3rd Tamilnadu Asteroid Search Campaign, 2023
Open space foundation is set on the dream mission of taking astronomy to the little hands of potential students in the rural streets across the state. Tamilnadu Asteroid Search Campaign is one such initiative by OSF in which the students are empowered to play an instrumental role as Citizen Scientists in discovering new Asteroid signatures thereby involving in real-time research. Their discoveries are found to be very significant for the global protection from potential asteroid impacts.
Citizen Science as a Hobby
Tamilnadu Asteroid Search campaign is a part of worldwide Citizen Science program that is organized in association with International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) and NASA. OSF plays a significant role in driving this opportunity to the students of Tamilnadu by organizing TN Asteroid Search Campaign every year.
3rd Year Campaign
The 3rd edition of the Tamilnadu Asteroid Search Campaign in 2023 witnessed a vibrant mix of participants. A total of 106 students and 22 teachers from 17 schools and 5 colleges across the state engaged enthusiastically in this campaign. These participants were organized into 20 dedicated teams, each assigned the task of analysing 26 image sets. In preparation for this exciting scientific research program, these teams underwent a two-month training program in August and September, acquiring the skills necessary to use Astrometrica software for image set analysis in both online and offline modes.
Tamilnadu Asteroid Search Campaign 2023 took place from 9 October 2023 to 3 November 2023. The participating teams collectively analysed 520 telescopic image sets sourced from Pan-Starrs 1&2 telescopes in Hawaii. Their mission was to detect moving objects within these images and identify the unique features that define an asteroid. The teams approached this task with diligence and enthusiasm. Their collective efforts led to the successful detection and recording of approximately 180 asteroid signatures. Furthermore, out of these detected asteroid signatures, 33 have been qualified as preliminary detections. It is the initial identification of potential asteroids based on observations and data. These detections will be subject to further verification and analysis to confirm their status as actual asteroids. Preliminary detections are an essential step in the process of discovering and cataloguing new celestial objects, including asteroids.
As we celebrate the achievements of TN Asteroid Search Campaign 2023, we also look to the future. Open Space Foundation remains committed to the dream mission of inspiring more students across Tamilnadu to become Citizen Scientists, nurturing their passion for astronomy and real-time scientific research. This incredible journey will continue, and we are excited to see the stars, according to many more aspiring astronomers.
Preliminary Detection List
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