Another Provisional Discovery

A Provisional Discovery -- At Last!!

Congratulations to T. Makwana & N. Koralkar from Coinstar.  Their preliminary discovery of AHSH25 made on August 2nd has been followed-up with a second observation.  It is reclassified as the provisional discovery 2011 AP4.

A provisional discovery is followed by the Minor Planet Center for a number of years (typically 3-6 years).  During that time any further observations will be used to fully define the orbit.  When the orbit is fully defined, the asteroid is numbered and placed into the world's official minor planet cataloged maintained by the International Astronomical Union (Paris).

Fireballs in the Sky - Perseids Meteor Shower

PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER 
August 13th, in 2011 estimated around 07:00 Universal Time (12:30 IST on Aug 13th).

The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 12& 13, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22.These typically fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. But you don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower. The meteors appear in all parts of the sky. Look to the northeast after midnight.

The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year’s best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour – in years when the moon is out of the sky.

Unfortunately, the full moon will spoil 2011′s Perseid display, obscuring all but the brighter meteors, during the shower’s actual peak. But you will see Perseids in the weeks leading up to the peak, too, if you have dark skies. These typically fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. You don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower because the meteors appear in all parts of the sky. The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year’s best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour – in years when the moon is out of the sky.

Peak on:
 August 13th, in 2011 estimated around 07:00 Universal Time (12:30 IST on Aug 13th)

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

Preliminary Discoveries

So far in the current All-India Asteroid Search Campaign, there are 21 preliminary Main Belt asteroid (MBA) discoveries.  Congralutations to all of you!!  The complete list is:

Object        Students        School                            Location        Status  Date    Linked
TOV46E  H. Saxena       Arwachin Bharti Bhawan Ser. Sec. School, Vivek Viha     India   Preliminary     07/10/11        ABB0001
TOV477  P. Chawla & S. Saini    Bal Bharti Public School, Rajinder Nagar        India   Preliminary     07/12/11        SOU9903
TOV47R  A. Kaushik & R. Khurana Bal Bharati Public School, Rohini       India   Preliminary     07/21/11        ABC0002
TOV48A  G. Singh        Ryan International School, Noida        India   Preliminary     07/26/11        RIS0010
TOV484  S. Hill, A. Soisson, A. McNeely, & C. Fletcher  Notre Dame QuarkNet     USA-IN  Preliminary     07/26/11        K09A50G
TOV486  S. Hill, A. Soisson, A. McNeely, & C. Fletcher  Notre Dame QuarkNet     USA-IN  Preliminary     07/26/11        QND0001
TOV49B  C. Satija & M. Chawla   Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj  India   Preliminary     07/27/11        MAC1001
TOV48N  P. Chawla & S. Saini    Bal Bharti Public School, Rajinder Nagar        India   Preliminary     07/27/11        K06QG4O
TOV509  G. Singh        Ryan International School, Noida        India   Preliminary     07/29/11        RIS0021
TOV50A  G. Singh        Ryan International School, Noida        India   Preliminary     07/29/11        RIS0020
TOV49Y  R. Aggarwal, S. Jain, & P. Baldev       Delhi Public School, Rohini     India   Preliminary     07/29/11        DPS0012
AHSH20  A. Agarwal & A.K. Singh City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow   India   Preliminary     08/01/11        CMS0013
TOV51D  A. Agarwal & A.K. Singh City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow   India   Preliminary     08/01/11        CMS0012
TOV51C  A. Agarwal & A.K. Singh City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow   India   Preliminary     08/01/11        CMS0010
AHSH18  A. Agarwal & A.K. Singh City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow   India   Preliminary     08/01/11        CMS0011
TOV51E  H. Saxena       Arwachin Bharti Bhawan Ser. Sec. School, Vivek Viha     India   Preliminary     08/01/11        K08U53L
TOV50U  S. Hill, A. Soisson, A. McNeely, & C. Fletcher  Notre Dame QuarkNet     USA-IN  Preliminary     08/01/11        K03QA4F
AHSH23  S. Singh & A. Sivadas   Indirapuram Public School, Ghaziabad    India   Preliminary     08/02/11        IPS0035
TOV4A9  Anandhi, Shivmahadev, & Amruthavarshini Shri Natesan Vidyasala MHSS     India   Preliminary     08/04/11        SNV0003
AHSH32  H. Saxena       Arwachin Bharti Bhawan Ser. Sec. School, Vivek Viha     India   Preliminary     08/04/11        ABB0074
CGS1315 S. Devgun       SPACE  Team - II        India   Preliminary     08/04/11        SRI00008

IASC follows the preliminary discoveries very carefully to see if they are followed up by the international sky surveys.  If and when that happens, you will be immediately notified.

Update from Patrick Miller on Aug 9th

Source: SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

7 MBA Discoveries

Greetings from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration

7 MBA Discoveries

That is correct.  There are 7 discoveries:

1.  H. Saxena from Arwachin Bharti Bhawan Ser. Sec. School, Vivek Viha discovered TOV51E.  This discovery was linked to K08U53L in the image set 2011 OR15-0801-32.

2.  S. Hill, A. Soisson, A. McNeely, & C. Fletcher from Notre Dame QuarkNet (United States) discovered TOV50U.  This discovery was linked to K03QA4F in the image set P100RBK-0801-24.

3.  S. Singh & A. Sivadas from Indirapuram Public School, Ghaziabad discovered AHSH23.  This discovery was linked to IPS0035 in image set P100SZU-0802-32.

However...the following 4 MBA discoveries were made by A. Agarwal & A.K. Singh from City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow.  This is an IASC record...congratulations!!



   AHSH20 linked to CMS0013

   TOV51D linked to CMS0012

   TOV51C linked to CMS0010

   AHSH18 linked to CMS0011


All of you have done outstanding work!!  Congratulations.

Image Sets Available

Image sets from July 29 and 31 are available.  Also sets from August 1 and 2 are available  Check you school folder.  There are important NEO observations and possible MBA discoveries to make.


Happy Hunting!!