Tuesday November 10th, 12:20pm – 1:30pm, Annapolis 3

This lunchtime workshop will discuss needs and opportunities for Earth-based KBO observations to support the potential New Horizons extended mission to the Kuiper Belt.  At New Year 2019, subject to NASA approval of an extended mission, New Horizons will encounter the cold classical KBO 2014 MU69, providing the first ever close-up view of a small KBO.  The spacecraft also has the opportunity to make unique long-range observations of about a dozen additional KBOs during its transit through the Kuiper Belt.  Earth-based observations can help to maximize the science return from the Kuiper Belt mission by providing (for instance) astrometric, color, lightcurve, and photometric data on target KBOs, and by providing a broader context for the New Horizons targets.  This workshop will outline the planned New Horizons KBO mission, and provide an opportunity for discussion of potential Earth-based support observations.  All are welcome- if possible please contact John Spencer ([email protected]) if you expect to attend.