International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Online Student-Based Discovery Programs
Dr. J. Patrick Miller
Department of Mathematics & Astronomy
Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, Texas
January 16, 2010
EuROPA (Educational Reach-Out Programs in Astronomy)
International Astronomical Search Collaboration
(IASC = “Isaac”)
…online student-based discovery program in astronomy
High school and college students make original
discoveries & observations:
Main Belt asteroids
Near-Earth objects (NEOs)
Collaborators include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, Texas)
Astronomical Research Institute (Westfield, Illinois)
Lawrence Hall of Science (University of California, Berkeley)
Global Hands-On Universe Association (Lisbon, Portugal)
Sierra Stars Observatory Network (Markleeville, CA)
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (Space Sciences Laboratory)
Astrometrica (Linz, Austria)
218 Schools, 21 Countries, & 4 Continents
Country
# of Schools
Austria
1
Brazil
3
Bulgaria
3
China
15
Ethiopia
7
England
2
Germany
3
Ghana
1
India
30
Ireland
1
Italy
1
Japan
8
Kenya
2
Nigeria
5
Poland
12
Portugal
14
Puerto Rico
1
Russia
2
South Africa
11
Switzerland
1
United States
95
Portugal
Poland
California
We discovered asteroid!
Japan
Virginia
Organization of IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns
IASC asteroid search campaigns are organized into 45-day time periods,
originally scheduled for U.S. schools and based upon standard holiday and
testing schedules from August-May. Now, the campaigns run year-round:
2006-07
3
Asteroid Search Campaigns
2007-08
3
2
Asteroid Search Campaigns
NEO Confirmation Campaigns
2008-09
5
2
Asteroid Search Campaigns
NEO Confirmation Campaigns
2009-10
9
3
Asteroid Search Campaigns
NEO Confirmation Campaigns
IASC is provided at no cost to the participating schools.
Specialized IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns
All-Texas Asteroid Search Campaign
(University of Texas at Austin)
All-China Asteroid Search Campaign
(National Astronomical Observatory of China)
All-Portugal Asteroid Search Campaign
(Nucleo Interactivo de Astronomia)
Ethiopia
All-India Asteroid Search Campaign
(S.P.A.C.E.)
Nigeria
South Africa
Ghana
Kenya
All-Africa Asteroid Search Campaign
(South African Astronomical Observatory)
(National Youth Development Council)
(Global Hands-On Universe Association)
NASA WISE Asteroid Search Campaign
(Space Sciences Laboratory)
(Lawrence Hall of Science)
• February 1 – March 17, 2010
• March 22 – May 7, 2010
• August 23 – October 8, 2010
Astronomical Research Institute
IASC Program Flow Diagram
Hardin-Simmons University
Astrometrica
Sierra Stars Observatory
HSU & Astrometrica
Minor Planet Center (Harvard)
Using Astrometrica, the students run the “moving object utility” followed by
a deep search into the images with the “blink utility”.
Discovery of 2009 CV54 by a student at the Center for Theoretical Physics
(Poland)
Asteroid discovery by Ranger High School
(TX) during Region 14 workshop
2007 BG50
Asteroid discovery by Loraine High School
(TX) during Region 14 workshop
2007 BX72
Since October 2006, students have:
•
•
•
•
Discovered 190 Main Belt asteroids
Made >1,500 NEO observations
Made ~200 NEO confirmations
Made ~50 virtual impactor observations
IASC targets 1 MBA discovery for every other school.
Discoveries & Observations…
current campaigns that started December 11th
Main Belt Asteroid Discoveries
Object
Students
School
2009 XD2
2009 XP6
2009 XQ6
Wang, Wang, & Zhang
Yang, Fang, & Zhou
Yang, Fang, & Zhou
Beijing No. 35 Middle School
Zhejiang Normal University
Zhejiang Normal University
Location
Date
China
China
China
12/11/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
NEO Confirmations
Object
Students
School
2009 XQ1
2009 XZ1
2009 XA2
Wang, Wang, & Zhang
Li, Li, & Wang
Yang, Fang, & Zhou
Beijing No. 35 Middle School
Zhongguancun Middle School
Zhejiang Normal University
Location
Date
China
China
China
12/11/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
NEO Observations
Object
Students
School
2009 SD229
2009 UZ17
2009 XO
2009 SL104
2009 WR6
2009 RD1
2009 VN1
2004 TB18
2009 WN
2009 SV171
2006 WY2
2004 XJ3
2009 WW25
Wang, Zhang, & Song
Wang,Li, Z.Wang
Wang, Yin, & Zhang
Shan, Geng, & Wang
Butchart, Crandell, & Davis
He & Gao
He & Gao
Jiang, Liu, & Zhou
Zhang, Yin, & Zhou
Furtado & Teixeira
Manghnani & Rodrigues
Moreno, Fontes, & Mascarenhas
L. Pessoa
Beijing No. 35 Middle School
Beijing No. 35 Middle School
Beijing No. 35 Middle School
Beida Resource Middle School
Oil City High School
Beijing 101 High School
Beijing 101 High School
Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University
Escola Básica 2,3 Matilde Rosa Araújo
Escola Secundária 2,3 de Alvide
Escola Secundária e B3 Fernão de Magalhães
Colégio da Bafureira
Location
Date
China
China
China
China
PA
China
China
China
China
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
12/11/09
12/11/09
12/11/09
12/11/09
12/11/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
12/12/09
Observer details:
H01 Magdalena Ridge Observatory, Socorro. Observers W. H. Ryan, E. V. Ryan. Measurer W. H. Ryan. 2.4-m
f/8.9 reflector + CCD. H36 Sandlot Observatory, Scranton. Observer G. Hug. 0.56-m reflector + CCD.
H55 Astronomical Research Observatory, Charleston. Observer R. Holmes. Measurers S. Kirby, K. Dankov, H.
Devore. 0.61-m f/4.0 astrograph + CCD.
H85 Silver Spring. Observer K. Levin. Measurer N. Teamo. 0.45-m f/7.25 Ritchey-Chretien + 3072x2054 CCD.
On January 31, 2009, a potentially hazardous
asteroid (PHA) 2009 BD81 was discovered at ARI
Observatory by Observer R. Holmes, measurers
S. Kirby, K. Dankov, and H. Devore.
It was published in MPEC 2009-C09 on February
2, 2009.
Steven Kirby is a high school science teacher at
Ranger High School (Ranger, TX). He was
attending an IASC workshop at the Big Country
Science & Mathematics Symposium (Region 14;
Abilene, TX).
Current IASC Capacity
IASC has an image pipeline with 2 channels
(24” and 32” telescopes at the ARI Observatory)
Using 45-day campaigns, a total of 8 can be offered per year per channel
(i.e., 16 search campaigns per year)
Each campaign can serve 15 schools
Academic Year
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
# of Campaigns % of Capacity
3
5
7
12
19%
31%
44%
75%
# of Schools
45
75
105
135
Future Plans for IASC
New collaboration partners…
• Pan-STARRS (University of Hawaii)
• Chinese Academy of Science (Beijing)
• Las Cumbras Observatory Global Telescopes
New search campaigns…
• Supernovae
• Kuiper Belt Objects
• Comets
• Exoplanets
2-m Faulkes Telescope
North Maui
NASA WISE NEO Confirmation Campaign
(Space Sciences Laboratory)
(Lawrence Hall of Science)
March 15 – May 30, 2010
5 NASA WISE schools will be paired with 5 schools from the United Kingdom.
Using the 2-m Faulkes telescopes, follow-up images will be taken of
near-Earth objects (NEO) discovered by WISE the night before.
These observations are called “NEO Confirmations” and are published by the
Minor Planet Center (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory).
Searches for Supernovae (SNe) and
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)
Anonymous galaxy in the
cluster
Abell 1066
January 26, 2006
Anonymous galaxy in the
cluster
Abell 1066
February 29, 2006
SN 2006 al
Holmes & Devore
Searches for Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)
KBO Varuna
January 11, 2007
Varuna
Searches for Comets
Comet
September 17, 2006
International Astronomical Search Collaboration
Department of Mathematics & Astronomy
Holland School of Science & Mathematics
Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, Texas 79698-6060
1-325-670-1393
pmiller@hsutx.edu
EuROPA