Search results for "asteroid"

Reproductive strategy as a piece of the biogeographic puzzle: a case study using Antarctic sea stars (Echinodermata, Asteroidea)

2017

13 pages; International audience; AimTo describe and analyse asteroid biogeographic patterns in the Southern Ocean (SO) and test whether reproductive strategy (brooder versus broadcaster) can explain distribution patterns at the scale of the entire class. We hypothesize that brooding and broadcasting species display different biogeographic patterns.LocationSouthern Ocean, south of 45 °S.MethodsOver 14,000 asteroid occurrences are analysed using bootstrapped spanning network (BSN), non-metrical multidimensional scaling (nMDS) and clustering to uncover the spatial structure of faunal similarities among 25 bioregions.ResultsMain biogeographic patterns are congruent with previous works based on…

New records of Asteraceae for the non-native flora of Tunisia and north Africa with some nomenclatural remarks

2022

International audience; Sixteen new Asteraceae are added to the non-indigenous flora of Tunisia. Six of them (Dimorphotheca ecklonis, Gaillardia pulchella, Gazania linearis var. linearis, Guizotia abyssinica, Rudbeckia triloba and Tithonia diversifolia) are also new for the flora of North Africa. Chrysanthemum morifolium is here first reported for the Mediterranean Basin. Seven genera (Argyranthemum, Bidens, Dimorphotheca, Gaillardia, Guizotia, Rudbeckia and Tithonia) are recorded for the first time for the vascular flora of Tunisia. Most of these species escaped from gardens and pots and became casual along roadsides and/or disturbed areas after cypsela dispersion (except for Chrysanthemum…

Dynamical environments of MU69: a state of chaotic clearing

2018

AbstractThe second (after Pluto) plausible target object for the New Horizons mission is 2014 MU69. It is a classical TNO, a primordial contact binary. Identifying any material in the vicinities of a target object is of an especial concern for planning cosmic fly-byes, as it is hazardous for a space probe. Luckily, no such material has been reported for MU69 up to now. The point of our report is that this lucky absence is just a dynamical consequence of the physical nature of MU69. Spinning gravitating dumbbells create zones of dynamical chaos around them, and this has a clearing effect: any material put in orbits around a rotating dumbbell (e.g., any material ejected from its surface) cann…

Seeing Double:ASASSN-18bt Exhibits a Two-Component Rise in the Early-Time K2 Light Curve

2018

On 2018 Feb. 4.41, the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) discovered ASASSN-18bt in the K2 Campaign 16 field. With a redshift of z=0.01098 and a peak apparent magnitude of B_{max}=14.31, ASASSN-18bt is the nearest and brightest SNe Ia yet observed by the Kepler spacecraft. Here we present the discovery of ASASSN-18bt, the K2 light curve, and pre-discovery data from ASAS-SN and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). The K2 early-time light curve has an unprecedented 30-minute cadence and photometric precision for an SN~Ia light curve, and it unambiguously shows a ~4 day nearly linear phase followed by a steeper rise. Thus, ASASSN-18bt joins a growing list o…

Improved Method for Orbital Elements Differential Correction.

1990

As was pointed out by IAU in 1976, an important problem in fundamental astronomy is the improvement of the vernal equinox and equator positions. To this aim, it is necessary to know the accurate values of minor planets orbital elements. The classical methods of orbital elements differential corrections are based on linking the observations at different epochs considering equal derivatives respect to the initial and osculating elements. In this paper we present an improved method in which the least squares matrix coefficients is calculated from the integration of the Lagrange planetary equations and its derivatives.

A view of extraterrestrial soils

2009

International audience; The nature of soils on celestial bodies other than Earth is a growing area of research in planetary geology. However, disagreement over the significance of these deposits arises in part due to the lack of a unified concept and definition of soil in the literature. The pragmatic definition “medium for plant growth” is taken by some to imply the necessity of biota for soil to exist, and has been commonly adopted in the planetary science community. In contrast, a more complex and informative definition bases on scientific theory: soil is the (bio)geochemically/physically altered material at the surface of a planetary body that encompasses surficial extraterrestrial tell…

From impact refugees to deterritorialized states: Foresighting extreme legal-policy cases in asteroid impact scenarios

2022

Throughout recorded history, humans have crossed national borders to seek safety in nearby countries. The reasons for displacement have been generated by phenomena of terrestrial origin, but exposure to unexpected extra-terrestrial threats poses a different scenario. An asteroid impact warning implies a change of paradigm which would represent a historic precedent. In this regard, the analogies with natural disasters must be considered, along with multiple possible scenarios, and legal aspects related to (a) the legal framework to regulate this situation; (b) the action and responsibility of the states; and (c) the definition of impact refugee and the reconfiguration of traditional concepts…

Morphological and molecular analysis of Henricia Gray, 1840 (Asteroidea: Echinodermata) from the Northern Atlantic Ocean

2017

ASTEROID SEARCH RESULTS FOR DIGITIZED ASTROPLATES OF 1.2m TELESCOPE IN BALDONE

2019

The work on the mass search for asteroids on astroplate images and the determination of their coordi- nates was begun in 2016. The basis for current search was the processing results of digitized photographic plates and films obtained at the observatory in Baldone in 1967-1993. Observations with a single exposure in different spectral bands were carried out using the 1.2m Schmidt telescope in Baldone. We used all observations in the U Johnson's spec- tral band (on plates) and significant part of them in V band (on films). Photometric band U was realized by combining emulsion ORWO Zu1 (Zu2 or Zu21 or Kodak 103aO or IIaO) with UG1 filter. For films with A600 emulsion and filter ZS17 a photome…

Distribution and diet of Marthasterias glacialis at Ustica Island MPA

2009

Distribution and diet of Marthasterias glacialis was studied at Ustica Island MPA. We conducted observations of the asteroid along the upper infralittoral zone using random parallel transects. M. glacialis was more abundant at study sites characterized by low densities of erect algae. Most frequent prey species was a bivalve and sea urchins