About CSS

The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) is a NASA funded project supported by the Near Earth Object Observation Program (NEOO) under the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO). We are based at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Lab in Tucson, Arizona.  Our mission at CSS is fully dedicated to discover and track near-Earth objects (NEOs) in an effort to meet the congressional mandate to catalogue at least 90 percent of the estimated population of NEOs larger than 140 meters, some of which classify as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) which pose an impact threat to Earth. Longstanding success of the project is attributable to our comprehensive sky coverage, continued development and application of innovative software and our NEO detection pipeline, and the inclusion of near real-time human attention to the NEO discovery and follow-up process.

CSS News

Jan. 7, 2023

Catalina Sky Survey astronomer David Rankin discovers a near-Earth asteroid a few short hours before its fiery, yet harmless impact into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Featured CSS Asteroid Citation

(22022) Gould  = 1999 XR110  Discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey.
Laurence McKinley Gould (1896-1995) was an American geologist, educator and polar explorer. Gould was chief scientist and 2nd in command of the 1928-30 Byrd Antarctic expedition. Leading a 1,500-mile sledge journey to the Transantarctic Mts he discovered sandstone outcrops, helping to link Antarctica with Gondwana.