Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Lots of Image Sets Available
There are two image sets in each of the school folders. Some of you already have three. More image sets from June 4th will be upladed later today.
Check your folder!!
Purpose of ARI Image Sets
The image sets that your students analyze are taken by the ARI Observatory (Westfield, IL). The Observatory has a contract with NASA to do follow-ups of near-Earth Objects, as part of the Near-Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA).
Each image set has an NEO target, probably located close to the center. The NEO target is a previously-discovered object, usually discovered in the past few days but sometimes years in the past. You need to measure the target as this provides information that NASA needs to better predict the orbit. After you have done this measurement then you look around the rest of the image for any undiscovered asteroids.
Usuallly these undiscovered asteroids reside in the Main Belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. If your students make a discovery then IASC has to complete the follow-up process for you.
The Minor Planet Center requires than any Main Belt asteroid discovery be re-imaged within 7-days of the discovery. This is called the "follow-up process". If the follow-up process is not completed the discovery is considered lost.
Most of the measurements that your students are reporting as asteroid discoveries are, in fact, false signatures. Students tend to click on anything that moves in an image set, but not all that appears to be moving are asteroids. They are usually artifacts (bad or hot pixels) in the image that need to be ignored.
On average students will find a new asteroid once every fourth or fifth image set...and not in every set.
In the meanwhile, check your folder, and...
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Update - Image Sets in all folders
Update from Dr. Patrick Miller on June 3rd, 2010 -
Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Check your folder!!
Image sets are now uploaded and available in all of the school folders.
The skies are dark and clear at the ARI Observatory. The Internet problems are resolved. If the weather holds, new image sets will continue to be available.
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Check your folder!!
Image sets are now uploaded and available in all of the school folders.
The skies are dark and clear at the ARI Observatory. The Internet problems are resolved. If the weather holds, new image sets will continue to be available.
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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
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_
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
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Image Sets will Soon be Available!!!!
Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration
The skies at the ARI Observatory are clear and dark. The Internet is repaired. Image sets should be available later today. Check your folder!!
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
The skies at the ARI Observatory are clear and dark. The Internet is repaired. Image sets should be available later today. Check your folder!!
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
IASC Update - from Patrick Miller, May 31st
Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Thunderstorms at the ARI Observatory
The full Moon has finally waned to the point that image sets can be taken once again at the ARI Observatory.
However, intense thunderstorms over the past days damaged the Internet connection at the Observatory. Technicians from the Internet service provider have been called, and will soon repair the service so that image sets can be uploaded into the school folders.
When the technicians repair the service, image sets will again be available for all of the participating schools. Please be patient.
MPC Reports
Each school should only be sending in one MPC report per target. In some cases 5 or 6 reports have been sent. Instead of sending 5 or 6, combine the reports into a single report, and include all 5 or 6 student names in the MEA field on the report. MEA stands for "measurer."
To help you understand the terms, 2010 GA34-0526-24 means the NEO target is 2010 GA34. 0526 is the date May 26th and 24 is the telescope used (either 24" or 32"). Only one report must be prepared for this image set (i.e., target).
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
Thunderstorms at the ARI Observatory
The full Moon has finally waned to the point that image sets can be taken once again at the ARI Observatory.
However, intense thunderstorms over the past days damaged the Internet connection at the Observatory. Technicians from the Internet service provider have been called, and will soon repair the service so that image sets can be uploaded into the school folders.
When the technicians repair the service, image sets will again be available for all of the participating schools. Please be patient.
MPC Reports
Each school should only be sending in one MPC report per target. In some cases 5 or 6 reports have been sent. Instead of sending 5 or 6, combine the reports into a single report, and include all 5 or 6 student names in the MEA field on the report. MEA stands for "measurer."
To help you understand the terms, 2010 GA34-0526-24 means the NEO target is 2010 GA34. 0526 is the date May 26th and 24 is the telescope used (either 24" or 32"). Only one report must be prepared for this image set (i.e., target).
Happy Hunting!!
Dr. Patrick Miller
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