Observing Asteroids

You will start this project by finding and observing asteroids which are bright and relatively slow moving, and therefore very easy to observe. You will then use computer software to see the asteroid move against the starry background.

The next stage of the project is to accurately measure the position of the asteroid and give its RA and Dec to at least ±0.2' accuracy.

Finally, you will learn how to find and observe NEOCP (Near Earth Object Confirmation Page) objects which are faint and very fast-moving asteroids with uncertain orbits. You will observe these objects, measure their positions and report them to the MPC (Minor Planet Center) via the email address astrometry@faulkes-telescope.com. Swift measurements of these objects can result in student / teacher names being published in the MPECs (Minor Planet Electronic Circulars).

The resources you require for this project are available below in the order you will need them.

Introduction to Asteroids

The documents below will give you a basic introduction to asteroids, and also how to go about finding suitable asteroids to observe with the telescope.

Note: If you can't make your own asteroid observations, you can download archive data sets to use from the Image Archive. For more information on searching the Archive, see the Introductory Course - Using the Image Archive.

Search for asteroids discovered in 2007.

Astrometrica

The software you're going to use to look at your asteroid images is called Astrometrica.

The software is easy to use but it takes a small amount of time to set up. The documents and links below will explain how to do this.

Identifying Asteroids

You will now use software called Astrometrica to look at your asteroid images. You will use Astrometrica to blink the images so you are able to see the asteroid move against the starry background.

Astrometric Data Reduction

You can now use Astrometrica to identify the name of your asteroid, and to measure its position in space using the RA and Dec co-ordinate system.

Reporting asteroid data

You can now report your asteroid positions by submitting them to astrometry@faulkes-telescope.com. Once checked, your data will then be forwarded to the Minor Planet Center (MPC).

NEOCP Objects

Users will observe these objects, measure their positions and report them to the Minor Planet Center (MPC). Swift measurements of these objects can result in students'/teachers' name being published in the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (MPECs).

Finding your Observations in the MPC Daily Orbit Updates

Exercises & Activities

Below are some exercises and activities that you can try to test your understanding of the material in this course.

Additional Information and Web References

These are a few links to external sites that contain useful information in regards to this course. The information is useful but not essential to your understanding.

User Support