Author Topic: Discovery of new asteroids  (Read 784 times)

Offline Parag Mahajani

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Discovery of new asteroids
« on: 2019 April 10 04:35:15 »
Dear All,

Greetings from India! I plan to use PixInsight to discover new asteroids. I do photography with a DSLR and the output is blinked for any variants. I am not sure how to plate solve my image for MPCORB database (something similar to Astrometrica software does.) In other words, how can I ask PixInsight to overlay all the new NEOs, comets and MBA data (updated on the MPCORB website) on my DSLR images (Tiff or JPEG or fits)?

The new data is daily updated here:
https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPCORB.html

Thank you
MILKYWAY CITIZENS PRIVATE OBSERVATORY, PUNE, INDIA
0.3 meters reflector, 60 mm H-Alpha,
Canon 50 mm, 200 mm, 75-300 mm, Tokina Fish-Eye, Sigma 10-20 mm and Sigma 600 mm Prime Lenses
Canon 60D Mod and Canon 550D DSLR
Televue Eyepieces,

Offline Juan Conejero

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Re: Discovery of new asteroids
« Reply #1 on: 2019 April 10 05:23:52 »
Hi Parag,

It's great that you ask about this because I am working precisely on this topic right now. As you surely know PixInsight includes two scripts to accomplish these tasks, written by PTeam member Andrés del Pozo: ImageSolver and AnnotateImage. You'll find them on the Script menu, under the Image Analysis and Render categories, respectively.

The next version of PixInsight will introduce greatly improved versions of these scripts. The ImageSolver script implements a new local distortion correction algorithm that generates astrometric solutions of unprecedented accuracy and robustness. The AnnotateImage script can now identify, mark and label planets and asteroids visible on the image automatically. For now, only the main planets (Mercury through Pluto) and the 343 most massive asteroids from JPL's DE430 can be calculated and annotated. This is because these bodies are already available in the integrated solar system ephemerides system since version 1.8.6 of PixInsight. Rigorous topocentric coordinates are calculated using the integrated functionality for reduction of positions, also implemented in current versions of PixInsight. All of this will be available in the next version of PixInsight, which I am now preparing for release.

To compute accurate positions of arbitrary solar system objects, such as comets and asteroids not included in the set of 343 massive asteroids from DE430, we need good orbital elements (i.e. initial position and velocity vectors) and a numerical integration routine to generate ephemerides of the perturbed motion, including perturbations from the main planets, Earth, Moon, and perhaps also from massive asteroids, depending on accuracy requirements and orbital configurations. This is not available in the next version, but is planned for implementation during the coming months. With this numerical integration available in the core JavaScript runtime, the AnnotateImage script will be able to identify and annotate basically anything that moves in the solar system. Numerical integration will open PixInsight to much more possibilities in the astrometry and solar system ephemerides fields.

So what you are asking for will only be partially available in the next version, but definitely will be possible, and much more, in the medium term. For now, as you know you can read ICRS equatorial coordinates directly on solved images, which may help you identify objects if you already know their coordinates.
Juan Conejero
PixInsight Development Team
http://pixinsight.com/

Offline Parag Mahajani

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Re: Discovery of new asteroids
« Reply #2 on: 2019 April 11 04:24:16 »
Hi Juan,

Greetings from India!

Thank you for your detailed response. I fully understand your viewpoint and the technicality of the matter.

One more question to you as an expert:

Is it possible to integrate MPCORB database to PixInsight? It is the most updated database about minor planets, comets and asteroids.

Let me put down my exact requirement:

After taking many light frames at certain cadence, I blink them to see any moving asteroids. If there is a way to integrate MPCORB database and overlay it on my frames, then I can easily find the moving objects not named so far. That is it. Those objects will be potential candidates for new asteroids.

Please advise.

Thank you for developing really a great software. This is really the best software I have seen in this field of research.



Best Wishes

Parag



MILKYWAY CITIZENS PRIVATE OBSERVATORY, PUNE, INDIA
0.3 meters reflector, 60 mm H-Alpha,
Canon 50 mm, 200 mm, 75-300 mm, Tokina Fish-Eye, Sigma 10-20 mm and Sigma 600 mm Prime Lenses
Canon 60D Mod and Canon 550D DSLR
Televue Eyepieces,

Offline Parag Mahajani

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  • Posts: 6
  • Educator (Professional) and Astronomer (Amateur)
Re: Discovery of new asteroids
« Reply #3 on: 2019 April 11 04:41:14 »
Dear Juan,

Greetings!

Just to add one more information:

All the data which is daily updated at Minor Planet Center is here. It may be very useful.  :D

https://minorplanetcenter.net/data


Thanking you once again. Apologies for any ignorance from my end. O:)

Best Wishes

Parag
MILKYWAY CITIZENS PRIVATE OBSERVATORY, PUNE, INDIA
0.3 meters reflector, 60 mm H-Alpha,
Canon 50 mm, 200 mm, 75-300 mm, Tokina Fish-Eye, Sigma 10-20 mm and Sigma 600 mm Prime Lenses
Canon 60D Mod and Canon 550D DSLR
Televue Eyepieces,

Offline Juan Conejero

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Re: Discovery of new asteroids
« Reply #4 on: 2019 April 15 07:41:21 »
Hi Parag,

Yes, of course we can implement support for MPC asteroid databases. Also for astorb.dat from Lowell Observatory. This is relatively easy to do on current 1.8.6 versions of PixInsight. I have this already planned, but I'll see if these features can be made available with higher priority.
Juan Conejero
PixInsight Development Team
http://pixinsight.com/

Offline Korvash

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Re: Discovery of new asteroids
« Reply #5 on: 2019 July 04 09:22:42 »
Sorry for hijacking the thread. .
Will it be possible to create reports for the mpc ? ^^