Proceedings

The proceedings of this workshop are now available: see the item proceedings


Abstract

The observation of the Solar System Objects (SSO) by the Gaia space astrometry mission will be constrained by a scanning law. Several detections of interesting objects may be done with no possibility of further observations by the probe. These objects will then require complementary ground-based observations. Among them, previously unknown Near-Earth Objects, fast moving towards the Earth or going away from it could be found. Several objects discovered by Gaia can also be Inner-Earth Objects, as the probe will observe at rather low Solar elongations.

In order to confirm from the ground the discoveries made in space and to follow interesting targets, a dedicated network is organized, the Gaia Follow-Up Network. This task is performed in the frame of the Coordination Unit 4 of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium, devoted to data processing of specific objects. The goal of the network will be to improve the knowledge of the orbit of poorly observed targets by astrometric observations on alert. This activity will be coordinated by a central node interacting with the Gaia data reduction pipeline all along the mission.

Two years after a kick-off workshop, we organize this year a second Gaia-FUN-SSO workshop in Paris in September 2012 in order to discuss further the coordination of the network of observing stations, to discuss the prelaunch training observations which have been performed. During this workshop, the participants will have the opportunity to be informed about the status of the Gaia mission, about the alert process for SSO and the ground-based data processing. But they will also be invited to present their activities in relation with this program, or their equipment, instruments and observing sites. Large time slots will be reserved for discussions.



Contact: gaia-fun-sso@imcce.fr

Last update WT 16/9/2012