Update from Patrick Miller, May 29th

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Discoveries & Observations

The Discoveries & Observations page at the IASC home site has been updated. To see the page, go to iasc.hsutx.edu.

There are 3 near-Earth object (NEO) confirmations and 51 NEO observations. A confirmation is the second measurement of a recently-discovered NEO. The second measurement is very important as it confirms the existence of the NEO and it helps refine the orbit...knowing the orbit is critical as it tells astronomers whether the NEO poses an impact hazard with Earth.

NEO observations are also important. They are the third, fourth, and beyond measurements. These measurements further refine the orbit, and assess the impact hazard.

Image Sets (ARI Observatory)

IASC is still waiting for image sets from the ARI Observatory. The bright night sky due to the full Moon makes it difficult to take images, especially of the fainter NEOs. During a bright Moon it is hard to make any Main Belt asteroid discoveries, as well.

When image sets become available, they will be uploaded immediately into the school folders. Keep a watch on your folder. In the meanwhile...

Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller

PHASE I - CONFIRMATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS

Schools in All India Asteroid Search Campaign are doing a great job!
We have 2 confirmations and many NEO observations so far. Please see the current status listed below. CONGRATULATIONS ALL...
Updates can be seen on the AISC page here:
http://iasc.hsutx.edu/index_files/Page786.htm

STATUS till 26-5-2010:
NEO confirmations
2010 JF87 Sanyal & Milind - Gyan Bharti, Saket, India 05/15/10
2010 KA8 Jain, Aggarwal, Gupta, Gill, Mittal, & Mehta - Amity International School, Saket India 05/20/10

NEO Observations
Object Students School Location Date
2010 EH20 Kudnalia, Narang, Arora, Chyanica, Srivastav, & Kundalia - Hillwoods Academy, Preet Vihar India 05/15/10
2010 GU21 Batra, Mann, & Dahiya - Delhi Public School, Sonepat India 05/15/10
2010 JK41 S. Goyal - Space Club Alpha India 05/20/10
2010 JG Jyoti, Perla, Nagella, Manjunath, & Ratheesh - Space Centre-1 India 05/20/10
2010 GA34 Kumar, Chaterjee, Gari, Singh,& Nigam - Greeway Modern School, Dilshad Garden India 05/20/10
2010 GH30 P.Dhaval - Fergusson College, Pune India 05/22/10
2010 JL77 Kanti, Jain, Srivastava, Sinha,& Rahman - Delhi Public School, Gurgaon India 05/22/10
2010 JN71 A. Pundir - IndiraPuram School India 05/23/10
2010 FO92 Chawla, Chopra, Goel, Saini, &Bansal
- Bal Bharti Public School, Rajinder Nagar India 05/23/10
2010 JH88 Kundalia, Kundalia, & Shriwastva - Hillwoods Academy, Preet Vihar India 05/23/10
2010 KB8 Bhardawaj, Jaiswal, Batra, & Mann - Delhi Public School, Sonepat India 05/23/10
2010 JV34 S. Goyal - Space Club Alpha India 05/23/10
2010 KP10 G. Kumar - Greeway Modern School, Dilshad Garden India 05/23/10
2010 JG88 Paranjpye, Chhabra, & Bhandare - Fergusson College, Pune India 05/24/10
2010 EC135 Jaiswal, Bhardwaj, Batra, & Mann - Delhi Public School, Sonepat India 05/24/10
2010 JV34 Jain, Aggarwal, Gupta, Gill, Mittal, & Mehta - Amity International School, Saket India 05/24/10
2010 GG7 S. Goyal - Space Club Alpha India 05/24/10

All India Asteroid Search Campaign - Discoveries and observations

Several schools in the All India Asteroid Search Campaign have already reported NEO confirmations - 2 schools have a 1st time confirmation and 4 more have subsequent confirmations!!!
Congratulations!!!
All these schools are listed on the IASC website - under 'Discoveries and Observations' here -
http://iasc.hsutx.edu/index_files/Page786.htm

First analysis of the MPC report is out!!!!!!

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Congratulations In Order

A. Jain, S. Aggarwal, R. Gupta, H. Gill, S. Mittal, & G. Mehta from the Amity International School, Saket (India) confirmed the near-Earth object (NEO) 2010 KA8.  This is the second observation of a recently-discovered NEO.  The confirmation is very important and allows the Minor Planet Center (MPC) to verify the existence of an Earth-threatening asteorid and refine the orbit to better assess the impact risk.  Congratulations...good job!!

Other Observations

B. Kundalia, S. Narang, K. Arora, Chyanica, I. Srivastav, M. Kundalia from Hillwoods Academy, Preet Vihar, observed and measured the NEO target 2010 EH20.  K. Batra, Y. Mann, &  M. Dahiya observed 2010 GU21.  S. Goyal from Space Club Alpha observed 2010 JK41 and L. Jyoti, G. Perla, & P. Nagella from Space Centre-1 observed 2010 JG.

These observations and measurements are the third, fourth, and beyond of recently-discovered NEOs.  The measurements allow the MPC to better refine the orbits and assess the impact risk.

Congratulations to all of you!!


Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller and SPACE AIASC Team

wrong MPC report by Indirapuarm public school

IPS (Indirapuram Public School) have sent a wrong report which is incomplete. Please send it after correction and completion as soon as possible.

Image sets available for rest of the phase 1 participants

Now all groups have the image sets available!!! Check out and start the hunting!!

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

All schools participating the All-India Asteroid Search Campaign now has an image set in their folder.  Check your folder.

Discoveries and measurments await...

Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller

Image sets available on 20th may

Delhi Public school Dwarka
Amity International Saket
Bal bharti Public School, Pitampura

They all get image sets for analysis. HAPPY HUNTING.

we got the following update from Dr. Miller:

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Weather Still A Problem

Weather at the ARI Observatory continues to be a problem.  Last night three image sets were taken before it became overcast.  These three image sets dated May 20th have been uploaded into the school folders.  Just in case...check your folder.

Under Normal Circumstances...

When the skies are clear and dark, the ARI uses two telescopes to take images of near-Earth objects (NEOs), the 24" and 32".  During a typical night's run there were will be as many as 20 to 25 targets.  Each target makes up one image set, which is placed into a school folder.  Each school gets its own image set to analyze.  Do not analyze image sets in the other school folders...only the sets that you find in your folder.

Weather Forecast

The weather forecast shows 75% chance of rain for the next two days.  It may clear up by the weekend.  I am sorry but this is all part of science...especially astronomy.  No clear skies = No telescope images :o(

In the meanwhile 11 of the 31 participating schools have an image set to process.  When the skies do clear, the rest of the schools will also have them.  Be patient...

Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller

LATEST UPDATES from Dr. Patrick Miller re the image sets for phase 1

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

The weather continues to be a problem at the ARI Observatory.  It is from the 24" and 32" prime focus telescopes that IASC receives the image sets that are placed into your school folder.  However, on Saturday and Sunday the weather forecast is clear...so we should be able to provide you image sets on those dates :o)

Science is like this...especially astronomy.  You have to wait for dark and clear skies to make your observations.  When the skies cloud over as happened this past week at the ARI Observatory, you just have to wait.

So, check your folder, be patient, and in the meanwhile...

Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller


Department of Mathematics & Astronomy
Holland School of Science & Mathematics
Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, TX   79698

Submission of MPC reports has started from India - Update from IASC

Greetings from the International Astronmical Search Collaboration
First MPC Reports

The first MPC reports from the May 15th image sets are coming in from the schools in India.  Jasmeet Kathuria from the Delhi Public School, Sonepat, sent in the first report on the 2010 GU21 near-Earth object target.  And, at the time this email was being prepared, Babita Kundalia from the Hillswood Academy sent in the second report on the NEO target 2010 EH20.



This is good work.  Keep it up!!



Bad Weather :o(



For the rest of you, I am sorry.  The skies remain overcast at the ARI Observatory.  When they clear in the coming days,  I promise that your school will be getting its own image sets to analyze.  During the next 45 days you will have many image sets to look at and possibly make discoveries.  Most definitely you will make important NEO observations that are needed by the Minor Planet Center (Harvard) and the NASA Near-Earth Object Program (Jet Propulsion Laboratory).



Keep a watch on your folder.  And in the meanwhile...


Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller


Department of Mathematics & Astronomy
Holland School of Science & Mathematics
Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, TX   79698

Latest update

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Clouds at the Observatory

It remains overcast with rain showers at the ARI Observatory (Westfield, IL).  Tomorrow the skies may be clear but rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday.  This weekend it may again be clear.

Due Date of MPC Reports

Some of you asked about the 48-hour turn-around time for the MPC reports.  That is 48 hours from the time the image sets appear in your school folder.  For those few schools who have image sets from May 15th and 16th, those were put into your folders on May 17th, so the MPC reports are due by May 19th.  Remember, only send the MPC reports directly to Dr. Miller at pmiller@hsutx.edu

It is important to understand that IASC is not a competition.  Each school gets its own image sets different from everyone else.  With good weather and dark skies, you can expect 3-4 sets per week.

Sorry for the Wait

We are sorry for the wait to get new image sets for your students to analyze.  This is all part of astronomy.  Sometimes you are working furiously night after night trying to keep up, and other times you are waiting for the skies to clear or to grow dark after a full Moon.

I assure you that both will happen...the skies will clear.  They will be dark.  You will be busy!!

In the meanwhile, keep a watch on your folder and...

Happy Hunting!!

Dr. Patrick Miller

UPDATES from Dr. Patrick Miller re the image sets for phase 1

The skies are cloudy at the ARI Observatory, and only a limited number of images from May 15th and 16th were available.  As I explained in the email sent earlier today, you can expect 3-4 image sets per week when the skies are dark and clear. Those who didn't receive image sets from May 15th and 16th, They'll be the first in the list to receive sets when they do become available.  In the coming days.

You'll be busy soon...I promise!!

The 48-hour turn-around time is from the time the images are available in your folder.

Dr Patrick Miller

Image sets available for phase 1 participants

check out your emails, logins have been created and sent to you. Image set are being made available now. Go hunting now!!!!

Following schools have the sets available in their folder

Fergusson College, Pune
Gyan Bharti, Saket
Delhi Public School, Gurgaon
Indirapuram School
Bal Bharti Public School, Rajinder Nagar
Hillwoods Academy, Preet vihar
Tagore International, Vasant Vihar
Delhi Public School, Sonepat
Delhi Public School, Dwarka

Rest of the schools/groups will recievce the image sets soon. Wait for the updates on this Blog or on your mobiles.

Participants from Tagore International Scool

Asteroid Hunters from Tagore International School Vasant Vihar, Delhi

AISC - TRAINING WORKSHOP, 7th May, 2010

The All India Asteroid Search Campaign started off with a bang on Friday, 7^th May, 2010, 10:00am - 2:00pm at a workshop organized by SPACE at Nehru Planetarium MML to train teachers from selected schools for Phase I of the campaign which is about to start on May 17^th and continue till June 30^th.

The workshop included presentations by Dr. Rathnashree, Director, Nehru Planetarium on how asteroid discoveries have been made historically and by C.B. Devgun, President, SPACE on what asteroids are, why we should study them and about the program Asteroid Search Campaign. Mila Mitra, Scientific Officer, SPACE conducted a session on how the software Astrometrica should be used to find asteroids in the sky data fields that will be provided exclusively to each participating school.

13 teachers from schools which have been especially selected for this phase attended. This included teachers from Gyan Bharati, Saket; Delhi Public School, Gurgaon; Indirapuram School, Indirapuram; Bal Bharati Public School, Rajinder Nagar and Pitam Pura branches; Hillwoods Academy, Preet Vihar; Tagore International School, Vasant Vikar; Greenways Modern School, Dilshad Garden; Delhi Public School, Sonipat; Delhi Public School, Dwarka; Amity International School, Saket; Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar and individual students Shubham Goyal and Shivansh Chaturvedi from a special group made up exclusively of students called the SPACE Club Alpha.

The workshop went off well and most of the teachers installed the software and carried out some astrometry procedures identifying moving objects in a start field, which will enable them to show their students the basic concepts in preparation for the real data coming in.

Pictures from the workshop are available at

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/organisationspace/AllIndiaAsteroidSearchCampaignPhaseIWorkshop#

and at

http://organisationspace.blogspot.com/2010/05/images-form-workshop-phase-1.html

Images form Workshop phase 1

For More images CLICK HERE