3 New Preliminary Discoveries
AIASC Phase II
A. Kaushik & R. Khurana from Bal Bharati Public School, Rohini discovered TOV47R.  This was linked to their observation ABC0002 in the image set 2011 KC15-0722-24.

G. Singh from Ryan International School, Noida discovered TOV48A.  This was linked to his observation RIS0010 in the image set P100PBJ-0726-32.

C. Satija & M. Chawla from Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj discovered TOV49B.  This was linked to MAC1001 in the image set P100PKX-0727-32.

Important Discovery - TROJAN ASTEROID DISCOVERED AS PART OF AIASC 2011

The following was announced at a meeting of Global Hands on Universe yesterday, by Prof. Patrick Miller. This is the 1st time a TROJAN ASTEROID HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE HISTORY OF IASC:

P. Chawla & A. Aggarwal are two students from Bal Bharti Public School (New Delhi), Rajinder Nagar. On June 29th they discovered the asteroid 2011 MV9 that was confirmed and moved from preliminary to provisional status.

Yesterday, the Minor Planet Center announced that 2011 MV9 is not just any ordinary asteroid. It is a very rare type of asteroid that astronomers call a "Trojan." 

The Trojain asteroids come from the Main Belt but have been captured gravitationally by Jupiter. These objects move 60 degrees ahead of and behind Jupiter in its orbit

This is an outstanding discovery...a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations!!  

Prof Patrick Miller, 
Director, 
IASC

Important Discovery

P. Chawla & A. Aggarwal are two students from Bal Bharti Public School (New Delhi). On June 29th they discovered the asteroid 2011 MV9 that was confirmed and moved from preliminary to provisional status.

Yesterday, the Minor Planet Center announced that 2011 MV9 is not just any ordinary asteroid. It is a very rare type of asteroid that astronomers call a "Trojan." The Trojain asteroids come from the Main Belt but have been captured gravitationally by Jupiter. These objects move 60 degrees ahead of and behind Jupiter in its orbit

This is an outstanding discovery...a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations!!
 -----------------------------
This discovery was part of AIASC Phase I, being conducted in India by SPACE in collaboration with IASC.

Provisional MBA Discovery

Congratulations to P. Chawla & A. Aggarwal from Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, New Delhi.  They made the provisional MBA discovery 2011 MV9.  They made their original discovery during the All-India Asteroid Search Campaign conducted May-July 2011.  It was TOV44A discovered by the two studnets on June 29th, which has now moved to the provisional status.  Good job!!


AIASC Phase I now has 2 PROVISIONAL DISCOVERIES, and 21 PRELIMINARY DISCOVERIES.

INTERNET TELESCOPE PROJECT

SPACE and IASC bring you ‘Internet Telescope’

July 16^th, 17^th, 2011

SPACE is proud to bring the ‘Internet Telescope’ project for the first time to India. This is in collaboration with IASC, International Astronomy Search Collaboration. This is a pilot test for Global Astronomy Month in April 2012...Astronomers Without Borders. In April 2012 this project will be conducted with about 80 participants during Global Astronomy Month.

The Pilot test in July 2012 will be conducted with 16 participants, dates and sessions are listed below.

The Project Description
The project will be using a 16" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes located at the Ironwood North Observatory.  This is a privately-owned observatory located in Queen Creek, AZ.  The students will be remotely commanding a CCD camera on the telescope to take images of asteroids, comets, and deep sky objects.  The deep sky objects include star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.

For the asteroids and comets, images will be taken 1-hour apart then blinked to see the moving object against the fixed background stars.  For the deep sky objects there will be three images of each taken...one with the red filter, one with the green filter, and one with the blue filter.  The three images will be combined into a color image of the deep sky objects.

This is the first time this project is bring brought to India, and this will give the students the opportunity to be part of a international project and use hands on techniques to control a telescope in real time and understand how to identify a target, how to plan the exposures and how to analyse the data.

Session Plan:
Groups of 4 students each will be placed at one location with a laptop with skype, and share their desltop.  Each group will work 2 hours at the workstation using the telescope taking asteroid, comet, and deep sky images.

Venue: SPACE Office, WZ-19, Asalatpur, Janakpuri

Session #1
Saturday, July 16th        9:30am  - 11:30am IST (session 1, 4 students)
                                    11:30am- 1:00 pm IST  (session 2, 4 students)

Session #2
Sunday, July 17^th           9:30am  - 11:30am IST (session 3, 4 students)

                        11:30am- 1:00 pm IST  (session 4, 4 students)

Two Preliminary Discoveries

Two Preliminary Discoveries

Congratulations to A. Gosain & P. Lekhi from Navy Children School, New Delhi - Team  I.
On July 6th they discovered two Main Belt asteroids, TOV44T and TOV44W.  These were linked to NCS0056 and NCS0057 in the image set SN9D478-0706-32.

IASC updates - Its raining Asteroids!!!!

Triple Discovery!!

On July 5th, P. Chawla from Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, New Delhi made three preliminary asteroid discoveries in one image set.  This student found TOV44M, AHSG06, and AHSG05.  These three discoveries were linked to the observations BBP8110, BBP8107, and BBP8815 in the image set SN9C83D-0705-32.

This is a spectacular accomplishment.  Congratulations!!!!

In addition to the triple asteroid discovery by P. Chawla from Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, New Delhi, there are two more discoveries from July 5th:

1.    A. Arora & D. Bansal from Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj discovered TOV454.  This discovery was
linked to ABD0001 in the image set 2011 MW2-0705-24.

2.    S. Arya, S. Kesari, P. Kumar, & R. Jain from S.P.A.C.E. - Team I discovered TOV457.  This discovery was linked to SPA0061 in the image set 2011 MT-0705-24.

AIASC PHASE II WORKSHOP

AIASC PHASE II WORKSHOP

7th JULY, 2011

TIMING: 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

LOCATION:
Bal Bharati Public School (GRH Marg)
Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, Pin - 110060, New Delhi

All selected participants must join us at the AIASC Phase II workshop as listed above.
AIASC Phase II will commence on July 11th, 2011 and continue till Aug 29th, 2011.

IASC updates

Image Sets Available

Image sets from July 1, 3, and 5 are available in the school folders.  All schools have at least one set.  Check your folder!!

The current campaign concludes on Friday, July 8th.  It was extended by a week since the weather at the ARI Observatory has been a persistent problem.  There is still time between now and Friday for your students to make important NEO observations and possible MBA discoveries.

Another Preliminary MBA Discovery!!!!

Preliminary MBA Discovery

Congratulations!!  P. Chawla & A. Aggarwal from Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, New Delhi made the preliminary discovery of the Main Belt asteroid TOV44A.  This discovery was linked to their observation BBP8100 in the image set 2011 MV1-0701-24.

Several of you have asked about when a preliminary discovery is considered to be lost.  Usually, after 7-10 days if the discovery is not observed and measured a second time, it is lost.  However, on occasion IASC has received notification of the second observation as long as 90 days after the original preliminary discovery.

IASC maintains accurate records of the student observations and discoveries.  If a follow-up is received and the preliminary discovery is moved to provisional status by the MPC, you will be immediately notified.

Image Sets Available

Image sets from June 30, July 1, and July 3 are available in the school folders.  The images from June 30 are 5 days old, and will be removed from the school folders in the next few hours.  If your students have not yet looked at these images, it is important that they do so...soon!!

Happy Hunting!!

IASC updates - new preliminary MBA discovery

Preliminary MBA Discoveries

On June 30, R. Arora & Y. Gupta from Step by Step School, Noida (India) made the preliminary discovery of the Main Belt asteroid TOV440.  This discovery was linked to SBS0003 in the image set 2011 MY2-0630-24.

Provisional Status to preliminary discovery

Congratulations!!  C. Betrabet & U. Bhatia from Ryan International School, Sohna Rd, Gurgaon made the preliminary discovery of the possible near-Earth object (asteroid) TOV444.  This discovery  has been confirmed a second time and is now in provisional status.  Its new designation is 2011 MP4.

As more and more observations are made of 2011 MP4 and its orbit is fully determined, this asteroid will become numbered.  At that point C. Betrabet & U. Bhatia can propose a name to the International Astronomical Union (Paris).  It sometimes takes 3-6 years before sufficient observations are made...so patience is very important.

IASC keeps track of all the student asteroid discoveries that become numbered and placed into the world's official minor planet catalog.  Since IASC started in October 2006, there have been 12 numbered asteroids discoveries by students.

Again congratulations to C. Betrabet & U. Bhatia for your discovery.  Good job.

8th preliminary discovery!!! AIASC updates

C. Betrabet & U. Bhatia from Ryan International School, Sohna Rd, Gurgaon (India) made the preliminary discovery of TOV444.  This discovery was linked to the observation RIS0047 in the image set 2011 MV1-0630-24.  This is discovery is of high interest, which means it might be a near-Earth object (NEO).


Remember a preliminary discovery must be observed a second time within 7-10 days.  IASC monitors the second observations, and will notify you immediately of any change in status of your discovery.

The Discoveries & Observations page on the IASC web site at http://iasc.hsutx.edu/index_files/Page786.htm will be updated in the next few hours.  All student observations will be listed.

Image Sets Available

Image sets from June 28 and 30 are available.  There is at least one image set in each of the school folders.  Check your folders.