Palomar–Leiden survey
| Survey type |
astronomical survey 
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|---|---|
| Target |
asteroid
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| Observations |
Palomar Observatory, Leiden Observatory
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[]
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The Palomar–Leiden survey (PLS) was a successful astronomical survey to study faint minor planets in a collaboration between the U.S Palomar Observatory and the Dutch Leiden Observatory, and resulted in the discovery of thousands of asteroids, including many Jupiter trojans.
The original PLS-survey took place in 1960, and was continued by three Palomar–Leiden Trojan survey campaigns, launched in 1971, 1973 and 1977. Its principal investigators were the astronomers Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten at Leiden and Tom Gehrels at Palomar. For the period of the entire survey (1960–1977), the trio of astronomers are credited with the discovery of 4,625 numbered minor planets, which received their own provisional designation, such as 6344 P-L and 4835 T-1.
PLS was one of the most productive minor planet surveys ever conducted: five new asteroid families were discovered,gaps at 1:3 and 2:5 orbital resonances with Jupiter were revealed, and hundreds of photographic plates were taken with Palomar's Samuel Oschin telescope. These plates are still used in their digitized form for the precovery of minor planets today.
Approximately 5,500 minor planets were discovered during the Palomar–Leiden survey and its subsequent Trojan campaigns. A total of 4,622 minor planets have been numbered so far and are directly credited to the survey's principal investigators – Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels – by the Minor Planet Center (see § List of discovered minor planets), which is responsible for the designation of minor bodies in the Solar System. Discoveries included members of the Hungaria and Hilda family, which are asteroids from the inner- and outermost regions of the asteroid belt, respectively, as well as a large number of Jupiter trojans.
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