ATLAS (astronomy)

ATLAS (astronomy)
Name	ATLAS
Caption	Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System telescopes
Organization	University of Hawaii
Location	Mauna Loa Observatory, Mauna Kea, Haleakalā
Established	2015

ATLAS (astronomy) is the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, a survey project designed to detect near-Earth objects and transient phenomena. Operated by the University of Hawaii and supported by agencies and observatories, ATLAS uses multiple wide-field telescopes to scan the sky for asteroids, comets, supernovae, and variable sources. The project complements other surveys and facilities by providing rapid alerts and follow-up opportunities for the astronomical community.

Overview

ATLAS was developed with funding and partnerships including National Science Foundation, NASA, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Pan-STARRS team, and is headquartered at the Institute for Astronomy (University of Hawaii). The system was motivated by asteroid impacts studied in projects such as the Chicxulub impact, historical detections like the Chelyabinsk meteor, and planetary defense strategies discussed at events including the Planetary Defense Conference. ATLAS operates alongside surveys like Zwicky Transient Facility, Catalina Sky Survey, LINEAR, Spacewatch, NEOWISE, and survey telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (now Vera C. Rubin Observatory), contributing to transient astronomy communities that include researchers from Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and European Space Agency programs.

Telescope and Instrumentation

ATLAS employs multiple astrographs built by teams associated with the University of Hawaii and commercial partners including vendors linked to projects like AstroWorks and instrument groups similar to those at Lowell Observatory. Telescopes are sited at locations such as Mauna Loa Observatory, Haleakalā Observatory, and Mauna Kea Observatories to leverage dark skies and existing infrastructure like that used by Keck Observatory and Subaru Telescope. Instrumentation includes wide-field optics, CCD cameras with large-format detectors akin to devices used at Pan-STARRS and DECam, custom filters comparable to those at Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and mounting systems influenced by designs at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The hardware design emphasizes rapid slewing, automated dome control similar to systems at Las Cumbres Observatory, and data throughput integrated with computing centers comparable to National Optical Astronomy Observatory facilities.

Survey Operations and Methodology

ATLAS conducts nightly surveys with cadence strategies informed by methodologies used in Palomar Transient Factory and Gaia scanning, covering thousands of square degrees each night. Image processing pipelines employ software paradigms from projects like Astrometry.net, SExtractor, and transient-detection frameworks used by LSST teams, performing astrometric solutions tied to reference catalogs such as Gaia DR2, photometric calibration referencing Pan-STARRS1 and SDSS, and moving-object detection algorithms paralleling those in MOPS and Find_Orb workflows. The operations center coordinates observing schedules with facilities including European Southern Observatory and networks like the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen to optimize follow-up by instruments such as Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and ground-based spectrographs at Gemini Observatory and Very Large Telescope.

Scientific Discoveries and Contributions

ATLAS has discovered numerous near-Earth objects and small impactors, providing alerts for events reminiscent of the Chelyabinsk meteor and impactors studied in Tunguska event research, and has cataloged variable phenomena including supernovae comparable to those in datasets from Supernova Legacy Survey and Carnegie Supernova Project. The survey identified rapidly evolving transients similar to objects analyzed in publications from Palomar Transient Factory and has contributed light curves and early detections used in multiwavelength campaigns with observatories like Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift Observatory, and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. ATLAS discoveries have informed studies in planetary defense that involve organizations such as NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and policy discussions at United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs forums. The project’s contributions extend to variable star catalogs akin to those from ASAS-SN and minor planet ephemerides included in databases curated by the Minor Planet Center.

Data Products and Access

ATLAS releases data products including calibrated images, difference images, transient alert streams, and moving-object reports analogous to products from Zwicky Transient Facility and Pan-STARRS archives. Data are archived and distributed through systems interoperable with services like Virtual Observatory standards, the International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center, and repositories similar to Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. Alert dissemination uses protocols compatible with VOEvent and community brokers such as ANTARES and Lasair, enabling follow-up coordination with facilities including Keck Observatory, Subaru Telescope, Magellan Telescopes, and amateur networks tied to American Association of Variable Star Observers.

Collaborations and Related Projects

ATLAS collaborates with a broad network including academic institutions such as University of Hawaii, California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, and agencies like NASA and NSF. It interfaces with related surveys and projects including Pan-STARRS, Zwicky Transient Facility, Catalina Sky Survey, NEOWISE, Gaia, Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and citizen-science efforts linked to Zooniverse. International partnerships involve observatories in locations such as Australia, Chile, Spain, and facilities managed by organizations like National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and European Southern Observatory.

Category:Astronomical surveys Category:Near-Earth object tracking