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International Astronomical Search Collaboration Scalability & Expansion of Student-Based Discovery Programs Dr. J. P

International Astronomical Search Collaboration Scalability & Expansion of Student-Based Discovery Programs Dr. J. Patrick Miller, Director Educational Reach-Out Programs in Astronomy Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, Texas June 2009. EuROPA.

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International Astronomical Search Collaboration Scalability & Expansion of Student-Based Discovery Programs Dr. J. P

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  1. International Astronomical Search Collaboration Scalability & Expansion of Student-Based Discovery Programs Dr. J. Patrick Miller, Director Educational Reach-Out Programs in Astronomy Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, Texas June 2009 EuROPA

  2. The International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC = “Isaac”) is an online student-based discovery program in astronomy. • Students make original discoveries of Main Belt asteroids and observations of NEOs that are reported to the Minor Planet Center (Harvard). The NEO observations are recorded as part of the NASA Near-Earth Object Program (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). • The collaborators include the following: • Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, Texas) • Astronomical Research Institute (Charleston, Illinois) • Lawrence Hall of Science (University of California, Berkeley) • Global Hands-On Universe Association (Lisbon, Portugal) • Astrometrica(Linz, Austria).

  3. 2007-09 Participation • 14 Countries & 135 Schools • Austria 1 • Bulgaria 2 • China 14 • Ethiopia 7 • Germany 1 • Israel 1 • Italy 1 • Japan 2 • Nigeria 5 • Poland 9 • Portugal 6 • Russia 2 • South Africa 11 • United States 73

  4. Observer details: H01 Magdalena Ridge Observatory, Socorro. Observers W. H. Ryan, E. V. Ryan. Measurer W. H. Ryan. 2.4-m f/8.9 reflector + CCD. H36 Sandlot Observatory, Scranton. Observer G. Hug. 0.56-m reflector + CCD. H55 Astronomical Research Observatory, Charleston. Observer R. Holmes. Measurers S. Kirby, K. Dankov, H. Devore. 0.61-m f/4.0 astrograph + CCD. H85 Silver Spring. Observer K. Levin. Measurer N. Teamo. 0.45-m f/7.25 Ritchey-Chretien + 3072x2054 CCD. A total of 150 original asteroid discoveries have been made along with 3 comet confirmations, ~20 virtual impactor observations, and hundreds of NEO observations. On January 31, 2009, a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) 2009 BD81 was discovered at ARI Observatory by Observer R. Holmes, measurers S. Kirby, K. Dankov, and H. Devore. It was published in MPEC 2009-C09 on February 2, 2009. Steven Kirby is a high school science teacher at Ranger High School (Ranger, TX). He was attending an IASC workshop at the Big Country Science & Mathematics Symposium (Region 14; Abilene, TX).

  5. Thank you, Andy Warhol…wherever you are!!

  6. Astronomical Research Institute IASC Program Flow Diagram Hardin-Simmons University Astrometrica ARI HSU & Astrometrica Minor Planet Center (Harvard)

  7. Organization of IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns IASC asteroid search campaigns are organized into 45-day time periods, originally scheduled for U.S. schools and based upon standard holiday and testing schedules from August-May: 2006-07 3 Asteroid Search Campaigns 2007-08 3 Asteroid Search Campaigns 2 NEO Confirmation Campaigns 2008-09 5 Asteroid Search Campaigns 2 NEO Confirmation Campaigns 2009-10 7 Asteroid Search Campaigns 2 NEO Confirmation Campaigns

  8. Specialized IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns All-Texas Asteroid Search Campaign (University of Texas at Austin) October-December 2008 October-December 2009 All-China Asteroid Search Campaign (National Astronomical Observatory of China) December 2008-January 2009 December 2009-January 2010 Ethiopia Nigeria South Africa All-Africa Asteroid Search Campaign (South African Astronomical Observatory) (National Youth Development Council) May-June 2009

  9. Current IASC Capacity IASC has an image pipeline with 2 channels (24” and 32” telescopes at the ARI Observatory) Using 45-day campaigns, a total of 8 can be offered per year per channel (i.e., 16 search campaigns per year) Each campaign can serve 15 schools Academic Year# of Campaigns% of Capacity# of Schools 2006-07 3 19% 45 2007-08 5 31% 75 2008-09 7 44% 105 2009-10 9 56% 135 Using 45-day campaigns, a total of 8 can be offered per year per channel (i.e., 16 search campaigns per year) Each campaign can serve 15 schools Academic Year# of Campaigns% of Capacity# of Schools 2006-07 3 19% 45 2007-08 5 31% 75 2008-09 7 44% 105 2009-10 9 56% 135

  10. Astronomical Research Institute IASC Program Flow Diagram Hardin-Simmons University Time Bottleneck Astrometrica ARI HSU & Astrometrica Minor Planet Center (Harvard)

  11. Astronomical Research Institute IASC Program Flow Diagram Hardin-Simmons University Time Bottleneck When the ARI went to multiple short exposures per target on the 24” and 32” requiring stacking (and tracking), the prep time at Hardin-Simmons University took 12 hours (4am to 4pm). That limited the number of IASC campaigns to the 31% level, a total of 5 campaigns per year. For 2009-10 there will be 9 campaigns pushing the program to the 56% level. However, an automated utility was developed by Michael Kran and Joe Ulowetz in January 2009 that reduced the 12 hours prep time to 45 minutes.

  12. The introduction of the automated image preps for the IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns permitted the growth from: 5 campaigns per year (31% capacity) to 9 campaigns per year (56% capacity) • Factors that limit the growth beyond 56% capacity: • Availability of staff on-site at HSU during the summer months • Availability of additional volunteers internationally Volunteer Bottleneck Image Prep Trainers, Spotters, & QC Checkers Partially solved by remote access to the image prep computer

  13. Factors that limit the growth beyond 56% capacity: • Availability of staff on-site at HSU during the summer months • Availability of additional volunteers internationally • Factors that press for growth beyond 56% capacity: • Word of mouth requests (~2 per week) • Sky & Telescope article (to appear in late 2009) • International Year of Astronomy (Nuclio) • New search campaigns (comets, KBOs, SNe, AGN, variable stars)

  14. GUI+OIS IDL 7.1 Virtual Machine Michael Kran & Jim Pendleton Future IASC SNe Search Campaigns

  15. Astronomical Research Institute IASC Program Flow Diagram 19h Hardin-Simmons University 1h 48h Astrometrica 19h 24h ARI 24h 1h+48h+24h = 73h HSU & Astrometrica Minor Planet Center (Harvard)

  16. Wide Field Sky Surveys • Look where they can’t (Southern Hemisphere) • Look where they aren’t (out of phase) • Look when they aren’t (bright night skies) • Join ‘em

  17. FUNDING EuROPA • Summer Astronomy Institute • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • 2008 $ 135,000 UT Austin • 2009 $ 165,000 UT Austin • $ 300,000 Total • International Astronomical Search Collaboration • 2008 $ 400,000 Shelton Foundation • 2008 $ 1,400,000 NASA • 2009 $ 73,000 Motorola Foundation • 2009 $ TBD National Science Foundation • $ TBD Jackson State University • Astronomical Research Methods • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • 2009 $ 3,000 HSU • $ 3,150 JSU • $ 750 LBNL • $ 6,900 Total

  18. Funding being sought for: • Paid IASC staff w/ travel & professional development • Automated QC utility for online MPC report submissions • 24” IASC telescope for a 3rd channel for the image pipeline • Leasing of time on the 24” and 32” at the ARI Observatory • Virtual classroom & conference room for training • Automated image processing & local ARI Observatory FTP site

  19. Additional Management Issues & Future Growth • Reduce the load upon and the need for volunteers • - Automated installation utility for Astrometrica • - Skype live training sessions • - Automated QC utility • - Automated NEO confirmation assignment • Increase the number of channels in the image pipeline • - Tim Puckett to host an IASC SNe Search Campaign • - Pan-STARRS to provide three channels • - University of Saint Andrews (Scotland) exoplanet channel • - 24” telescope at ARI Observatory • Develop online utilities for transient events to serve NVO • - Optimal Image Subtraction (OIS) • - Photometrica

  20. Turn-Key Educational Outreach Program School District Contract and/or Grant Funding IASC SNe Search Campaign Assessment & Evaluation Student Research Data Acquisition Hardin-Simmons University Hands-On Universe TRA Astronomical Research Institute

  21. Educational Reach-Out Programs in Astronomy Department of Mathematics Holland School of Science & Mathematics Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, Texas 79698-6060 1-325-670-1393 pmiller@hsutx.edu EuROPA

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