• FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy

    The Subaru dome on Mauna Kea.
    Courtesy of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The Subaru dome on Mauna Kea.
    Courtesy of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The Subaru Telescope.
    Courtesy of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The first FOSSIL observations underway.
    Courtesy of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The Hyper Suprime-Cam focal plane.
    Courtesy of the HSC Project

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The Hyper Suprime-Cam corrector lenses.
    Courtesy of the HSC Project

  • FOSSIL

    Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy.

    The Hyper Suprime-Cam installed at the Subaru prime focus.
    Courtesy of the HSC Project

ABOUT US

FOSSIL, or Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy, is an intensive survey program of the Subaru telescope using the HyperSuprimeCam. The goal of the program is to measure the populations and characterisics of the Jupiter Trojans and the various dynamical subpopulations of the small bodies in the Trans-Neptnuian region. The results of this survey program will provide important clues to our understanding of the formation and evolution of our Solar System.