MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: How long would it take to find an astroid and calculate it towards Earth?

Date: Thu Oct 26 05:19:29 2000
Posted By: Dan Patel, Undergraduate, Chemistry Major/Math Minor, University of Houston
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 970505199.As
Message:

Your goal is quite ambitious, but not impossible. To find an asteroid, one needs the proper equipment, patience, and a little bit of luck, so there isn't a set time for how long it would take to find one---it could take days, months, or years!

The best way to find an asteroid is similar to the method used for finding comets. Using a telescope, scan a small portion of the sky using low power and look for objects that aren't marked on star charts. However, most asteroids are quite faint so one would need a powerful telescope (one capable of gathering lots of light). A better set up would require a camera that is connected to the telescope. Take pictures of a certain area of the sky over a period of time (a few weeks or longer) and look for objects in the pictures that appear to move.

Using data obtained from photographs, one can then calculate the asteroid's trajectory (its speed and direction) and then use mathematics to calculate its orbital period and distance from earth. This part would take considerably less time than actually finding the asteroid.

I would recommend looking for books on comet hunting or asteroid hunting, which can suggest what kind of equipment to use and where in the sky one would be more likely to spot a comet or asteroid. (You might also check Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine.)

In addition, there are several free programs available on the internet that allow one's computer to download and analyze images of the sky. The program looks for objects in the images that move. You may want to look at these sites: MISAO project and Search the Sky.


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