Asteroid radar astrometry
Abstract
Measurements of time delay and Doppler frequency are reported for asteroid-radar echoes obtained at Arecibo and Goldstone during 1980-1990. Radar astrometry is presented for 23 near-earth asteroids and three mainbelt asteroids. These measurements, which are orthogonal to optical, angular-position measurements, and typically have a fractional precision between 10 to the -5th and 10 to the -8th, permit significant improvement in estimates of orbits and hence in the accuracy of prediction ephemerides. Estimates are also reported of radar cross-section and circular polarization ratio for all asteroids observed astrometrically during 1980-1990.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1086/115975
- Bibcode:
- 1991AJ....102.1490O
- Keywords:
-
- Asteroids;
- Astrometry;
- Radar Astronomy;
- Asteroid Belts;
- Earth Orbital Environments;
- Astronomy