Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra

The Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra (OLS and observatory code J75) is an observatory located in the province of Granada, Spain. It uses four robotic telescopes both designed and built (hardware and software) by the scientists of the Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca (OAM) who operate them remotely by telecontrol daily, discharging data from Mallorca using the Internet, to process them by means of sophisticated algorithms designed "in house" which helped to detect asteroid 2012 DA14.[1][2] among the other 1706 asteroids, with a 12th place in the ranking of asteroid discoveries.[3] Its activities include, as part of its La Sagra Sky Survey (LSSS), tracking Small Solar System Bodies, particularly Near Earth Objects, and Space Debris.

Among the asteroids discovered and tracked by Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca thanks to its four remotely operated telescopes[1][4] and to the clear skies of Sierra de la Sagra, on February 15, 2012, a team coordinated by Jaime Nomen, astronomer at the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca (OAM) located the asteroid 2012 DA14,[1] and calculated that the following year, more specifically on 15 February 2013, it would pass 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from Earth, the closest known distance an asteroid of that absolute magnitude has come to the planet, and well within the geosynchronous orbit,[5][6] of the geosynchronous satellites at 35,786 km (22,236 mi).[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 (Spanish) Guia sobre el asteroide 2012 DA14
  2. ↑ Observatorio de La Sagra
  3. ↑ (English) Minor Planet Center: Minor Planet Discoverers
  4. ↑ Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra
  5. ↑ Paul Chodas & Don Yeomans (February 1, 2013). "Asteroid 2012 DA14 To Pass Very Close to the Earth on February 15, 2013". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  6. ↑ "Asteroid 2012 DA14 set for record-breaking Earth pass" BBC. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Braenig, R. A. "Orbital mechanics" Retrieved 15 February 2013.

External links

Coordinates: 37°59′12″N 2°31′56″W / 37.98667°N 2.53222°W / 37.98667; -2.53222

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