Guide to Minor Body Astrometry¶
This guide covers observing minor planets, comets and natural satellites, and reporting observations to the Minor Planet Center. See the full guide on the MPC website.
How Do I Begin?¶
- What equipment do I need?
- What sort of CCD should I use?
- How do I make measurements?
- Where should I obtain my comparison star coordinates? (Gaia DR2/DR3 recommended)
- What corrections should I apply?
- How do I obtain an accurate time? (see also Farnocchia et al. 2022, GPS timing calibration)
- What objects should I be observing?
- How do I submit my astrometry using Tycho Tracker?
What Objects Should I Observe?¶
- NEA Observation Planning Aid
- Observer Target List
- Observable-Object List Customizer
- NEOfixer (external)
- ESA Priority List (external)
- Follow-Up Observing Sites
- Minor Planet Ephemeris Service
Reporting Observations to the MPC¶
- How do I begin reporting?
- How do I report my astrometry?
- What is the ADES format?
- How many observations should I make?
- What quality should I aim for?
- Can I report approximate or preliminary measures? (No)
- Do I need to identify objects?
- What are some common mistakes?
Submission Methods¶
- ADES PSV Submission Form
- ADES XML Submission Form
- MPC1992 Observation Submission Form
- cURL submission instructions
- E-mail submissions (MPC1992 only): obs@cfa.harvard.edu
- Report Cometary Activity
Observation Formats¶
- ADES Data Submission page
- ADES format description (PDF)
- MPC ADES webpage
- MPC1992 observation format
- Indication of observational details (headers)
- Packed designation format
Observatory Codes¶
- How do I get an observatory code?
- New Observatory Code Request Form
- Does my observatory code move with me? (No)
- Do closely spaced telescopes need separate codes?
- How do I update my observatory code information?
- Are there restrictions on observatory names?
- Roving Observers
Nightly Coverage and Follow-Up¶
- What about coverage on a single night?
- Difference between two-nighter and single-nighter new objects
- What if I can't follow up a new discovery?
- New Object Ephemeris Generator
Discoveries, Credits and Naming¶
- When should I use a discovery asterisk?
- How do I get a provisional designation assigned?
- Who gets credit when single-nighters are linked?
- What's the best way to get my discovery numbered?
- When can I name my discovery?
- Editorial Note on discovery credit (MPEC 2010-U20)
- How asteroids are named
- WGSBN naming rules and guidelines
MPC Processing¶
- What happens to accepted observations?
- What objects go on the NEOCP?
- How do I understand the designations the MPC sends me?
- How quickly are observations processed?
- What (p)recovered objects get MPECs?
- MPC Processing Times