A method of immediate detection of objects with a near-zero apparent motion in series of CCD-frames

What is it about?

The paper deals with a computational method for detection of the solar system minor bodies (SSOs), whose inter-frame shifts in series of CCD-frames during the observation are commensurate with the errors in measuring their positions. These objects have velocities of apparent motion between CCD-frames not exceeding three RMS errors (3) of measurements of their positions. About 15% of objects have a near-zero apparent motion in CCD-frames, including the objects beyond the Jupiter’s orbit as well as the asteroids heading straight to the Earth. The proposed method for detection of the object’s near-zero apparent motion in series of CCD-frames is based on the Fisher f-criterion instead of using the traditional decision rules that are based on the maximum likelihood criterion. We analyzed the quality indicators of detection of the object’s near-zero apparent motion applying statistical and in situ modeling techniques in terms of the conditional probability of the true detection of objects with a near-zero apparent motion.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The efficiency of method being implemented as a plugin for the Collection Light Technology (CoLiTec) software for automated asteroids and comets detection has been demonstrated. Among the objects discovered with this plugin, there was the sungrazing comet C/2012 S1 (ISON). Within 26 minutes of the observation, the comet’s image has been moved by three pixels in a series of four CCD-frames (the velocity of its apparent motion at the moment of discovery was equal to 0.8 pixels per CCD-frame; the image size on the frame was about five pixels).

Perspectives