INTERNATIONAL ASTEROID SEARCH CAMPAIGNInternet-Based Asteroid Search Program for High Schools

& Colleges

J. Patrick Miller, Department of Mathematics, Hardin-Simmons University Jeffrey W. Davis, Honors Program, Hardin-Simmons University Carlton R. Pennypacker, Hands-On Universe, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Graeme L. White, Centre for Astronomy, James Cook University

The International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC = “Isaac”) is a program

for high schools and colleges.

Centered at Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX) and provided at no cost to the participating schools, IASC is an educational

outreach program in conjunction with Hands-On Universe.

Working with their teachers, students analyze real-time astronomical images,

searching for unknown asteroids.

The students are officially recognized as measurers and discoverers by the

Minor Planet Center (Harvard) and the International Astronomical Union.

IASC is a collaborative effort of the Astronomical Research Institute (Charleston, IL), Lawrence Hall of Science (Hands-On Universe, UC

Berkeley), Astrometrica (H. Raab, Austria), and Hardin-Simmons University.

The seeds for IASC began in June 2006 at the Hands-On Universe annual meeting held at the Yerkes Observatory (University of Chicago).

At that meeting, the participating teachers expressed a need for an on-going program in astronomy and astrophysics that allowed them access to real-time images for analysis by their students.

This expressed need and the networking of professionals, amateurs, and educators at the Yerkes meeting led directly to the creation of IASC.

Yerkes Observatory(University of Chicago)

During the first year of IASC, three 30-day campaigns were conducted.

• October-November 2006 with 5 participating schools • February-March 2007 campaign had 15 participating schools• April-May 2007 campaign with 17 participating schoolsType of SchoolType of School # of Schools# of Schools # of States# of States

High Schools High Schools (U.S.)(U.S.)

1919 1313

Community Community CollegesColleges

66 33

UniversitiesUniversities 33 22

High Schools High Schools (Intl.)(Intl.)

44 22High Schools (U.S.): AK, AZ, CA, IL, KS, MA, NC, NH, OK, RI, TX, UT, VACommunity Colleges: NC, OK, TXUniversities: MS, TXHigh Schools (Intl.): Poland, Russia

CCD images are taken on clear, Moonless-nights by the Astronomical Research Institute (Charleston, IL).

Using a 0.81-m prime focus telescope, a set of three images is taken along the ecliptic within one

hour.

The Astronomical Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation performing research in astronomy and public outreach programs for student

research.  

Astronomical Research Observatory

32" Control Room

Cerro Tololo Inter-American ObservatoryChile

4-m Victor M. Blanco Telescope

On the next morning, the images are downloaded at Hardin-Simmons University, checked for clarity, and placed onto HSU

Blackboard.

Within two days, the schools download the images and the students

analyze them for moving objects.

Using Astrometrica, the students run the “moving object utility” followed by a deep search into the images with “blink

utility”.

From their analyses, reports are prepared and sent to Hardin-Simmons University.

After validation of the reports, the confirmed new asteroid discoveries are reported to the Astronomical Research

Institute (ARI).

The Minor Planet Center requires a follow-up image within 7 days of an

original discovery, which is taken by the ARI.

A successful follow-up image results in official recognition of the discovery by the

Minor Planet Center and the International Astronomical Union.

Discovery of KO7C54V by a student at the Center for Theoretical Physics (Poland)

Asteroid discovery by Ranger High School (TX) during Region 14

workshop

Asteroid discovery by Loraine High School (TX) during Region 14

workshop

K07B50G

K07B72X

Rare triple asteroid discovery by students at Meredith College (NC)

K07C51J  

Blink of the Triple Asteroid Discovery

During the first year, the schools participating in IASC discovered:

• 36 new asteroids, officially recognized by the IAU• 197 NEO confirmations• 1 comet confirmation

IASC Program Flow Diagram

Astronomical Research Institute

Hardin-Simmons University

Astrometrica

ARI

HSU & Astrometrica Minor Planet Center (Harvard)

IASC Teacher Training Sessions

Teacher training for IASC was done primarily online, using the Internet. Instructions were prepared for installation of the software Astrometrica and a step-by-step guide written for the teachers to practice finding asteroids.

For the 2006-2007 search campaigns, two workshops were presented for the teachers:

January 2007 Region 14 Annual Conference(13 Texas counties, 161 schools)

February 2007 Dallas County Community College District

University of North Texas (Denton, TX)

- Brookhaven College- Richland College- East Field College- Mountain View College

IASC Teacher Training Sessions

For the 2007-2008 search campaigns, the online training will continue with additional workshops planned:

June 2007 HOU Annual Conference(Yerkes Observatory)

July 2007 GHOU Annual Conference(National Observatory of Japan)

September 2007 Florida Institute of Technology(Melbourne, FL)

September 2007 Tarrant County Community College District

January 2008 Region 14 Annual Conference

March 2008 NASA Johnson Space Center(Houston, TX)

Future Plans for the IASC

IASC = International Asteroid Search Campaign

The goal is to establish an ongoing educational outreach program centered at

Hardin-Simmons University in conjunction with Hands-On Universe

(Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley).

Provided at no cost to high schools and colleges, the program will allow students

to make original astronomical discoveries recognized by the International Astronomical Union.

Astronomical

For the 2007-2008 academic year, a pilot SNe search campaign is being

planned.

Here are unsuspecting students at the Lawrence Berkeley National

Laboratory working on mastering techniques for this

pilot campaign (May-term 2007).

Jeff DavisHardin-Simmons University

Holly Ann FidlerHardin-Simmons University

Dominic JulianoHardin-Simmons UniversityMartha Ragwar

Jackson State UniversityTylvia Edwards

Jackson State UniversityFran SmithJackson State University

Cary SmithJackson State University

Sarah FrancesJackson State University

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 2006alHolmes & Devore

Subtraction of the two images using the Alard method.Program written by J. Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University.

An SNe search campaign needs to last at least 60 days, preferably a full semester, as these events are more rare and

difficult to identify than asteroids.

Teacher training is the key issue…but cannot be done online as easily as the training in the use of Astrometrica to find

asteroids.

A pilot program with 3-5 teachers is planned for October-December 2007, with one of the teachers being fully

knowledgeable in the analysis of image sets.

After one campaign, the new teachers who have been trained will be put in charge of their own group of 3-5 teachers,

training them to search for and identify supernovae in future campaigns.

In time, IASC will develop a large group of well-trained and qualified teachers who will guide their students in successful

SNe search campaigns.

Test Alard Subtractions0.61-m Prime Focus Telescope

Astronomical Research InstituteAbell 2199June 21, 2007

Alard SubtractionConstant Kernel

Alard Subtraction1st Degree Kernel

Searches for Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)

Subtraction of the two images using the Alard method.Program written by J. Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University.

KBO VarunaJanuary 11, 2007

Varuna

2.5-m INT

Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Spain

Site of the Varuna Images

During 2006-2007 IASC, the Astronomical Research Institute took

KBO test images anticipating possible future KBO search campaigns.

These were taken using the 0.81-m prime focus telescope.

At Hardin-Simmons we were never successful in finding any of the KBO targets.

KBO search campaigns remain a work in progress.

Searches for Comets

Subtraction of the two images using the Alard method.Program written by J. Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University.

CometSeptember 17, 2006

Mike Ford’s GroupElk Creek Observatory

Holton High SchoolHolton, KS

20" Internet-Accessible Telescope

Some discussions have been held with Mike Ford, Holton High School (Holton, KS) about conducting a pilot comet search campaign and providing follow-up images of asteroid discoveries made by the

0.81-m telescope at the Astronomical Research Institute.

Also, discussions are underway to equip the Elk Creek 16" with Internet-accessibility as part of a network to provide the 161 schools

of Region 14 (Texas) with the use of these telescopes in their classrooms and labs (elementary through middle school through high

school).

The 20" might be available to conduct research programs with interscholastic teams of

high school students.

PLANS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE FOR 2007-2008 IASC

• The Astronomical Research Institute was recently funded by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) to conduct follow-up imaging of near-Earth objects for the Minor Planet Center. ARI will use its 0.81-m prime focus telescope for this 3-year program.

• IASC (Hardin-Simmons University) will work in a collaborative project with the University of North Texas, University of Illinois, Eastern Illinois University, and Cape Fear High School to process the time-critical NEO image sets.

• The NEO image sets that are not time-critical will be form the basis of asteroid and comet search campaigns offered through IASC. Abell galaxy cluster image sets will be used the pilot supernovae search campaign, using the 0.61-m prime focus ARI telescope.

IASC (10-15 Schools)

University of Illinois

Eastern Illinois University

Cape Fear High School

Astronomical Research Institute

Collaboration to Process Time-Critical NEO Image Sets

University of North Texas

IASC SNe Pilot Search Campaign

IASC Asteroid & Comet Search

CampaignsProcess Non-Time-Critical NEO & Abell Galaxy Cluster Image Sets

IASC & BEYOND

EuROPA = Educational Reach-Out Programs in Astronomy

International Astronomical Search Campaigns

Internet-Accessible NetworkIntercollegiate Research

Texas Region 14 Project “Astronomical Research Methods”Interscholastic Research Teams

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Robert Holmes, Astronomical Research Institute, for his night-after-night efforts to provide real-time images using the 0.81-m prime focus telescope.

Harlan Devore and his students at Cape Fear High School (Fayetteville, NC) provided back-up image analyses.

Curtis Craig and his students at American Fork High School (American Fork, UT) provided back-up image analyses.

Dr. Chris Smith, National Optical Astronomical Observatory, for his access to CTIO images.

Dr. Chris McNair, Dean of the Holland School of Science & Mathematics (Hardin-Simmons University), for financial and staffing support.

Students of the May-term 2006 and 2007 “Astronomical Research Methods” course at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for testing methodology used by the participating schools.