Asteroid Search Campaign - IASC

Starts:  April 17, 2023 9:00 AM (UTC-11)
Ends:  May 12, 2023 5:00 PM (UTC-11)

Astronomers Without Borders and International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC=” Isaac”) sponsor a special Asteroid Search Campaign as part of Global Astronomy Month. IASC is an online citizen scientist program for teams of citizen scientists to make original astronomical discoveries. Learn more about asteroids on our Observing Resources page.

During the campaign, each team will receive 20 unique sets of images (weather permitting) and search them for asteroids using Astrometrica software. Each image set will be taken along the celestial ecliptic at the University of Hawaii (Pan-STARRS) and will be sent to each team just hours after they have been taken. Using the software Astrometrica, the team will accurately measure the time and position of asteroids moving in the background. The measurements are recorded in a report sent to IASC. IASC will provide support through its website to learn the software and to answer questions by email.

Each year, 6,000 teams participate from more than 80 countries. Since the first search in October 2006, over 3,600 asteroids have been discovered, and 103 asteroids have been numbered by the International Astronomical Union (Paris). Numbered asteroids are recorded in the world’s official minor planet catalog and will be named by their student discoverers.