View source for ESA Optical Ground Station

{{Short description|European Space Agency observatory}}
{{Infobox telescope|locmapin=Canary Islands|coordinates={{coord|28.30096|-16.51182|format=dms|type:landmark_region:ES-TF|display=inline,title}}}}
The '''ESA Optical Ground Station''' ('''''OGS Telescope''''' or '''''ESA Space Debris Telescope''''') is the [[European Space Agency]]'s ground based [[Astronomical observatory|observatory]] at the [[Teide Observatory]] on [[Tenerife]], Spain, built for the observation of [[space debris]]. OGS is part of the [[Artemis (satellite)|Artemis]] experiment and is operated by the IAC ([[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias]]) and Ataman Science S.L.U.

[[File:At Tenerife 2023 699.jpg|thumb|left|The telescope]]
[[File:Optical Ground Station 2.webm|thumb|left|Dome operations of the OGS]]
The observatory is a 1-meter [[Coudé telescope]] with a field of view of 0.7 degrees, supported by an [[Equatorial mount#Cross-axis mount|English cross-axial mount]] inside a dome 12.5-meters in diameter. Its main purposes are: 
# to be the optical ground station of the [[Artemis (satellite)|Artemis telecommunications satellite]] (the project from which the telescope takes its name)
# to survey space debris in different orbits around the Earth,
# to conduct surveys and follow-up observations of [[near-Earth object]]s as part of ESA's [[Space Situational Awareness programme]], and
# to make scientific astronomical night observations.

It is equipped with a cryogenically cooled mosaic CCD-Camera of 4k×4k pixels. The detection threshold is between 19th and 21st [[Apparent magnitude|magnitude]], which corresponds to a capability to detect [[space debris]] objects as small as 10&nbsp;cm in the [[geostationary ring]]. As a large part of the observation time is dedicated to space debris surveys, in particular the observation of [[space debris]] in the [[geostationary ring]] and in [[geostationary transfer orbit]]s, the term ESA Space Debris Telescope became used very frequently. Space debris surveys are carried out every month, centered on New Moon.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Since 2006, the telescope has also been used as a receiver station for quantum communication experiments (such as [[Bell test experiments|testing Bell's inequality]], [[quantum cryptography]], and [[quantum teleportation]]), with the sender station being 143&nbsp;km away in the [[Roque de los Muchachos Observatory|observatory on La&nbsp;Palma]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMLWO7YJ6H_index_0.html |title=ESA observatory breaks world quantum teleportation record |work=ESA press release |date=6 September 2012}}</ref> This is possible because this telescope can be tilted to a near-horizontal position to point it at La&nbsp;Palma, which many large astronomical telescopes are unable to do.
{{clear|left}}

== List of discovered minor planets ==

EAS OGS has been credited by the [[Minor Planet Center]] with the discovery of 37 [[minor planet]]s.<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" /> These are:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 26em; margin-right: 1em; height: 420px;
|-
| {{mp|(231609) 2009 RV}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|231609|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(241554) 2010 FA|93}} || 23 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|241554|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(246849) 2010 FB|48}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|246849|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(251626) 2010 FM|53}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|251626|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(257422) 2010 FR|47}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|257422|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(257423) 2010 FM|48}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|257423|list}}}}
|-
| [[284891 Kona]] || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|284891|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(296587) 2009 RA|26}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|296587|list}}}}
|-
| [[297005 Ellirichter]] || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|297005|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(301679) 2010 FA|48}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|301679|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(312714) 2010 RR|3}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|312714|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(321480) 2009 RZ|69}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|321480|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(321810) 2010 RK|4}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|321810|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(325476) 2009 RY}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|325476|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(325791) 2010 RX|4}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|325791|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(330873) 2009 RQ|1}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|330873|list}}}}
|-
| [[332706 Karlheidlas]] || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|332706|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(343557) 2010 FX|47}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|343557|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(343577) 2010 FF|88}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|343577|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(347299) 2011 OA|28}} || 1 June 2011 || {{small|{{LoMP|347299|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(356298) 2010 FT|47}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|356298|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(362429) 2010 RU|4}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|362429|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(365291) 2009 RO|26}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|365291|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(368098) 2013 BP|70}} || 6 June 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|368098|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(369284) 2009 RQ|26}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|369284|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(381725) 2009 RP|5}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|381725|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(386618) 2009 RD|26}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|386618|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(398163) 2010 FS|47}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|398163|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(403532) 2010 FG|88}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|403532|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(419562) 2010 RF|5}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|419562|list}}}}
|-
| [[420779 Świdwin]] || 11 April 2013 || {{small|{{LoMP|420779|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(436317) 2010 FP|47}} || 22 March 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|436317|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(438881) 2009 RD|28}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|438881|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(457818) 2009 RB|58}} || 10 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|457818|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(463362) 2012 TB|30}} || 15 September 2012 || {{small|{{LoMP|463362|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(481993) 2009 RO|27}} || 13 September 2009 || {{small|{{LoMP|481993|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(482129) 2010 RC|5}} || 1 September 2010 || {{small|{{LoMP|482129|list}}}}
|}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
* [[List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century]]
* {{section link|List of minor planet discoverers|Discovering dedicated institutions}}

== References ==
{{reflist
|refs=

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 12 January 2017
  |access-date = 2 February 2017}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

== External links ==
* http://www.iac.es/eno.php?op1=3&op2=6&lang=en&id=7
* http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=36520
* http://vmo.estec.esa.int/totas

{{Planetary defense}}
[[Category:Discoveries by ESA OGS|*]]
[[Category:Space Situational Awareness Programme]]
[[Category:Optical telescopes]]
[[Category:European Space Agency facilities]]
[[Category:Space debris]]