Asteroids can cause major destruction when they collide with a planet. My team’s goal was to calculate the Mars-crossing asteroid 6249 Jennifer's orbit in order to prevent possible collisions with Mars, a candidate for human colonization.
We prepared several observations each night using TheSkyX software, the SAOImage DS9 application, and the JPL Horizons database. After imaging 6249 Jennifer at the Sommers-Bausch Observatory, we processed the light frames to remove bias and used Least Squares Plate Reduction to determine its right ascension and declination on 18 different dates. We then utilized Gauss’s Method to compute the orbital elements of our asteroid. We also used several other methods to ensure the consistency and accuracy of our results.
However, due to the minor gravitational tug of 6249 Jennifer with other objects in the Solar System, Gauss’s method alone does not show the full picture. We used a simulation program, Swift, to perform long-term integrations. Results show that the asteroid 6249 Jennifer has a 72.7% likelihood of staying alive after 40 million years, a relatively stable orbit. It is necessary to continue the comprehensive, ongoing astronomical survey so that if 6249 Jennifer is on a collision course with Mars, we will have enough time to deflect the asteroid away.
We prepared several observations each night using TheSkyX software, the SAOImage DS9 application, and the JPL Horizons database. After imaging 6249 Jennifer at the Sommers-Bausch Observatory, we processed the light frames to remove bias and used Least Squares Plate Reduction to determine its right ascension and declination on 18 different dates. We then utilized Gauss’s Method to compute the orbital elements of our asteroid. We also used several other methods to ensure the consistency and accuracy of our results.
However, due to the minor gravitational tug of 6249 Jennifer with other objects in the Solar System, Gauss’s method alone does not show the full picture. We used a simulation program, Swift, to perform long-term integrations. Results show that the asteroid 6249 Jennifer has a 72.7% likelihood of staying alive after 40 million years, a relatively stable orbit. It is necessary to continue the comprehensive, ongoing astronomical survey so that if 6249 Jennifer is on a collision course with Mars, we will have enough time to deflect the asteroid away.