Catalogue of potentially hazardous asteroids and comets (abstract)

T.A.Vinogradova, N.B.Zheleznov, V.B.Kuznetsov, Yu.A.Chernetenko, V.A.Shor

The Catalogue has been created as a handbook for professional astronomers and experts in other related fields of knowledge. An additional objective is to outline the astronomical knowledge that is required for understanding and usage of the data included in the Catalogue.

The Catalogue contains data on 493 potentially hazardous asteroids as of 27 March, 2003 (Minimum Obital Intersecion Distance MOID <= 0.05 a.u., absolute magnitude H <= 22) and on 46 periodic and near-parabolic comets with orbits approaching to that of the Earth. The data on each object embrace information (in case it is known) on its discovery circumstances, orbit, photometric parameters, rotation, albedo, diameter, color-indexes, taxonomic class, velocity of collision with the Earth and energy of collision provided it happens. Detailed description of the data is also given. Special attention is paid to a number of problems connected with the origin of NEAs, to the dynamical structure of the asteroid belt and processes of delivering the asteroid matter to the inner part of the Solar system, to the search of encounters of asteroid and comets with the Earth and to estimation of collision probability, to the description of the Torino and Palermo scales.

Full Russian version of book “Catalogue of potentially hazardous asteroids and comets”