Citizen Science: Catalina Outer Solar System Survey

Citizen Science: Catalina Outer Solar System Survey

The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) has launched a citizen science program available from the Zooniverse platform. 

The Catalina Outer Solar System Survey aims to discover Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), the most distant objects in our solar system. Observers with the CSS, whose primary mission is to find near-Earth asteroids (some of the closest objects in the solar system), review and compare CSS images of the night sky taken over a period of several months. These observers scan for TNOs by identifying their slow movement through the series of images. After potential TNOs have been filtered and identified by a computer, citizen scientists are engaged to review the image data and determine whether a TNO has been discovered.

If you would like to learn more and join the hunt for TNOs, visit the Catalina Outer Solar System Survey site.