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The Sponsors of the workshop were the IAU, ASI, NASA, ESA, Spaceguard
Foundation, IACG, The Planetary Society, Alenia Aerospazio - Divisione
Spazio and the Provincia di Torino.
This meeting was a follow up to the IAU WGNEO sponsored workshop on the
island of Vulcano (Italy) in September 1995, entitled "Beginning the
Spaceguard Survey". The aim of that workshop was to emphasize the need for
a co-ordinated effort, and to establish the basis for effective
international co-operation on the subject.
Participation at the Turin workshop included a high proportion of the world
expertise in NEO studies, and high ranking members of NASA, the IAU and
other sponsoring organizations.
The objectives of the workshop were:
* To encourage scientists in all nations and their sponsoring
agencies to increase NEO search and follow-up efforts.
* To improve communications among observers worldwide and to use
these improved communications to foster co-ordination of search and
follow-up activities.
* To assess the actual potential and limitations of ground-based
observing facilities, and to discuss the possible role of space-based
segments in NEO search.
* To develop procedures for assuring a rapid communication of
accurate information about Extremely Hazardous Objects which may be
detected in the future.
* To draft and discuss Recommendations to be distributed to the
scientific and political bodies able to support and fund NEO
researches.
The structure of meeting was to hold an initial plenary session during
which the conference was briefed on a number of topics, to bring everyone
fully up to date with recent developments. After the briefings the
conference split up into four sub-groups to discuss specific issues, and to
produce recommendations to be passed to the IAU. These recommendations,
once agreed by the sub-groups were then discussed at another plenary
session where they were agreed by the floor, or not.
While it is not yet possible to detail the recommendations that will be
passed to the IAU, as they have yet to be "word-smithed" by the sub-group
chairmen and agreed in their final forms, it is possible to list a few of
the significant statements made, discussions had and recommendations made.
So, below are some bullet points, to be followed by a full report as soon
as the results are published.
* Actual impacts are likely to be preceded by prior close approaches.
* Comets pose a much smaller risk than asteroids.
* Issues of funding and national interest need to be addressed.
* The issue of whether asteroids are rubble piles or solid bodies is
still unresolved. This information is very necessary for any
mitigation strategies. We need 4m-10m class telescopes to do
compositional studies on NEOs.
* Alan Harris of JPL estimated that about 18% of 1 km and above
sized NEOs have been discovered, but there are large population
uncertainties. However, we are still discovering asteroids at too
slow a rate (8-20 times).
* There are currently a number of space missions to asteroids and
comets. This is a "Golden Age" for studying comets and asteroids
according to Don Yeomans.
* NASA is increasing funds for NEO research, and has set up its
own US JPL program office.
* UK efforts need increased government interest. Recent events
have shown that there is official acceptance of seriousness of
problem. In the UK we have a wealth of experience, even in (eg) 4m
class telescopes. VISTA could be a wonderful tool.
* Japan is pressing ahead with its new NEO detection programme...
* There is an urgent need for some follow up programmes, and more
funding (staff) for the MPC. Ted Bowell proposed changes to the MPC
that were highly controversial, raising questions of control and IAU
international control. No consensus was reached.
* European possibilities were discussed eg DLR, ODAS, including
the use of ESO facilities.
* The number of inner Earth objects is thought to be similar to
the number of Atens. Both can be easy to find, provided that you look
at smaller solar elongations.
* Group 1 discussions emphasized the need for S. Hemisphere
telescopes (economic and political).
* Group 2 discussions emphasized the need for research into NEO
physical characteristics.
* In Group 3 the importance of precoveries and plate log searches
was stressed. There was some emphasis on UKST archive.. This would
also be an obvious role for the NSC. There was a strong
recommendation that analysis of PHAs should always be performed by at
least two independent groups.
* Group 4 developed a protocol, primarily for IAU purposes,
dealing with the announcement of PHOs. In the plenary session there
was some confused discussion, and eventually a shorter agreed
document was approved. This emphasized the need for individual
nations to discuss the issue; what do public, politicians and
decision makers require? The need for a National Spaceguard Centre is
obvious.
* R. Binzel discussed his new hazard scale, but J. Tate has
already produced something broadly acceptable for UK purposes. This
scale is designed for use when talking to the general public or the
media. D. Morrison observed that "people just don't understand
probability". S. Isobe reckoned that the index was a good lecturing
tool, but not good for communicating with the mass media.
Please be aware that this is a far from complete report, but I hope that
something of the workshop's flavour comes through.
===========================================================
EXPANDED NEO WEBSITE IN GERMANY
To all friends of NEOs...
We have recently installed an updated, and hopefully improved, version of the
Data Base of Physical and Dynamical
Properties of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs)
which is hosted at the European Asteroid Research Node (E.A.R.N.) and can
be reached at the following web address
http://earn.dlr.de/nea
It contains published data on all known NEAs and the corresponding
bibliographic references.
The idea is to update these pages continuously, i.e. add data for new
discoveries as soon as available, the entries for newly published data will
be made on a monthly or so basis. In order to keep the entries up
To date, cooperation with the researcher working in the field is essential
and therefore it would be greatly appreciated if new data are brought to
our attention as soon as possible.
Looking forward to comments and/or suggestions for further improvement
or extension of this service and its possible integration into other
databases.
Gerhard Hahn
Alan Harris
Stefano Mottola
=========================================================
EXPANDED NEO WEBSITE IN ITALY
We have done as promised; you can go to the home page of NEODyS
http://newton.dm.unipi.it/neodys/
and from there you will find a link to an "Impact Risk Page" (in the
What's new section). This page is currently maintained manually, but we
are working towards an automated system.
We appreciate comments on how clear, understandable it is; the style has to
be cool and technical, but we are ready to change the wording if this can
increase accessibility.
Andrea Milani and Steve Chesley
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
David Morrison, NASA Ames Research Center
Tel 650 604 5094; Fax 650 604 1165
david.morrison@arc.nasa.gov or dmorrison@mail.arc.nasa.gov
website: http://space.arc.nasa.gov
website: http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov
website: http://impact.arc.nasa.gov
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