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R. L. Millis, M. W. Buie, L. H. Wasserman (Lowell Observatory), J. L. Elliot (MIT), R. M. Wagner (Ohio State University)
We have conducted a search for Kuiper Belt Objects and Centaurs using the 8Kx8K MOSAIC CCD array on the 3.8-meter Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Useful observations were obtained during 5 nights in October and November 1998 and April 1999. Thirty-five KBOs, with apparent R magnitudes between 20.6 and approximately 24.0 mag, and one Centaur - the faintest yet seen - were discovered and have received designations. Our own follow-up astrometry was done primarily with the 3.5-meter WIYN Telescope in queue-scheduled mode. Some of the objects were recovered by M. J. Holman and colleagues using the 2.6-meter Nordic Optical Telescope and by E. Fletcher and A. Fitzsimmons using the 2.5-meter Isaac Newton Telescope, both on La Palma. At least three additional KBOs were discovered in our MOSAIC data, but have not as yet been recovered. Although not a primary objective of the survey, positions of 3,779 main belt asteroids, 245 Trojan asteroids, and 10 nearby fast-moving asteroids also have been determined.
Thirteen of the newly discovered KBOs are in the 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Neptune while the rest are in non-resonant orbits. None of our objects appears to be a member of the scattered belt.
We used a novel technique to efficiently find and determine positions for moving objects. This technique and the orbital characteristics of the objects discovered will be summarized and strategies for future KBO searches discussed.
This work was supported in part by NASA Grants NAG5-4195 and NAG5-3940.