AIASC - Image sets becoming available -PLEASE CHECK!

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Image Sets Becoming Available

Image sets from June 1st and June 2nd are becoming available in the school folders. It will take another day before all of the folders will have an image set. So, be patient. Within the next few days, everyone will have at least two or more sets to analyze.

Discoveries & Observations Page

The IASC discoveries and observations page is located at http://iasc.hsutx.edu/index_files/Page786.htm. This is where you will find the listing of all near-Earth object (NEO) observations and confirmations. So far there have not been any Main Belt asteroid (MBA) discoveries during the current search campaigns, but there are discoveries lurking in the image sets.

As sets become available in your school folder, check them carefully. Your students may find some new asteroids.

For a discovery to be complete, there must be a second image set (called the follow-up) taken within 7 days of the date of the discovery. IASC handles the follow-ups in two ways:

1. Relies upon the sky surveys to pick up the asteroid discovery, and
2. Uses the 24" telescope at the Sierra Stars Observatory Network to take the second image set.

Even though your students may make a discovery, it will not be recognized by the Minor Planet Center (Harvard) until the follow-up process is completed. When it is completed and the discovery is recognized then you are notified of your students' discovery.

Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller
Email by Dr. Patrick Miller on Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 11:58 AM