KBO encounters Options

[nprev]

Possible bug report: I'm on the road now & just tried doing a few images from the hotel. Did about 10, and the stat counter is frozen at 1900 objects discovered (wrong), 814 images viewed (never changed.)

[Tman]

Hi, that happens because of the last update on Sunday. You may have to go via a log-out and in, then it should run again.

[nprev]

Sure enough; thanks, T! (Der...there's was even a warning about this had I scrolled down the screen a bit...)

[john_s]

The Ice Hunters project is now out of beta and is officially open for business!
Thanks to everyone who worked on the beta version- the feedback from that work has helped improve the site, and the work was directly useful too- the team is now sifting through all the objects identified by the beta testers.

The official site will continue the work rather than repeating what's already been done- we'll complete analysis of the data from the preliminary 2004 and 2005 searches, and then move on to the data from the 2011 search program currently under way.

Here is the official release, and thanks to Emily for a great writeup on her blog today.

Here's an update on the 2011 telescopic campaign. Following a spectacular run on the Magellan telescope in Chile in late April and early May, we had poorer luck with the weather during the late May/early June dark time, but still got useful data at both Magellan and at the Subaru telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. We're now preparing for the late June/early July run, which will again use both Magellan and Subaru, plus the Canada/France/Hawaii telescope also on Mauna Kea. This time I'm looking forward to going to the telescope myself- I'll be at Subaru on the nights of July 1st and 2nd.

John

[Alan Stern]

The Ice Hunters project is now out of beta and is officially open for business!
Thanks to everyone who worked on the beta version- the feedback from that work has helped improve the site, and the work was directly useful too- the team is now sifting through all the objects identified by the beta testers.

The official site will continue the work rather than repeating what's already been done- we'll complete analysis of the data from the preliminary 2004 and 2005 searches, and then move on to the data from the 2011 search program currently under way.

Here is the official release, and thanks to Emily for a great writeup on her blog today.

Here's an update on the 2011 telescopic campaign. Following a spectacular run on the Magellan telescope in Chile in late April and early May, we had poorer luck with the weather during the late May/early June dark time, but still got useful data at both Magellan and at the Subaru telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. We're now preparing for the late June/early July run, which will again use both Magellan and Subaru, plus the Canada/France/Hawaii telescope also on Mauna Kea. This time I'm looking forward to going to the telescope myself- I'll be at Subaru on the nights of July 1st and 2nd.

John

And thanks to John Spencer for expertly spearheading this key corner of the NH project--observations, data pipelines, IceHunters, all of it! Now all you UMSFers: Go get in the game-- we need KBO targets-- an I'd say few are better suited to make the discoveries than the UMSF gurus!

[nprev]

Great Godfrey!!! A PI has called for aid!!!

<Superman voice> THIS looks like a job...for UMSF!!! Go forth & find a target for New Horizons, friends!!! </Super! >

[NickF]

EDIT: Forgot to add a suggestion: a "back" button! A couple of times I spotted a candidate just after I clicked "done"; couldn't fix it!

I find it helps to move the mouse pointer away from the 'Done Marking' button after I click it. Too easy to click through otherwise!

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

It's very addictive

[nprev]

Yeah, ain't it? I'm over something like 2100 images now.

[nprev]

Okay, now @ 2257 images with a detection rate of 18% (incl. asteroids). How does this compare with everyone else's stats so far?

[Stu]

18%? And you haven't shown us a *single* image yet. That's disgraceful! Don't you know how important sharing pictures is?

[nprev]

<abashed look> I didn't think anyone was gonna want to see images of circled little blobs...I stand corrected! Okay, will post anything I see that seems cool from now on.

One thing I've noticed is that there do seem to be multiple objects sometimes. Probably this is a misperception on my part due to the processing technique combined with the 286 processor in my head, but I have to wonder if sometimes we're seeing not exactly binary but somehow loosely associated KBOs. Of course, given the distances involved, true binaries wouldn't be distinguishable in these images & any two given objects are likely millions of km apart.

EDIT: Okay, Stu, just did another small batch, and these are esp. for you!

First, a small asteroid (not marked, upper right), and a little possible KBO (marked.)

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[stevesliva]

My finding rate is much higher, but the number of images I've seen is much lower... wouldn't be surprised if folks like nprev are prioritizing images for others to see.

Finding some interesting yin-yang perhaps slowly moving objects in some of the newer images:

[elakdawalla]

Ha! I just independently saw that exact same one and called it the exact same thing in a comment at icehunters.org a few minutes ago! And also noticed your username among the other people who'd notated that one! Clearly great (UMSF) minds think alike

[nprev]

Now HERE'S a beauty: one asteroid plus one possible KBO:

Attached thumbnail(s)