GBT26B-399

Urgent Proposal for DSS13/GBT Radar Imaging of Asteroid 2026 TS

Abstract

We request 3.75 hours on 2026 October 18 for bistatic DSS13/Green Bank Telescope radar observations of newly-discovered near-Earth asteroid 2026 TS. This asteroid is about 50 meters in diameter and will approach within 2.4 lunar distances on Oct. 18 when the radar SNRs could be strong enough for imaging. We are particular interested in obtaining radar astrometry to reduce orbital uncertainties for this object, whose cumulative impact probability increased by an order of magnitude between JPL orbital solutions 3 and 6 and which is currently 1.7E-5.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Lance Benner *	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Marina Brozovic	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Shantanu Naidu	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jon Giorgini	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Joseph Jao	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Michael Busch	SETI Institute

* indicates the PI