A Search for Bright Kuiper Belt Objects

Abstract

"Since 1992, 60 large Kuiper Belt objects have been detected by ground-based telescopes. Previous surveys which have detected objects have searched approximately 60 square degrees and detected objects with magnitudes 20.6 < m_R < 25.0. However, the luminosity function of brighter Kuiper Belt objects is not well determined. The detection of brighter objects would improve our ability to determine the Kuiper Belt objects' surface composition and provide constraints on the population statistics of different formation mechanisms. This paper describes a survey of 12.0 square degrees of sky near the ecliptic to a limiting magnitude of m_R ~ 21. A slow moving candidate was detected near the magnitude limit of the survey."