Results of the first Italian planetary radar experiment

摘要

We describe the first intercontinental planetary radar initiative undertaken in Italy. We present the results of the observations of Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 33342 (1998 WT24), performed in December 2001 using the bistatic configurations Goldstone-Medicina and Evpatoria-Medicina, with the 32-m Medicina dish used to receive echoes in both cases. The experiment goal was to characterise the system for radar follow-up observations of NEA and artificial orbiting debris, in the framework of a feasibility study which aims at using the Sardinia Radio Telescope, at present under construction, also as a planetary radar facility.