. 24/7 Space News .
IRON AND ICE
NASA awards $15M for asteroid hunting telescopes on Maui
by Staff Writers
Hilo HI (SPX) Oct 26, 2021

The Pan-STARRS system consists of the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) and Pan-STARRS2 (PS2) telescopes on Haleakala; their enormous 1.4- and 1.5-gigapixel cameras, currently the two largest astronomical cameras in the world, and a massive computing cluster at UH Manoa.

The University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) received a $15 million NASA grant to continue its world-leading efforts to discover Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).

IfA's Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) atop Haleakala currently finds nearly as many NEOs and PHAs as the rest of the world's observatories combined, and nearly 60% of the largest and most dangerous ones with sizes greater than 140 meters across (459 feet).

"The Pan-STARRS team has had a huge impact on astronomy with a host of discoveries from the solar system to cosmology," said Ken Chambers, IfA astronomer and principal investigator of Pan-STARRS.

"These include the discovery of thousands of near-Earth objects, hundreds of Kuiper belt objects, dozens of comets, as well as ?Oumuamua-the first interstellar object. This NASA grant will enable us to continue our mission to protect the Earth from catastrophic asteroid impact as we scan the sky for anything that moves and everything that goes bang in the night.

Pan-STARRS data is available to the world and it has become the photometric standard for astronomical research. The grant will support operations and research for the next three years for Pan-STARRS' wide area survey of potentially hazardous objects.

The Pan-STARRS system consists of the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) and Pan-STARRS2 (PS2) telescopes on Haleakala; their enormous 1.4- and 1.5-gigapixel cameras, currently the two largest astronomical cameras in the world, and a massive computing cluster at UH Manoa.

Hawaii astronomy plays fundamental role in planetary defense
In July 2020, Pan-STARRS discovered a near-Earth asteroid, 2020 OO1, which is the length of about two school buses. Because of its projected close pass to Earth, NASA issued a notification which led to telescopes around the world, including those on Maunakea, to assist with rapid follow-up observations to verify the asteroid's orbit and determine if it was possibly hazardous.

At its closest approach on July 27, the asteroid, approximately 65 feet (20 meters) in diameter, passed close to Earth, at about 1.7 times the distance of the Moon. With both the PS1 and PS2 telescopes operational on Maui, the area of sky surveyed for NEOs each night has now doubled.


Related Links
University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


IRON AND ICE
NASA Mission helps solve a mystery: why are some asteroid surfaces rocky?
Tucson AZ (SPX) Oct 25, 2021
Scientists thought Bennu's surface was like a sandy beach, abundant in fine sand and pebbles, which would have been perfect for collecting samples. Past telescope observations from Earth had suggested the presence of large swaths of fine-grained material smaller than a few centimeters called fine regolith. But when NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission arrived at Bennu in late 2018, the mission saw a surface covered in boulders. The mysterious lack of fine regolith became even more surprising when mission sci ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

IRON AND ICE
Making space travel inclusive for all

Bezos' Blue Origin announces plans for private space station

Russia will fly four tourists into space in 2024

New far-out NASA 'travel' video: kayaking on Titan, skydiving on exoplanet

IRON AND ICE
NASA seeks input to position mega-rocket for long-term exploration

Crew-3 astronauts launch to Space Station alongside microgravity research

NASA sending four astronauts to ISS on Sunday

Kuaizhou lifts off successfully, places satellite in orbit

IRON AND ICE
You can help train NASA's rovers to better explore Mars

NASA Mars Rover and Helicopter models to go on national tour

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flight 14 Successful

China's Mars orbiter resumes communications with Earth

IRON AND ICE
Chinese astronauts arrive at space station for longest mission

China's longest-yet crewed space mission impressive, expert says

Chinese astronaut bridges gender gap

Test conducted to verify spacecraft technology, FM says

IRON AND ICE
NEOM Tech and Digital Holding Company and OneWeb sign $200m JV for satellite network

Verizon to use Amazon satellites for broadband Internet in rural areas

From Polar Bears to Polar Orbits

Conclusions from Satellite Constellations 2 Released

IRON AND ICE
Bio-inspired autonomous materials

Getting NASA data to the ground with lasers

Emerging optics advances next-generation AR/VR displays

Carbon nanotubes could help electronics withstand outer space's harsh conditions

IRON AND ICE
Breakthrough Listen releases analysis of previously detected signal

Could this be a planet in another galaxy?

Scientists measure the atmosphere of a planet 340 light-years away

The upside-down orbits of a multi-planetary system

IRON AND ICE
Science results offer first 3D view of Jupiter's atmosphere

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is deeper than thought, shaped like lens

Using Charon-light Researchers Capture Pluto's Dark Side

Juno peers deep into Jupiter's colorful belts and zones









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.