Current state and development of the minor planets research in Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory

Abstract

Regular positional observations of minor planets in Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory have been begun with installation of photographic Zone Astrograph in 1961. The observations of 19 selected minor planets up to 12 magnitude were obtained for 36 years. Accuracy of the photographic positions of minor planets is rather high, 0 . 15 ′ ′ – 0 . 19 ′ ′ . These positions were used for improvement of the system of fundamental catalogue and determination of its orientation to the dynamical reference frame. CCD observations of asteroids have been begun at the Zone Astrograph in 2000. There was obtained about the same accuracy, as in photographic observations. During 2004–2006 NAO participated in international collaboration with TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey) and Kazan State University (Russia) in positional and photometric observations of small Solar system bodies. About four thousands of CCD images for 58 asteroids of 11–18 mag were obtained with internal and external errors of 30–80 mas of a single determination. Some of these observations, as well as the observations of the Minor Planet Center, are being used for the current asteroid mass determinations in Nikolaev observatory. Available results allow us to consider the Russian–Turkish telescope RTT150 as a good candidate for ground-based astrometry support of the future space mission GAIA, moreover in the period before GAIA.