Site selection for the second Flyeye telescope: A simulation study for optimizing near-earth object discovery

Abstract

The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing a network of wide-field survey telescopes, named Flyeye, to improve the discovery of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The first telescope in the network will be located in the Northern Hemisphere on Mount Mufara (Italy), and a second Flyeye telescope, featuring increased detection capabilities, has just started the critical design phase.

The potential location for the second Flyeye telescope is investigated by performing simulations of NEOs on impacting trajectories. Approximately 3000 impacting asteroids of two absolute magnitudes (H = 25 and H = 28) were propagated and tested for detectability by major existing surveys (Catalina, Pan-STARRS, ATLAS), the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST), and possible Flyeye locations. Chile, South Africa, and a second facility in the Northern Hemisphere were considered. For each observatory, their past or planned pointing strategies were taken into account in the simulation.

Before LSST deployment, a single Flyeye in the Southern Hemisphere performs similarly to a telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. When combined, having one telescope in the north and one in the south maximizes detections and number of unique objects detected. After LSST, southern and northern Flyeye telescopes remain complementary. Overall, simulations show that a second Flyeye in the south complements a Flyeye telescope in the north both before and after LSST. A Flyeye located at La Silla would take advantage of the excellent atmospheric conditions, while allowing a balance of assets across hemispheres.