Canary Islands Observatories, Apophis T-7 Years: Knowledge Opportunities for the Science of Planetary Defense (held virtually), 11-12 May, 2022
• Popescu, M. et al, New near-infrared spectra of (594913) ‘Aylo’chaxnim, the first known asteroid orbiting inside Venus orbit, 16th Europlanet Science Congress 2022, 18-23 September 2022, id.EPSC2022-804
• Hromakina, T. et al, NEOROCKS project: surface properties of small near-Earth asteroids
• Popescu, M. et al (2022), The physical properties of the near-Earth asteroid 2001 SG286, 16th Europlanet Science Congress 2022, 18-23 September 2022, id.EPSC2022-1056
• Popescu, M. et al (2022), Mineralogical analysis of 14 PHAs from ViNOS data, 16th Europlanet Science Congress 2022, 18-23 September 2022, id.EPSC2022-722
• Popescu, M. et al (2022), Physical characterization of asteroid (4660) Nereus, 16th Europlanet Science Congress 2022, 18-23 September 2022, id.EPSC2022-984
• Popescu, M. et al (2022), NEOROCKS characterization programme of near-Earth asteroids previously observed with radar, 16th Europlanet Science Congress 2022, 18-23 September 2022, id.EPSC2022-570
• Banchi, S. et al (July 2022), NEOROCKS: An innovative and pragmatic approach to planetary defense, 44th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, 16-24 July, 2022
• Zinzi, A., et al, The NEOROCKS physical properties database present status and future perspectives, 2nd ESA NEO and debris detection conference, 24-26 January, 2023
• Perozzi, E. et al, A Rapid Response Experiment carried out by the EU NEOROCKS project, 2nd ESA NEO and debris detection conference, 24-26 January, 2023
• Zinzi, A. et al, The NEO Physical Properties Database of the Neorocks EU Project, 5th Planetary Data and PSIDA 2021 (LPI Contrib. No. 2549), 28 June-2 July 2021
• Giunta, A. et al (2020), A NEO Physical Properties database within the NEOROCKS EU project, Europlanet Science Congress 2020, 21 September – 9 October 2020
• Zinzi, A. et al (2023), NEO Data Services at SSDC , IVOA Northern Spring May 2023 Interoperability Meeting, 7-12 May 2023
• Zinzi, A. et al (2021), A NEO Physical Properties Database @SSDC, The IVOA May 2021 Interoperability Meeting, 25-28 May 2021
• Zinzi, A. et al, The NEO Physical Properties Database of the Neorocks EU Project, 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference, 26-30 April 2021

Europlanet Science Congress 2020

Neorocks was well represented at the ESP 2020, between 21 September 2020 – 9 October 2020:

• Popescu, M. et al (2020), Spectral properties of 2020 AV2, the first known asteroid orbiting inside Venus orbit
• Simion, N. G., et al (2020), Spectral characterization of near-Earth asteroids on cometary orbits
• Giunta, A et al (2020), A NEO Physical Properties database within the NEOROCKS EU project

7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference 2021

Here you can find some Neorockers’ presentations at the 7th IAA PDC, 26-30 April 2021. You can also catch the e-lighting talks on our YouTube Channel

• H. Medeiros et al (2021), Photometric analysis of NEOs in Arecibo supporting from NEOROCKS project,  (Virtual, e-poster)
• M. Popescu et al (2021), Simultaneous observations in four optical bands for near-Earth asteroids using TCS/MuSCAT2 instrument (Virtual, e-lighting talk)

Europlanet Science Congress 2021

Here you can access all the NEOROCKS abstracts from EPSC 2021 (13 – 24 September 2021)

• H. Medeiros, et al, Physical characterization of near-Earth asteroid (159402) 1999 AP10 in support of the Arecibo Planetary Radar Program within the NEOROCKS project
• E. Dotto, et al, The EU Project NEOROCKS — NEO Rapid Observation, Characterization, and Key Simulations Project
• J. de León, et al, NEOROCKS characterization programme of near-Earth asteroids previously observed with radar
• T. Hromakina, et al, NEOROCKS project: results from photometric survey of Near-Earth objects
• M. Lazzarin, et al, Visible spectroscopic survey of Near-Earth Asteroids from the Asiago Observatory within the NEOROCKS project
• Prasanna Deshapriya, J.D et al, Statistical clustering analysis of NEOs using their orbital parameters to find correlations with spectral classes
• Popescu, M et al, Simultaneous observations in four optical bands of near-Earth asteroids using TCS/MuSCAT2 instrument

73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2022

Main author: A. Martinez Mata, Co-authors: E. Perozzi, M. Ceccaroni – Addressing imminent impactors threat from distant retrograde orbits (DRO) – Abstract / Interactive poster