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Introduction:
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona has launched a new program in collaboration with NASA called the Catalina Sky Survey. The program’s objective is to identify and classify celestial bodies such as asteroids and comets that frequently pass close to earth. Using an online portal called Zooniverse, anyone with internet access can join the program to help the researchers in the discovery of near-earth objects (NEOs).
The Portal:
Through Zooniverse, users can scrutinize telescope images captured by the Catalina Sky Survey for potential NEOs. Added human insight helps with automated detection systems, making it easier to identify celestial objects like asteroids and comets. The program gives anyone access to the latest sky images and allows them to participate in tracking NEOs.
The Role of Asteroids and Comets:
Asteroids and Comets are often not visible with the naked eye, but scientists believe they hold valuable information about the formation of our solar system. As lumps of rock left over from nearly 4.6 billion years ago, they provide excellent clues to the origin of the sun and planets. Celestial objects that come close to the earth regularly can impact our planet and therefore need to be tracked.
How to Participate:
To become an asteroid hunter, participants must create a Zooniverse account, an online platform for people-powered research. A basic tutorial would assist participants in identifying moving asteroids from photographs taken by the Catalina Sky Survey telescopes. Participants look at sets of four images taken six or seven minutes apart, containing identifying specks of light, and decide if they are genuine celestial bodies or false detections caused by twinkles or dust. After answering, participants can either write a comment or move on to the next detection.
Strength in Numbers:
It is not essential to have the correct answer every time. The system depends on strength in numbers. “With enough people participating, you can establish a general consensus so there’s less margin of error,” said Eric Christensen, director at the Catalina Sky Survey.
The Importance of NEOs:
As NEOs move randomly, it is easy to miss them, and once discovered, the process of spotting a new NEO and reporting it is time-sensitive. The asteroid-tracking telescope on Mount Lemmon takes approximately 1,000 pictures per night. Afterwards, software identifies moving objects and ranks them in terms of their likelihood to be asteroids. The final step is for a human to analyze the detections that the software identified.
Conclusion:
The University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has made it possible for anyone with an internet connection to participate in the discovery of near-Earth objects. Through the Catalina Sky Survey and Zooniverse, humans now have the opportunity to help scientists with the critical task of identifying NEOs and potentially saving the planet from destruction.
FAQ:
1) What is the Catalina Sky Survey?
A: Catalina Sky Survey is a NASA-funded program that aims to identify and classify celestial bodies such as asteroids and comets.
2) What is Zooniverse?
A: Zooniverse is an online platform for people-powered research that assists the general public to identify NEOs and actively participate in space research.
3) How do I participate in the Catalina Sky Survey?
A: Users can participate in the program by creating an account on Zooniverse and scrutinizing telescope images for potential NEOs.
4) What is the objective of the Catalina Sky Survey?
A: The Catalina Sky Survey aims to identify and track NEOs, particularly asteroids that pose a potential threat if their orbits cross that of Earth.
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