KILLER ASTEROID PROJECT
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Essential Near Earth Object Pages and Tools
Astrometrica Software
Astrometrica is a interactive software tool for scientific grade astrometric data reduction of CCD images. This software will help teachers and students turn images that include Near Earth Object into data that will be useful to the Minor Planet Center.
Advanced help with Astrometrica
The software program Astrometrica includes powerful functionality to automatically track & stack multiple images of the same field of view very accurately and is an essential tool. Stack techniques effectively strengthens the signal to noise ratio of an object. If the target object is moving, then adjustment is automatically made to compensate for its motion, keeping the object in the same place and causing the stars to be trailed. This informative page comes from Peter Birtwhistle at the Great Shefford Observatory in England.
http://www.birtwhistle.org/StackingTechniques.htm
Harlan Devore's Minor Planet Data Checker
This data checker will ensure your observations are good enough for submission to the Minor Planet Center. Every observation, especially of a Near Earth Object should be ran in this unique Excel program. It is design to handle 3 to 5 minor planet positions with a graphic display so you know your observations are accurate at a glance.
Microsoft Excel MP Data Checker
The Guide to Minor Body Astrometry
The Tracking News
A must read to stay current on observation of small solar system bodies. If is the news of professional and amateur observations of comets and asteroids from around the world and is updated daily. This page also includes risk monitoring results of NEOs. This link will take you to a calendar directory page.
http://www.hohmanntransfer.com/mn/08/index.html
Near Earth Object News from NASA
Read the latest and former NASA news articles regarding Near Earth Objects
Orbit Diagram Generator
The NASA Orbit Diagram Generator is for Near Earth Objects and Main Belt Objects. Easy to use by entering the designation or name of any asteroid or comet, and a 3D orbit visualization tool will appear for that object. Make sure you have Java enabled on your browser.
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/orbits/
Future NEO Impact Table
The following NASA/JPL table lists potential future Earth impact events that the JPL Sentry System has detected based on currently available observations. Click on the object designation to go to a page with full details on that object. Sentry is a highly automated collision monitoring system that continually scans the most current asteroid catalog for possibilities of future impact with Earth over the next 100 years. Whenever a potential impact is detected it will be analyzed and the results immediately published here.
Near Earth Objects Impact Effects Program
The Earth Impact Effects Program is an easy-to-use, interactive web site for estimating the regional environmental consequences of an impact on Earth. This program will estimate the ejecta distribution, ground shaking, atmospheric blast wave, and thermal effects of an impact as well as the size of the crater produced.
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~marcus/crater2.html
Minor Planet Center
The MPC is responsible for the designation of minor bodies in the solar system: minor planets; comets (in conjunction with CBAT); and natural satellites (also in conjunction with CBAT). The MPC is also responsible for the efficient collection, (computation,) checking and dissemination of astrometric observations and orbits for minor planets and comets, via the Minor Planet Circulars (issued generally on a monthly basis), the Minor Planet Circulars Orbit Supplement (MPO) (issued three to twelve times per year), the Minor Planet Circulars Supplement (MPS) (issued three or four times a month) and the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (issued as necessary, generally at least once per day).
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html
NEO Confirmation Page
One of the most important pages we access daily is the NEO Confirmation Page. This page gives us the information regarding possible new discoveries of Near Earth Objects and their positions. These objects might also include newly discovered comets.
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/NEO/ToConfirmRA.html
NEO Dynamics Site
NEODyS provides information and services for all Near Earth Asteroids. Each NEA has its own dynamically generated home page providing information and services, and a search facility puts the information in easy reach. The NEODyS service is in some circumstances time critical (e.g., during special observation campaigns for asteroids at risk of being lost and/or with Virtual Impactors). A great source for NEO observations.
http://newton.dm.unipi.it/cgi-bin/neodys/neoibo
FAQ about making accurate Minor Planet Observations
Reporting the positions of minor planets including Near Earth Objects are filled with potential problems and pitfalls. This primer by Tim Spahr at the Minor Planet Center is a quick guide to help eliminate error plagued and false observations. Consider this essential reading for the beginning or seasoned observer.
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~tspahr/astrom.howto
How to Observe the Minor Planet Center Confirmation Page Objects
This practical guide will help you learn how observations are made using information obtained from the Minor Planet Center NEOCP.
http://asteroidi.uai.it/neocp/neocpguide.htm