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Asteroids for Calibration of MIR Spectroscopy

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Below is a table of asteroids with radii greater than 70 km. Approximate coordinates (J2000) are given every year. Asteroid observations are available in the OT library and can be cut and pasted directly in the user's OT program (with the necessary changes being made to the instrument configuration).

The observer should pick the best asteroid for the time of the semester during which the observation is most likely to be performed.

Asteroids are useful telluric standards for medium-to-high resolution N and Q band spectroscopy because they have no narrow spectral features. They may have broad (FWHM~1um) features with strengths as much as 5% of the continuum (see e.g. Lim et al. 2005 Icarus, 173, 385 [ADS abstract]).

At opposition a typical asteroid is ~1.5 AU from earth. An asteroid of radius 100 km at this distance will have an N magnitude of ~-0.2 mag and a Q magnitude of ~-3.0 mag. A program that uses the echelle should select asteroids at least 75 km in radius, as smaller asteroids require longer integration times. Experience with observations at the short end of the N band window (~7.7 microns) has shown that asteroids tend to be fainter at these wavelengths; PIs planning observations at short wavelengths should pick the largest object possible.


ID# Name Radius (km) RA, Dec 2011.0 RA, Dec 2012.0 RA, Dec 2013.0 RA, Dec 2014.0 RA, Dec 2015.0 RA, Dec 2016.0
1 Ceres 474 20.2, -26 23.9, -11 05.5, +26 13.6, +1 17.8, -24 21.6, -23
2 Pallas 266 18.3, +3 21.0, -2 00.3, -16 10.1, -22 16.3, +3 19.3, +2
4 Vesta 265 17.0, -19 22.6, -15 04.7, +18 13.3, -1 19.1, -23 00.5, -4
10 Hygiea 203.6 14.4, -18 18.9, -23 22.5, -6 01.8, +15 06.6, +24 11.9, -3
511 Davida 163 17.3, -16 19.7, -24 22.9, -21 04.2, +9 12.5, +13 15.7, -7
704 Interamnia 158.3 17.6, -28 21.1, -5 02.6, +30 09.6, +1 13.0, -25 16.4, -31
52 Europa 151.3 12.7, +1 16.4, -16 19.4, -20 22.4, -14 02.4, +5 10.2, +12
87 Sylvia 130.5 21.5, -24 01.1, -1 05.6, +27 10.4, +23 13.5, +1 16.2, -18
31 Euphrosyne 127.9 22.6, -28 01.7, +_26 12.7, +23 15.2, -22 17.7, -40 20.8, -40
15 Eunomia 127.7 20.6, -15 03.7, +31 11.9, -10 15.5, -10 19.4, -22 00.4, +17
16 Psyche 126.6 04.8, +18 11.3, +4 14.8, -14 18.1, -21 22.3, -11 04.8, +18
65 Cybele 118.6 02.6, +11 06.6, +19 11.0, +6 14.8, -14 18.6, -21 22.2, -12
3 Juno 117 11.8, -3 15.5, -10 18.3, -14 22.1, -11 08.9, +1 14.45, -8
324 Bamberga 114.7 11.9, -3 14.4, -24 18.0, -31 00.2, +15 10.7, +9 13.4, -17
451 Patientia 112.5 21.1, -27 01.2, -7 07.9, +29 13.6, +7 16.6, -16 19.8, -27
107 Camilla 111.3 22.1, -10 01.2, 0 06.1, +10 11.5, 0 15.1, -11 18.0, -16
532 Herculina 111.1 17.6, -18 21.5, -24 01.0, -12 06.0, +17 14.7, 0 19.2, -23
48 Doris 110.9 20.5, -15 00.0, -2 06.0, +14 12.2, -4 15.8, -16 18.9, -18
45 Eugenia 107.3 21.7, -15 02.0, +4 08.6, +14 14.7, -11 19.5, -19 23.8, -6
29 Amphitrite 106.1 21.0, -20 02.1, +21 11.9, +3 16.3, -26 20.6, -22 01.5, +16
121 Hermione 104.5 10.2, +20 13.2, 0 15.6, -16 18.5, -26 22.0, -19 02.3, +11
423 Diotima 104.4 09.9, +27 14.3, -5 18.0, -26 22.0, -22 01.8, +5 07.5, +32
13 Egeria 103.8 20.3, -32 00.3, -4 09.8, +40 15.5, -18 19.7, -33 23.8, -10
94 Aurora 102.4 14.4, -17 17.5, -29 20.8, -22 00.2, +5 06.9, +35 12.5, -1
7 Iris 99.9 08.7, +12 14.4, -19 18.1, -23 23.0, -1 11.4, -3 15.5, -22
702 Alauda 97.4 11.8, -19 15.9, -35 19.6, -20 22.5, +10 02.9, +37 08.9, +10
372 Palma 94.3 21.4, -14 00.6, +35 11.6, -1 14.7, -36 17.6, -41 20.1, -29
128 Nemesis 94.1 12.4, +5 15.9, -18 19.8, -24 00.9, +1 09.5, +22 14.0, -6
6 Hebe 92.6 00.9, -12 11.3, +8 15.6, -6 19.5, -18 03.4, -4 12.4, +5
154 Bertha 92.5 22.2, -28 00.9, +3 05.0, +45 12.3, +22 15.7, -22 19.6, -28
76 Freia 91.8 18.1, -22 20.5, -17 23.1, -5 03.6, +17 11.0, +4 14.7, -16
130 Elektra 91.1 12.1, +8 14.9, +3 17.5, -6 21.0, -17 03.2, -14 10.0, +7
22 Kalliope 90.5 23.5, -15 06.0, +33 13.1, +8 16.2, -19 19.6, -30 23.7, -14
259 Aletheia 89.3 01.9, +3 06.2, +25 11.5, +16 15.8, -14 20.1, -25 00.0, -11
120 Lachesis 87.1 18.3, -28 21.8, -14 01.0, +13 06.4, +32 12.1, -1 16.1, -26
41 Daphne 87 02.9, 0 07.9, -1 15.9, -12 21.4, -10 00.9, -3 04.6, +1
747 Winchester 85.8 07.8, +10 13.3, +7 15.6, -3 17.6, -12 20.7, -20 05.0, 0
153 Hilda 85.3 04.0, +17 07.1, +14 10.1, +2 13.2, -13 16.5, -20 19.8, -15
790 Pretoria 85.2 04.0, +21 07.7, +3 11.1, -19 14.9, -28 18.9, -14 22.6, +10
96 Aegle 85 02.1, +34 10.0, +17 15.2, -31 19.4, -29 22.1, -6 00.7, +23
241 Germania 84.4 16.6, -24 20.4, -16 00.8, +10 07.3, +20 11.9, -6 15.3, -22
194 Prokne 84.2 15.9, -7 21.8, -14 -5.3, -3 10.6, +2 14.8, -4 20.2, -14
566 Stereoskopia 84.1 15.7, -17 18.6, -24 22.1, -16 02.4, +12 08.5, +23 12.4, +3
911 Agamemnon 83.3 05.0, +49 08.6, +37 10.7, +13 12.2, -9 13.6, -26 15.2, -37
54 Alexandra 82.9 00.0, +13 06.4, +34 11.2, 0 15.9, -30 21.7, -9 03.2, +33
386 Siegena 82.5 02.3, -11 10.1, -2 14.1, -3 17.2, -7 20.8, -10 02.9, -10
59 Elpis 82.4 15.8, -14 19.6, -17 00.7, -2 09.2, +7 14.0, -9 17.7, -17
1437 Diomedes 82.2 07.2, +36 09.7, +14 11.5, -9 13.2, -26 15.1, -37 17.2, -38
409 Aspasia 80.8 23.5, +6 05.8, +15 13.1, -18 18.5, -19 22.9, +2 04.7, +17
209 Dido 80 14.0, -14 18.0, -29 21.8, -16 01.2, +13 -6.4, +33 11.8, +5
444 Gyptis 79.8 18.1, -16 23.2, -4 06.9, +7 12.0, -6 15.6, -15 19.8, -14
185 Eunike 78.8 17.2, -5 21.3, -15 04.0, -13 11.4, +3 15.4, -1 19.0, -10
804 Hispania 78.6 13.1, -11 17.0, -34 22.0, -13 03.3, +40 10.4, +21 13.8, -18
139 Juewa 78.3 11.8, +9 17.2, -31 21.1, -23 23.8, +2 04.9, +39 14.0, -13
334 Chicago 77.9 09.1, +16 12.6, 0 15.3, -14 18.0, -21 20.8, -18 23.5, -7
165 Loreley 77.6 02.6, +29 08.4, +21 12.4, -13 16.5, -30 20.6, -16 00.2, +14
354 Eleonora 77.6 15.4, -3 19.1, -15 22.5, -17 03.0, -8 11.5, +7 16.7, -8
85 Io 77.4 14.1, -14 18.9, -15 01.2, +3 08.2, +3 12.7, -11 17.1, -17
173 Ino 77.1 10.1, +7 14.0, -2 17.2, -12 21.6, -16 05.8, +4 12.1, +3
11 Parthenope 76.7 13.1, -3 18.0, -21 23.7, -7 07.6, +19 13.8, -7 18.8, -22
89 Julia 75.7 10.1, +10 13.9, -26 18.6, -30 00.0, +20 09.8, +14 13.6, -24
536 Merapi 75.7 22.9, -24 02.5, +12 07.8, +42 12.3, +22 14.7, -6 17.3, -27
150 Nuwa 75.6 08.6, +15 12.8, -6 16.1, -20 20.0, -19 00.7, +4 07.7, +18
145 Adeona 75.6 18.0, -25 21.5, -25 01.6, +1 12.1, +16 16.6, -19 20.2, -27
488 Kreusa 75.1 22.9, -18 01.9, +2 08.2, +28 14.7, -6 18.2, -24 21.1, -25
49 Pales 74.9 08.1, +20 12.6, -7 15.2, -20 17.9, -24 21.3, -14 03.7, +22
117 Lomia 74.4 21.4, -20 00.8, +19 08.5, +38 13.1, -11 16.8, -34 20.8, -25
238 Hypatia 74.2 12.3, -6 16.0, -13 19.5, -13 23.7, -5 06.5, +4 12.5, -6
168 Sibylla 74.2 15.5, -18 18.6, -20 21.9, -10 01.8, +9 07.5, +15 11.8, -3
39 Laetitia 74.8 00.0, -8 07.6, +10 13.0, -3 16.7, -14 20.8, -16 02.7, +1
283 Emma 74 08.9, +18 12.6, -11 15.8, -26 19.6, -22 00.0, +9 07.1, +27
51 Nemausa 73.9 13.0, -8 18.6, -16 23.3, -7 06.8, +6 15.3, -13 20.3, -14
106 Dione 73.3 07.4, +27 12.3, +3 15.0, -15 17.8, -24 21.2, -20 02.1, +11
20 Massalia 72.8 11.8, 0 16.9, -22 20.9, -17 02.1, +11 13.5, -10 18.0, -23
137 Meliboea 72.7 11.0, -6 14.6, -15 19.1, -13 00.3, +1 05.4, +7 09.3, -1
211 Isolda 71.6 20.0, -19 23.3, 0 06.8, +21 13.1, -11 16.3, -23 19.1, -21
1172 Aneas 71.4 20.9, -3 22.9, +9 01.0, +18 03.3, +21 05.5, +17 07.4, +8
508 Princetonia 71.2 18.0, -30 21.8, -24 01.2, +5 06.6, +39 12.4, +11 15.8, -20
361 Bononia 70.9 13.4, -6 15.4, -24 17.3, -32 19.3, -33 21.4, -25 23.6, -6
895 Helio 70.9 20.4, -2 23.6, +22 06.9, +9 12.4, -31 16.1, -32 18.7, -17
144 Vibilia 70.9 02.9, +16 11.3, +10 14.6, -12 18.2, -24 00.0, -4 09.7, +19
420 Bertholda 70.6 23.9, +5 04.2, +19 09.8, +4 13.8, -16 17.1, -22 20.0, -16
93 Minerva 70.5 6.9, +35 12.4, +1 17.3, -29 22.5, -11 03.1, +28 09.6, +25
617 Patroclus 70.5 19.5, -39 22.0, -32 00.2, -12 02.2, +15 04.7, +38 07.8, +46
308 Polyxo 70.3 19.1, -20 23.4, -4 05.3, +17 12.0, -2 16.6, -19 20.9, -15
18 Melpomene 70.3 12.3, +1 16.3, -13 21.4, -16 09.0, +8 14.3, -7 18.6, -18
ID# Name Radius (km) RA, Dec 2011.0 RA, Dec 2012.0 RA, Dec 2013.0 RA, Dec 2014.0 RA, Dec 2015.0 RA, Dec 2016.0


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