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Website first online in 2000
This version went online in 2017
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Asteroid Discoveries

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

- SaLa122: discovery with Krisztián Sárneczky with the 0.6-meter Schmidt telescope of MPC 461 Piszkéstetö (Hungary)
- SW40LW: discovery with Jim Scotti and Tim Bressi with the 0.9-m Spacewatch telescope of MPC 691 Kitt Peak (USA)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

- LaMa: discovery with the 0.6-meter remote robotic telescope of MPC G68 Sierra Stars Observatory (USA)
- SaLa: discoveries with Krisztián Sárneczky, with the 0.6-meter Schmidt telescope of MPC 461 Piszkéstetö (Hungary)
- Only permanently numbered objects are listed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)                    461  Piszkéstetö (Konkoly)    31-10-2013
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discovery tables (2): Informal

Table 3: Main Belt Asteroids (MB) - informal discoveries in NEAT image archive

- Official discovery credits for these objects have been assigned to NEAT
- All were submitted as multi-nighters and MPEC-ed at the time they were found
- Only permanently numbered objects are listed

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)                    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)                    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)                    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
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

- Official discovery credits for these objects have been assigned to NEAT
- All were submitted as multi-nighters and MPEC-ed at the time they were found
- Only permanently numbered objects are listed

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: 55
formal discoveries: 11
informal discoveries: 44
NEA discoveries: 2
Jupiter Trojan discoveries: 3
named: 22

(tables last updated: 16 Oct 2024)

More on my asteroid discoveries...

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.

(c) 2017-2023 by Marco Langbroek