Near-Earth Asteroids Data mining on Astronomical Databases: EuroNEAR experience

In the framework of EuroNEAR network several databases around the world were datamined. The main scientifi c objective was the astrometry of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) for both precovery and secure orbits of these objects. The article presents few aspects of data-mining and the developed procedures for accomplishing these objectives. Introduction EuroNEAR is a network composed by both astronomers and amateurs, dedicated to study Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) using existing telescopes available. Between its activities we cite here the data mining of photographic and CCD image archives, observations of infrastructure (telescopes) in use through free competition for observing time, observations using dedicated instruments of amateurs members of network, EuroNEAR militates and supports actions for dedicated,1-2m diameter facilities. EuroNEAR’s data mining activities were started in 2007 (Vaduvescu et al, 2009), by the exploitation of photographical plates database of Bucharest Observatory, in Romania. Neither Main Belt Asteroids(MBA) nor NEAs were datamined previously to this database, except for the photographical plates devoted to astrometry of MBAs, This archive of Bucharest was acquired using the Prin Mertz double refractor (F = 6m, D = 0.38m) and contains about 13,000 photographical plates imaging mostly Solar System objects (asteroids, comets, planetary satellites), during the past nine decades (Vass, 1994). Datamining of inside EuroNEAR is a very good, successful experience of scientifi c activity involving both astronomers and amateurs. The organization of datamining activity together with some results obtained during several projects developed for several databases are presented. 1. Infrastructure and tools Datamining activities are developed in a fl exible schedule and based on volunteers. Once the project is defi ned which database(s) and scientifi c objective(s) – milestones are defi ned in a reasonable way, depending on % of working time of participants. The main tool for preparing the schedule is the EuroNEAR webpage (http://euronear.imcce.fr) devoted to datamining and the email member list of project. The webpage (Figure 1), organized in wiki environment, contains widgets to programs developed for querrying the database for possible occurrences of NEAs which might be present on the images.