Campo Imperatore Near-Earth Object Survey


see

The CINEOS program, started in 2001, is dedicated to the discovery and follow-up of near-Earth objects, namely asteroids and comets which periodically approach or intersect the Earth's orbit. In particular CINEOS is addressed to the discovery of Atens and Interior-Earth Objects by extending survey coverage at small solar elongations, and to the discovery of the other kind of NEOs by observing with longer exposures in the opposition region.
Between August 2001 and November 2004, CINEOS measured more than 61000 asteroid positions and discovered more than 1500 new objects, including several NEOs and one Centaur. In June–September 2003, CINEOS was ranked fifth in the world for the number of discoveries and has been the first Italian professional program to discover a NEO and an asteroid beyond the orbit of Jupiter.
The survey is carried out at the Campo Imperatore station of the Rome Observatory near the summit of the Gran Sasso Mountain, at about 2,150 meters of elevation. The station is located about 130 km north-east of Rome. Longitude and latitude are respectively 13.5581° East and 42.4442° North. The Observatory of Turin has been also involved in this project. Operated at the Schmidt telescope available at the station, the program uses between 10 and 14 nights per month, usually around the first and last quarter of the moon.

Objectives

The science of CINEOS consists of two main observing activities:

NEO discovery

To search for near-Earth objects, concentrating activities at small solar elongations. The objective is to optimize a ground-based system towards the discoveries of:
Although the NEO discovery rate grew significantly from 2001 to 2005, knowledge of bodies with small semimajor axis remains largely incomplete or totally incomplete. Most search programs concentrate their efforts near the opposition region where it is difficult if not impossible to find these objects.
Aten asteroids are also very important because numerical simulations have shown that they have the highest frequency of close encounters with the Earth. Sometimes Atens can evolve into orbits completely inside that of the Earth and vice versa. Thus, there are bodies that can come very close to the Earth, but are very difficult to observe from the ground.

Astrometry

The second goal of CINEOS is to provide rapid astrometric data for:
The survey activity is carried out mostly at the beginning and near the end of the night, while part of the middle of night time is usually available for the follow-up work. As a targeted follow-up system, CINEOS takes advantage of the combination of the relatively faint limiting magnitude and large field of view. Follow-up can be provided up to magnitude 21, occasionally to 22 on the best nights.
Coordination of the follow-up work will be accomplished within the Spaceguard Central Node facilities. An essential side of the work is to choose targets that cannot be done elsewhere very easily during the epoch of the observing run.

List of discovered minor planets

39335 Caccin10 January 2002
39336 Mariacapria11 January 2002
52030 Maxvasile6 August 2002
64975 Gianrix10 January 2002
65357 Antoniucci12 July 2002
73442 Feruglio10 July 2002
73465 Buonanno10 July 2002
22 July 2003
24 July 2003
30 July 2003
18 August 2003
78124 Cicalò11 July 2002
78125 Salimbeni11 July 2002
78249 Capaccioni4 August 2002
78252 Priscio5 August 2002
78310 Spoto5 August 2002
78534 Renmir6 September 2002
78535 Carloconti6 September 2002
78652 Quero3 October 2002
78661 Castelfranco2 October 2002
20 August 2003
22 August 2003
22 August 2003
22 August 2003
18 September 2003

5 August 2002
3 September 2002
5 September 2002
6 September 2002
7 September 2002
8 September 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
4 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002
23 February 2003
24 February 2003
26 February 2003
25 February 2003
24 April 2003
23 April 2003
23 April 2003
25 April 2003

19 September 2003
20 September 2003
19 May 2004
10 June 2004
8 August 2004
5 November 2004
5 November 2004
18 November 2004
21 November 2004
11 December 2004
13 December 2004
30 April 2005
2 October 2002
10 March 2003
10 March 2003
26 March 2003
26 March 2003
10 January 2002
9 January 2002
9 January 2002
9 January 2002
9 January 2002
11 July 2002
26 February 2003
26 February 2003

9 August 2004
9 August 2004
10 December 2004
10 January 2002
10 January 2002
10 January 2002
11 January 2002
10 July 2002
11 July 2002
6 August 2002
24 July 2003
29 July 2003
29 July 2003
19 August 2003
18 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
20 August 2003
23 August 2003
18 September 2003
133296 Federicotosi19 September 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
19 September 2003

25 April 2003
20 September 2003
16 March 2004
16 March 2004
27 April 2005
28 May 2005
26 August 2005
5 August 2002
8 September 2002
2 October 2002
25 April 2003
16 March 2004
10 August 2004
25 August 2005
1 August 2002
7 September 2002
2 October 2002
25 February 2003
26 February 2003
22 July 2003
16 March 2004
14 May 2004
10 June 2004
25 August 2005
10 January 2002

23 April 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
16 March 2004
10 June 2004
7 July 2004
6 August 2004
11 August 2004
15 August 2004
10 January 2002
10 July 2002
26 February 2003
25 February 2003
26 February 2003
10 March 2003
26 March 2003
27 March 2003
23 April 2003
18 September 2003
6 August 2004
8 August 2004
10 August 2004
5 November 2004
17 November 2004

24 April 2003
9 July 2003
21 July 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
17 September 2003
18 September 2003
19 September 2003
19 September 2003
20 September 2003
10 December 2004
8 January 2005
10 July 2002
10 July 2002
5 August 2002
6 August 2002
3 September 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002
21 July 2003
22 July 2003
22 July 2003

2 August 2002
26 March 2003
26 July 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
20 August 2003
18 September 2003
17 October 2003
31 August 2005
8 September 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
4 October 2002
4 October 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002
27 March 2003
18 September 2003
19 September 2003
19 September 2003
20 September 2003
20 September 2003
19 May 2004
11 July 2002
6 August 2002

25 August 2005
10 January 2002
12 January 2002
5 August 2002
5 August 2002
4 September 2002
2 October 2002
5 October 2002
25 February 2003
26 February 2003
25 February 2003
19 August 2003
23 April 2004
8 August 2004
9 August 2004
8 August 2004
7 August 2004
10 December 2004
27 April 2005
25 August 2005
26 August 2005
25 August 2005
15 March 2004
16 March 2004
16 March 2004

4 September 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
21 September 2003
20 September 2003
20 September 2003
7 July 2004
8 August 2004
8 September 2004
18 November 2004
10 January 2002
11 January 2002
9 July 2002
11 July 2002
11 July 2002
5 August 2002
9 September 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002
24 February 2003
24 February 2003
25 February 2003
27 March 2003
23 April 2003
22 July 2003

8 August 2004
7 August 2004
7 August 2004
8 August 2004
8 August 2004
10 August 2004
12 August 2004
8 September 2004
5 November 2004
5 November 2004
17 November 2004
11 December 2004
10 December 2004
13 December 2004
14 December 2004
10 January 2002
10 January 2002
10 January 2002
6 August 2002
3 August 2002
3 September 2002
7 September 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002
2 October 2002

18 September 2003
19 November 2003
31 January 2004
5 November 2004
5 November 2004
17 November 2004
11 December 2004
11 December 2004
8 January 2005
6 April 2005
10 January 2002
11 January 2002
10 July 2002
11 July 2002
5 August 2002
4 October 2002
22 July 2003
22 July 2003
19 August 2003
21 August 2003
23 August 2003
21 September 2003
19 September 2003
20 September 2003
8 August 2004

22 August 2003
19 September 2003
15 March 2004
6 August 2004
6 August 2004
11 December 2004
14 December 2004
8 January 2005
10 July 2002
5 August 2002
4 October 2002
26 March 2003
18 September 2003
20 September 2003
8 August 2004
30 April 2005
27 May 2005
5 August 2002
3 October 2002
20 August 2003
16 March 2004
8 January 2005
1 August 2005
10 January 2002
3 October 2002

25 August 2005
5 August 2002
2 October 2002
22 July 2003
29 July 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
22 August 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
7 August 2004
7 August 2004
5 November 2004
17 November 2004
18 November 2004
18 November 2004
11 December 2004
11 December 2004
11 December 2004
12 December 2004
25 August 2005
26 August 2005
9 September 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002

10 July 2002
5 August 2002
22 July 2003
23 August 2003
8 August 2004
11 December 2004
1 July 2005
9 January 2002
3 September 2002
9 September 2002
3 October 2002
28 November 2002
25 February 2003
25 February 2003
26 March 2003
26 March 2003
26 March 2003
23 April 2003
25 April 2003
18 August 2003
20 August 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
7 August 2004
5 November 2004

6 August 2004
14 August 2004
9 November 2005
17 June 2002
9 July 2002
5 August 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
25 April 2003
25 April 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
21 August 2003
21 August 2003
7 August 2004
10 August 2004
25 August 2005
23 February 2003
25 February 2003
28 March 2003
18 August 2003
21 August 2003

16 March 2004
16 July 2004
6 August 2004
7 August 2004
7 August 2004
12 August 2004
28 May 2005
9 November 2005
10 January 2002
10 January 2002
11 July 2002
5 August 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002
23 April 2003
18 August 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
19 August 2003
20 August 2003
21 August 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
18 May 2004

24 June 2004
6 July 2004
7 August 2004
17 November 2004
10 December 2004
14 December 2004
8 January 2005
15 January 1997
10 January 2002
6 August 2002
5 August 2002
5 August 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
27 March 2003
22 July 2003
19 August 2003
18 August 2003
22 August 2003
23 August 2003
17 September 2003
19 September 2003
18 September 2003
19 September 2003

14 December 2004
9 February 2005
16 March 2004
27 November 2002
20 August 2003
19 September 2003
19 September 2003
17 November 2004
18 November 2004
14 December 2004
25 August 2005
10 February 2005
25 April 2003
20 August 2003
10 August 2004
25 February 2003
22 July 2003
8 January 2005
10 January 2002
11 January 2002
9 January 2002
5 August 2002
6 August 2002
2 October 2002
3 October 2002

17 November 2004
11 December 2004
11 December 2004
10 December 2004
12 December 2004
15 December 2004
14 December 2004
4 July 2005
26 August 2005
25 August 2005
25 August 2005
27 August 2005
8 January 2005
18 July 2004
12 October 2001
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
26 February 2003
10 March 2003
8 August 2004
14 August 2004
17 November 2004
9 January 2002
13 June 2002
1 August 2002

20 September 2003
20 September 2003
20 September 2003
8 January 2005
31 August 2005
3 August 2002
21 August 2003
4 September 2003
18 September 2003
11 August 2004
8 September 2004
13 December 2004
28 October 2005
23 April 2004
23 February 2003
23 February 2003
30 July 2003
22 August 2003
16 March 2004
21 May 2004
17 November 2004
17 November 2004
10 December 2004
15 August 2004
24 February 2003

20 September 2003
10 June 2004
10 August 2004
17 November 2004
25 August 2005
26 August 2005
25 August 2005
30 August 2005
22 August 2003
20 September 2003
11 July 2002
11 July 2002
23 February 2003
19 September 2003
20 September 2003
13 December 2004
4 July 2005
10 July 2002
1 August 2002
8 September 2002
3 October 2002
4 October 2002
24 February 2003
18 August 2003
19 September 2003

10 December 2004
25 August 2005
21 August 2003
9 January 2002
11 July 2002
8 September 2002
3 October 2002
2 October 2002
25 February 2003
26 March 2003
18 August 2003
19 September 2003
15 May 2004
19 May 2004
10 June 2004
7 August 2004
30 July 2005
25 August 2005
27 August 2005
11 July 2002
18 August 2003
20 August 2003
19 September 2003
17 September 2003
7 August 2004

19 August 2003
12 January 2002
10 July 2002
21 September 2003
7 July 2004
9 August 2004
10 August 2004
15 August 2004
6 August 2004
23 February 2003
6 August 2002
2 October 2002
19 August 2003
2 August 2005
9 August 2004
21 August 2003
16 May 2004
8 August 2004
11 July 2002
7 August 2004
18 May 2004
9 September 2002
26 February 2003
25 April 2003
24 July 2003

19 September 2003
9 August 2004
2 August 2002
3 September 2002
4 October 2002
3 October 2002
3 October 2002
22 August 2003
18 September 2003
16 March 2004
21 May 2004
7 August 2004
8 August 2004
15 December 2004
31 August 2005
12 December 2004
2 August 2002
2 August 2002
8 September 2002
2 October 2002
27 February 2003
22 July 2003
20 August 2003
13 June 2005
1 August 2005

17 September 2003
19 September 2003
8 September 2004
15 May 2004
11 December 2004
17 November 2004
3 August 2002
3 September 2002
3 October 2002
26 April 2003
6 July 2004
17 November 2004
12 December 2004
13 December 2004
17 November 2004
5 September 2002
13 August 2004
20 August 2003
10 December 2004
20 September 2003
23 February 2003
21 April 2004
26 February 2003
19 September 2003
26 March 2003

19 August 2003
22 August 2003
18 September 2003
18 September 2003
22 June 2004
8 August 2004
7 August 2004
12 August 2004
15 August 2004
18 November 2004
12 May 2005
31 August 2005
20 November 2004
7 August 2004
15 May 2004
5 April 2005
18 August 2003
18 May 2004
5 August 2002
18 August 2003
21 August 2003
21 August 2003
4 September 2003
31 January 2004
6 August 2004

19 August 2003
17 November 2004
27 February 2003
20 August 2003
7 August 2004
21 August 2003
19 September 2003
18 September 2003
25 August 2005
30 August 2005
24 July 2003
20 September 2003
3 September 2002
2 October 2002
28 July 2003
7 August 2004
6 July 2005
10 March 2003
14 December 2004
9 January 2005
20 August 2003
28 October 2005
15 August 2004
8 July 2003
17 November 2004

17 March 2005
25 July 2003
19 August 2003
17 September 2003
18 September 2003
21 September 2003
25 August 2005
19 September 2003
25 July 2003
18 August 2003
4 October 2002
20 August 2003
18 September 2003
19 September 2003
15 May 2004
7 July 2004
26 August 2005
30 August 2005
30 August 2005
31 August 2005
1 September 2005
1 September 2005
20 May 2004
22 August 2003
21 April 2004

23 April 2004
3 October 2002
26 April 2003
22 August 2003
21 August 2003
18 September 2003
10 August 2004
26 April 2003
15 August 2004
23 February 2003
24 April 2003
10 December 2004
19 May 2004
2 August 2002
20 November 2003
6 August 2004
8 September 2004
9 September 2004
17 November 2004
17 November 2004
17 November 2004
14 December 2004
15 August 2004
5 September 2003
19 May 2004

1 May 2005
26 August 2005
20 May 2004
17 November 2004
7 August 2004
14 August 2004
24 April 2003
10 August 2004
19 November 2003
5 September 2003
10 January 2002
22 July 2003
14 December 2004
18 November 2004
25 April 2003
20 September 2003
13 December 2004
27 March 2003
15 August 2004
10 August 2004
17 November 2004
2 August 2002
20 August 2003
11 December 2004
21 November 2004

25 July 2003
18 August 2003
21 August 2003
21 August 2003
5 September 2002
25 February 2003
11 December 2004
25 February 2003
11 August 2004
12 August 2004
11 December 2004
29 August 2005
21 August 2003
21 November 2004
1 August 2002
26 July 2003
21 August 2003
6 September 2003
18 September 2003
8 August 2004
8 September 2004
30 August 2005
1 September 2005
16 March 2004
6 August 2002