Francesco Manca


see

Francesco Manca is an Italian amateur astronomer and discoverer of minor planets at the Sormano Astronomical Observatory in northern Italy.
Manca also performs follow-up astrometry of near-Earth objects. He acquired research and observational experience on the NEOs at professional observatories in Arizona, United States at Catalina Sky Survey Non-observational work focuses on computations of orbit and close approaches of asteroids with the Earth and computation of orbit identifications of asteroids and comets.
He wrote many articles on specialistic magazines. Member of SIMCA, associated National Institute for Astrophysics and International Asteroid Warning Network. His professional activity concerns the application of measuring systems as encoders for Right Ascension and Declination, installed on telescopes and Radio telescopes such as the VLT, LBT, ELT, ALMA, DAG, ASTRI and NEOSTEL for ESA or on space instruments as Solar Monitoring Observatory.
The Koronian asteroid 15460 Manca, discovered by Andrea Boattini and Luciano Tesi at San Marcello Pistoiese Observatory in 1998, is named in his honour.

List of discovered minor planets

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9111 Matarazzo28 January 1997
9115 Battisti27 February 1997
19 April 1996
10387 Bepicolombo18 October 1996
10605 Guidoni3 November 1996
10606 Crocco3 November 1996
11652 Johnbrownlee7 February 1997
12405 Nespoli15 September 1995
18542 Broglio29 December 1996
18556 Battiato7 February 1997
19318 Somanah2 December 1996
21289 Giacomel3 November 1996

Publications

  • "Asteroid and Planet Close Encounters", Minor Planet Bulletin,
  • "Monitoring Hazardous Objects", Proceedings of the Third Italian Meeting of Planetary Science,
  • "Planetary Close Encounters", Proceedings of the Fourth Italian Meeting of Planetary Science,
  • "Minor planet recovery: analysis and verification of data obtained by OrbFit and Edipo software", Proceedings of the Fifth Italian Meeting of Planetary Science,
  • "Identification of asteroids and comets: methods and results", Proceedings of the X National Conference on Planetary Science.
  • "Identification of asteroids and comets: update on methods and results". Proceedings of the XI National Conference on Planetary Science.
  • "Close encounters among asteroids, comets, Earth-Moon system and inner planets: the cases of Apophis and Comet C/2013 A1 ". Proceedings of the XII Italian national workshop of planetary sciences.
  • " Wide-field Mufara Telescope", Presentation at XIV Italian Meeting of Planetary Science,
  • "TANDEM: a new SST station at INAF-OAS Loiano Observatory", Presentation at 75th International Astronautical Congress,
  • Publication excerpt from

MPECs, CBETs and IAUCs