Welcome back to our Citizen Science series! So far, we’ve looked at galaxies and Martian clouds. Now, we’re going to chase cosmic snowballs — or, more accurately, active asteroids. Get ready to explore an icy mystery right here in our solar system!
What is the Active Asteroids Project?
Active asteroids are strange objects in our solar system. Normally, asteroids are just big rocks orbiting the Sun. But some of them act a lot like comets — they spew out dust and gas, creating beautiful tails!
Scientists are trying to find out why. Are these asteroids getting too close to the Sun and heating up? Or are they crashing into each other and spraying debris? That’s where you come in!
Who’s Behind the Project?
The Active Asteroids project is hosted on Zooniverse, just like the others in our series. It’s led by scientists at the Planetary Science Institute and is funded in part by NASA. These researchers are using images from powerful telescopes like Pan-STARRS to look for these active asteroids.
But there are thousands of images to check. That’s where your help is super important!
Why Are Active Asteroids So Interesting?
Active asteroids might help us understand how our solar system formed. Some of them could even hold clues about where Earth’s water came from. By figuring out how these objects behave, scientists learn more about how planets and other space rocks change over time.
Plus, who doesn’t want to see a rock in space sprouting a tail?
How the Project Works
When you join Active Asteroids, you’ll look at images of asteroids taken by telescopes. You’ll try to spot if any of them have a fuzzy glow around them or even a tiny tail. The images are easy to look at, and there are great examples to help you figure out what’s what.
Your clicks help scientists figure out which asteroids are active — and which are just hanging out.
How DAS Members Can Join In
This project is open to everyone! You don’t have to be a DAS member to join in the fun, but it’s a cool way to help out if you love astronomy.
Here’s how to get started:
- Go to www.zooniverse.org
- Search for “Active Asteroids”
- Sign up for a free account
- Start spotting those active rocks!
And if you’re excited about what you find, share your experience on the DAS forums or at a meeting. You might just get someone else hooked on cosmic snowball hunting!
Keep Looking Up
By helping scientists spot active asteroids, you’re joining the hunt for some of the most interesting objects in our solar system. It’s an adventure that doesn’t even require a telescope — just your eyes and your curiosity.
Stay tuned for our next post in this Citizen Science series. Until then, happy asteroid hunting!
