Speaker
Description
Keywords: NEO, planetary defense, public outreach, asteroids.
Since it was founded in 2006, the Virtual Telescope Project has been a leading facility in sharing online, real-time observing sessions of near-Earth asteroids around the time of their flyby with the Earth. Over more than 18 years, it scheduled and produced hundreds of online events, including the record setting, extremely close approach of asteroid 2012 DA14 and the dusty plume from Dimorphos after the impact of DART. So far, more than 16-million of individuals joined those live observing sessions from all over the world. Joining those live event is free.
Since 2023 the robotic telescopes part of the project were relocated in Manciano, Tuscany, under the darkest skies of the Italian peninsula, for much better performances and scientific return. This station obtained the observing code M50 from the Minor Planet Center and it is part of the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN).
The Virtual Telescope Project also plays a primary role in providing the international press and media with first-hand information, data and images about those objects. Every time an asteroid comes relatively close to our planet, images and time-lapses are promptly obtained and immediately made available to the press for their up-to-date coverage.
Pioneering the field of live observing sessions on the web, particularly of near-Earth asteroids, the Virtual Telescope Project developed its own original format, significantly raising awareness on the importance of NEO science and planetary defense, doing an impressive work to make those topics accessible to the community worldwide.
With this contribution, the author will review the activity of the Virtual Telescope Project, its relationships with the international media and will anticipate future ideas, also in sight of the historic flyby of potentially hazardous asteroid (99942) Apophis, which will be perfectly visible from Italy.