Asteroid Surveys

Asteroid Surveys

    Catalina Sky Survey

    The mission of the Catalina Sky Survey is to contribute to the inventory of near-earth objects (NEOs), or more specifically, the potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) that pose an impact risk to Earth and its inhabitants.

    The identification of the iridium anomaly at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (Alvarez et al. 1980), associated Chicxulub impact crater (Hildebrand et al. 1991) and the Permian-Triassic "great dying" possibly being associated with Australian Bedout Crater (Becker et al. 2004) strongly suggest that impacts by minor planets play an important role in the evolution of life.


    SPACEWATCH®

    The primary goal of SPACEWATCH® is to explore the various populations of small objects in the solar system, and study the statistics of asteroids and comets in order to investigate the dynamical evolution of the solar system. SPACEWATCH® also finds potential targets for interplanetary spacecraft missions, provides follow-up astrometry of such targets, and finds objects that might present a hazard to the Earth.


    Near-Earth Object Surveyor Mission

    The Near-Earth Object Surveyor Mission, formerly called Near-Earth Object Camera (NEOCam), is a planned space-based infrared telescope designed to survey the Solar System for potentially hazardous asteroids.

    Asteroid Surveys Faculty

    Amy Mainzer

    Principal Investigator, NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor, Professor

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Robert (Bob) McMillan

    Research Professor (Retired)

    Asteroid Surveys, Planetary Astronomy, Small Bodies

    Asteroid Surveys Researchers

    Adam Battle

    PTYS Graduate Student

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies, Space Situational Awareness

    Melissa Brucker

    Principal Investigator, Spacewatch, Research Scientist

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Carson Fuls

    Director, Catalina Sky Survey, PTYS Graduate Student

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Tommy Grav

    Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Hannes Gröller

    Research Scientist/Assistant Staff Scientist

    Asteroid Surveys

    Steve Larson

    Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Bashar Rizk

    Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist, OSIRIS-REx/OCAMS

    Asteroid Surveys, Planetary Atmospheres

    Gregory Zengilowski

    Research Scientist

    Asteroid Surveys

    Asteroid Surveys Support Staff

    Tracie Beuden

    Survey Operations Specialist, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Terrence Bressi

    Engineer/Observer, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys

    Vivian Carvajal

    Survey Operations Specialist, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Don Fay

    Systems Administrator, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Jacqueline Fazekas

    Research Technologist, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Alex Gibbs

    Principal Engineer, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Albert Grauer

    Technical Expert, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Joshua Hogan

    Research Technologist, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Todd Horne

    R&D Engineer/Scientist, NEO Surveyor

    Asteroid Surveys, Small Bodies

    Richard Kowalski

    Research Specialist, Senior, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Jeffrey Larsen

    Technical Expert, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys

    Gregory Leonard

    Research Specialist, Senior, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Ronald Mastaler

    Observer, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys

    David Rankin

    Senior Research Specialist, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Michael Read

    Chief Engineer/Observer, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys

    James Scotti

    Observer, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys

    Robert Seaman

    Data Engineer, Senior, Data Engineer, Senior, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Frank Shelly

    Senior Systems Programmer, Catalina Sky Survey

    Asteroid Surveys

    Andrew Tubbiolo

    Engineer/Observer, Spacewatch

    Asteroid Surveys