Automating Asteroid Detection Criteria to Strengthen Citizen Science for Planetary Defense
CWSF · 2026 Aerospace Platinum Award
Overview
About 55% of the estimated 25,000 near-Earth-asteroids 140 metres or larger remain undetected, with millions more in the main belt uncatalogued. The 2013 Chelyabinsk event, where a 19-metre asteroid airburst injured approximately 1,600 people and damaged 7,200 buildings across six cities, demonstrated why this matters. Professional surveys detect many, but faint asteroids may leak out as noise. Citizen scientists are crucial. They could catch what automation misses. The International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) reported 19,651 preliminary detections by April 2026. Only 193 are provisionally confirmed. My asteroid discoveries, 2024 RH39 and 2024 RX69, are among that fewer than 1%. Research suggests citizen-scientists drop-out after first sessions. Lack of feedback is a barrier. To address that, I designed an automated-system applying asteroid detection-criteria from research during my discoveries to help citizen-scientists submit higher-confidence detections, speed-up detection, and strengthen planetary defense. I tested it by recovering both in their Pan-STARRS image sets.
Awards (5)
- Platinum Award
- Challenge Award
- Special Award
- Gold Medal
- Selected for CWSF 2026
Competition history
- CWSF 2026
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