Asteroid Discoveries
Formal and informal asteroid discoveries by Marco Langbroek
Formal and informal asteroid discoveries by Marco Langbroek
From 2004 to 2017, I searched for new asteroids, both on my own and as part of larger Asteroid Survey initiatives. I have (formally or informally - see discussion after the tables) discovered about 55 of them, including two Near Earth Asteroids (NEA's).
I have been privileged to be able to propose names for several of these asteroids. For the named asteroids in the lists below, the published naming citations can be found on a separate page.
An asteroid (discovered by Stefan Kürti in NEAT imagery) has been named after me in 2008. More information on this asteroid can be found on this separate page.
Discovery tables (1): Formal
Table 1: Near Earth Asteroids (NEA) - formal discoveries
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Object tempdesig packed number MPC Observatory MPEC family disc date -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SW40LW 2005 GG81 K05G81G - 691 Kitt Peak (Spacewatch) K05G73 Amor 09-04-2005 SaLa122 2015 CA40 K15C40A - 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) K15D10 Amor/Apollo 16-02-2015 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2: Main Belt Asteroids (MB) - formal discoveries
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Object tempdesig packed number name MPC Observatory disc date -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LaMa502 2012 SM58 K12S58M (576466) Scherpenisse G68 Sierra Stars 21-09-2012 SaLa019 2012 UU185 K12UI5U (551014) Gorman 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 18-10-2012 SaLa068 2013 UZ32 K13U32Z (555292) Bakels 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 31-10-2013 SaLa101 2016 CD144 K16CE4D (563318) Ten Kate 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 27-10-2014 SaLa060 2008 WH154 K08WF4H (627520) Corbey 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 04-09-2013 SaLa033 2013 AZ51 K13A51Z (651370) Kolen 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 13-12-2012 SaLa045 2013 DJ15 K13D15J (669952) Kootker 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 21-02-2013 SaLa021 2017 DA23 K17D23A (677772) Bettonvil 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 18-10-2012 SaLa069 2013 UY22 K13U22Y (679552) Efspringer 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) 31-10-2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discovery tables (2): Informal
Table 3: Main Belt Asteroids (MB) - informal discoveries in NEAT image archive
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Object tempdesig packed number name MPC Observatory disc date disc image ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAMA27 2002 PU167 D2798 (132798) Kürti 644 NEAT Palomar 01-09-2004 08-08-2002 LAMA36 2002 QX65 D2820 (132820) Miskotte 644 NEAT Palomar 04-09-2004 17-07-2002 LAMA50/51 2002 PA168 E2014 (142014) Neirinck 644 NEAT Palomar 04-10-2004 08-08-2002 LAMA92 2002 QS66 H9678 (179678) Rietmeijer 644 NEAT Palomar 28-10-2004 26-08-2002 ML091A 2002 WM28 K6241 (206241) Dubois 644 NEAT Palomar 16-12-2008 24-11-2002 LAMA95 2002 QK67 L3629 (213629) Binford 644 NEAT Palomar 27-11-2004 26-08-2002 LAMA68 2002 QQ66 L5463 (215463) Jobse 644 NEAT Palomar 14-10-2004 30-08-2002 ML123A 2002 WV28 R6389 (276389) Winkel 644 NEAT Palomar 14-01-2009 22-11-2002 ML102A 2002 WP28 S7432 (287432) Bril 644 NEAT Palomar 06-01-2009 24-11-2002 ML110A 2002 WQ28 S7433 (287433) de Groot 644 NEAT Palomar 09-01-2009 23-11-2002 ML115A 2002 UA77 T8232 (298232) Ericlimburg 644 NEAT Palomar 10-01-2009 31-10-2002 ML104A 2002 XO119 X8371 (338371) Gerritsen 644 NEAT Palomar 07-01-2009 10-12-2002 LAMA08 2002 NX57 V7367 (317367) 644 NEAT Palomar 27-08-2004 14-07-2002 LAMA04 2002 QQ65 L3628 (213628) 644 NEAT Palomar 26-08-2004 28-08-2002 LAMA31 2002 OA26 V0723 (310723) 644 NEAT Palomar 01-09-2004 27-08-2002 LAMA32 2002 NY57 P8817 (258817) 644 NEAT Palomar 02-09-2004 14-07-2002 LAMA12 2002 QA66 S7001 (287001) 644 NEAT Palomar 28-08-2004 08-08-2002 LAMA77 2002 PC168 K02PG8C (595362) Schievink 644 NEAT Palomar 14-10-2004 30-08-2002 LAMA90 2002 QR66 P8891 (258891) 644 NEAT Palomar 27-10-2004 29-08-2002 LAMA91 2002 QT66 R6204 (276204) 644 NEAT Palomar 28-10-2004 29-08-2002 LAMA2D 2002 BF32 G7496 (427496) van de Weg 644 NEAT Palomar 18-11-2006 21-01-2002 ML009A 2002 PN188 N4784 (234784) 644 NEAT Palomar 19-11-2008 08-08-2002 ML035A 2002 WR27 V3517 (313517) 644 NEAT Palomar 30-11-2008 24-11-2002 SM002A * 2002 XK118 M0256 (220256) 644 NEAT Palomar 30-11-2008 10-12-2002 ML040A 2002 UU76 K8930 (208930) 644 NEAT Palomar 03-12-2008 31-10-2002 ML050A 2002 WW27 V7585 (317585) 644 NEAT Palomar 06-12-2008 24-11-2002 ML048A 2002 WX27 R6388 (276388) 644 NEAT Palomar 06-12-2008 24-11-2002 ML080A 2002 WF28 R0984 (270984) 644 NEAT Palomar 13-12-2008 24-11-2002 ML087A 2002 WL28 K02W28L (377108) Spoelie 644 NEAT Palomar 16-12-2008 23-11-2002 ML093A 2002 XG119 N8040 (238040) 644 NEAT Palomar 16-12-2008 10-12-2002 ML124A 2002 UY76 L5518 (215518) 644 NEAT Palomar 14-01-2009 31-10-2002 ML080A 2002 WF28 R0984 (270984) Dikschmidt 644 NEAT Palomar 13-12-2008 24-11-2002 ML134A 2002 WD29 R0985 (270985) 644 NEAT Palomar 23-01-2009 22-11-2002 ML140A 2002 UB77 h4180 (434180) Brosens 644 NEAT Palomar 25-01-2009 31-10-2002 ML138A 2002 WH29 K02W29H (483503) 644 NEAT Palomar 24-01-2009 22-11-2002 ML145A 2002 VB143 N2352 (232352) 644 NEAT Palomar 27-01-2009 12-11-2002 ML156A 2002 WP29 K02W29P (595480) 644 NEAT Palomar 04-02-2009 22-11-2002 ML160A 2002 WR29 O0266 (240266) 644 NEAT Palomar 04-02-2009 22-11-2002 ML169A 2002 WS29 K02W29S (377109) 644 NEAT Palomar 08-02-2009 22-11-2002 ML177A 2002 WU29 N4963 (234963) 644 NEAT Palomar 11-02-2009 22-11-2002 ML183A 2002 WV29 M6234 (226234) 644 NEAT Palomar 16-02-2009 22-11-2002 ML184A 2002 WW29 K02W29W (615355) Jacobkuiper 644 NEAT Palomar 18-02-2009 22-11-2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * with Stephanie Martin
Table 4: Jupiter Trojan Asteroids - informal discoveries in NEAT image archive
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Object tempdesig packed number name MPC Observatory disc date disc image ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML023A 2001 SD355 S3510 (283510) 644 NEAT Palomar 26-11-2008 23-11-2002 ML137A 2002 WG29 b3820 (373820) 644 NEAT Palomar 24-01-2009 22-11-2002 ML041A 2002 WV27 K3865 (203865) 644 NEAT Palomar 03-12-2008 24-11-2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- total discoveries: 56 formal discoveries: 11 informal discoveries: 454 NEA discoveries: 2 Jupiter Trojan discoveries: 3 named: 27 (tables last updated: 2 July 2025)
My discoveries fall into two categories: formal and informal.
Formal discoveries, meaning that discovery credit is officially (co-) assigned to me by the IAU Minor Planet Center (MPC), were done while I was a volunteer plate reviewer in the Spacewatch FMO project (2004-2006), and a plate reviewer/measurer in the Konkoly Piszkéstetö Observatory asteroid survey (2012-2017). I also have one formal discovery with a robotic remote telescope of Sierra Stars Observatory (2012) that I did completely on my own.
Informal discoveries are my discoveries done (in the period 2005-2009) while searching through archived imagery, dating from 2001-2002, of the NEAT Near Earth Asteroid survey program, picking out several previously undetected asteroids. The discovery credits for the latter formally are awarded to NEAT by the MPC, not me, so my NEAT discoveries are semi-official only.
With the exception of the Spacewatch FMO project discovery, I did all astrometry and multi-night linking on objects myself, and in the case of the NEAT and Sierra Stars discoveries, also the reporting to the IAU-MPC (MPC reporting for the Konkoly Piszkéstetö Observatory asteroid survey finds was done by the program PI Krisztián Sárneczky).
On this webpage, I will use "discovery" for both the formal and informal discoveries.
Near Earth Asteroid discoveries
I discovered two Near Earth Asteroids (NEA's):
2005 GG81 - Spacewatch ran a public participation program (one of the first Citizen Science programs) from 2003 to 2006, the now discontinued Spacewatch FMO Project, which I joined in January 2004. On 9 April 2005, while inspecting plates from that night taken with the 0.9-meter Spacewatch Telescope of MPC 691 at Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA, I discovered 2005 GG81 (with Jim Scotti and Tim Bressi). The discovery was announced on 11 April 2005 in MPEC K05G73. Our initial internal designation for the object was SW40LW. This is a formal discovery.
2005 GG81 is an Amor class asteroid. With H=25.5, the asteroid is estimated to be approximately 30 meter wide, which can come to within 0.053 AU of the Earth. It has an orbital inclination of 3.6 degrees. Because of its small size, it needs to be close to earth to be detected again. The orbit is ill defined, but first occasion when that might be possible, will be around 2051.
2015 CA40 - On 16 February 2015, while part of the Konkoly Piszkéstetö Observatory asteroid survey, I discovered 2015 CA40 (with Krisztián Sárneczky) with the 0.6-meter Schmidt telescope of MPC 461 Piszkéstetö (Konkoly) in Hungary. The discovery was announced on 17 february 2015 in MPEC K15D10. Our initial internal designation for the object was SaLa122. This is a formal discovery.
2015 CA40 approached the Earth to 6.3 Lunar distances on February 23, 2015, a week after our discovery of the object. It will have another close approach in 2066.
2015 CA40 is a borderline Amor/Apollo asteroid with perihelion just outside earth orbit at 1.004 AU and aphelion between Mars and Earth at 1.20 AU. With H=24.7 the asteroid is estimated to be about 40 meters wide. It has an orbital inclination of 15.02 degrees and an orbital period of 1.16 years. The MOID is 6 lunar distances (0.0155 AU).
Main Belt and Trojan asteroid discoveries
I discovered over 50 Main Belt asteroids (asteroids orbiting in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter) and three Jupiter Trojans (asteroids orbiting in the Langrange points of Jupiter).
These discoveries were done in 2001-2002 NEAT archive imagery (informal), the Konkoly Piszkéstetö Observatory asteroid survey (formal), and one (formal) with the remote robotic 0.6-m telescope of MPC G68 Sierra Stars.
I have been able to propose names for several of these asteroids. For the named asteroids in the list, the published naming citations can be found on a separate page.