A Southern Sky and Galactic Plane Survey for Bright Kuiper Belt Objects
Scott Sheppard (Carnegie Institution of Washington), Andrzej Udalski, (Warsaw University), Chad Trujillo (Gemini), Marcin Kubiak, Grzegorz, Pietrzynski, Radoslaw Poleski, Igor Soszynski, Michal Szyma, Krzysztof, Ulaczyk

TL;DR
This survey of 2500 square degrees in the southern sky identified 18 outer solar system objects, including 14 new trans-Neptunian objects, revealing the Kuiper Belt's structure and population with implications for dwarf planet distribution.
Contribution
First large-scale southern sky survey for bright Kuiper Belt objects, discovering new objects and providing insights into the Kuiper Belt's completeness and dynamical structure.
Findings
18 outer solar system objects detected, including Pluto.
14 new trans-Neptunian objects discovered.
Kuiper Belt nearly complete to 21st magnitude in R-band.
Abstract
About 2500 square degrees of sky south of declination -25 degrees and/or near the galactic plane were surveyed for bright outer solar system objects. This survey is one of the first large scale southern sky and galactic plane surveys to detect dwarf planets and other bright Kuiper Belt objects in the trans-Neptunian region. The survey was able to obtain a limiting R-band magnitude of 21.6. In all, 18 outer solar system objects were detected, including Pluto which was detected near the galactic center using optimal image subtraction techniques to remove the high stellar density background. Fourteen of the detections were previously unknown trans-Neptunian objects, demonstrating that the southern sky had not been well-searched to date for bright outer solar system objects. Assuming moderate albedos, several of the new discoveries from this survey could be in hydrostatic equilibrium and…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAstro and Planetary Science · Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
