The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has launched an online portal that enables the public to assist in identifying asteroids and comets, as part of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey. By signing up on Zooniverse, anyone with internet access can scrutinize processed telescope images, providing valuable human insight into automated detection systems. This initiative invites amateur astronomers to help discover near-Earth objects (NEOs)—celestial bodies that can potentially impact Earth.
The portal shares potential detections from the Catalina Sky Survey’s telescopes, allowing users to classify moving specks of light in sets of images taken minutes apart. Participants simply determine whether the identified objects are likely asteroids or false detections, contributing to a collaborative effort that combines citizen science with professional research. This democratized approach aims to improve asteroid tracking, especially since many candidates move rapidly and have unpredictable orbits.
Over the past 30 years, the Catalina Sky Survey has discovered nearly half of the known NEOs, with significant contributions from citizen scientists already validating potential new objects. This project reflects an innovative fusion of technology and community engagement in addressing the challenges of planetary defense.
