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NEW ASTEROID SATELLITE DISCOVERY AWARD. PAUL D. MALEY IOTA ANNUAL MEETING 2014. NAME OF AWARD. W.J. M erline A ward for D iscovery of an A steroid S atellite by O ccultation (MADASO). PURPOSE.
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NEW ASTEROID SATELLITE DISCOVERY AWARD PAUL D. MALEY IOTA ANNUAL MEETING 2014
NAME OF AWARD • W.J. MerlineAward for Discovery of an Asteroid Satellite by Occultation (MADASO)
PURPOSE • TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IOTA WORK AND METHODS, specifically multi-station deploys where 1 observer deploys 3 or more stations • TO RECOGNIZE THE FIRST CONFIRMED AMATEUR DISCOVERY OF AN ASTEROID SATELLITE BY OCCULTATION • TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BILL MERLINE (SWRI) IN THE FIELD OF ASTEROID SATELLITE DISCOVERY • TO PROVIDE A ONE TIME MONETARY PRIZE SIMILAR TO PRIZES OFFERED IN PRIOR CENTURIES FOR SIMILAR TYPE DISCOVERIES
AWARD • MONETARY PRIZE AND CERTIFICATE • MONETARY AWARD: $1,000 CONTRIBUTED BY P. MALEY $1,000 CONTRIBUTED BY R. NUGENT $1,000 ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTION ●CERTIFICATE AWARD: Confirming organization or individual(s)
MONETARY AWARD ELGIBILITY • CURRENT IOTA MEMBERS WORLDWIDE ONLY • PROFESSIONAL ASTRONOMERS INELIGIBLE • DISCOVERY / CONFIRMATION COULD BE RETROACTIVE • DISCOVERY MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED USING IOTA METHODOLOGY THROUGH OCCULTATION TIMING ONLY • METHODOLOGY: 1 OR MORE FIXED OR MOBILE TIME INSERTED GPS VIDEO SITES
DRAFT GUIDELINES • SEPARATE ONLINE DOCUMENT WILL DEFINE DETAILED STEPS OF AWARD PROCESS (TO BE POSTED LATER)
VALIDATION STAGE-1 • OCCULTATION CANDIDATES OBSERVED: NEO, MBA, DWARF PLANETS PERMITTED • ELECTRONICALLY RECORDED DATA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO IOTA FIRST • INITIAL REVIEW CONDUCTED BY IOTA OFFICERS • IOTA & DISCOVERER(S) DEVELOP REPORT FOR IAU • IF REPORT HOLDS UP, CONFIRMATION REQUIRED BY INDEPENDENT PARTY#1 WITH INDEPENDENT TECHNIQUE • PRELIMINARY ORBIT MUST BE DEFINED
VALIDATION STAGE-2 • CONFIRMATION BY ANOTHER INDEPENDENT TEAM AND METHOD (AO, RADAR, SATELLITE OBSERVATION, LIGHT CURVES, ETC.) • VALIDATION PANEL ESTABLISHED AFTER INITIAL IOTA REVIEW, CONTINUES THROUGH ENTIRE PROCESS • VALIDATION PANEL SUBMITS RECOMMENDATION TO IAU • IOTA CONFERS AWARD AFTER IAU VALIDATION
IAU “PROVISIONAL” DESIGNATION • NOT CONSIDERED A VALID CONFIRMATION SINCE THERE ARE OBJECTS WITH THAT DESIGNATION WHICH MAY NOT EXIST • PROVISIONAL DESIGNATION IS A PLACEHOLDER ONLY
AWARD DISTRIBUTION • MONETARY AWARD GOES ONLY TO DISCOVERER(S) • IF >1 DISCOVERER, MONEY IS EVENLY DIVIDED • CERTIFICATE TO ALL OTHERS IN THE PROCESS • FINAL AWARD DETERMINATION TO BE DECIDED BY IOTA AFTER INITIAL PANEL RECOMMENDATION & IAU CONCURRENCE
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT • On July 11, 2014, IAU agreed on their participation in the award process
RECOMMENDATION • DOCUMENT AND ADVERTISE AWARD ON IOTA WEB PAGE AND OTHER MEDIA AS OFFICERS SEE FIT • I HAVE PREPARED A TEMPORARY WEB PAGE FOR THE AWARD which will go ‘live’ once any open items have been resolved