Intro
The Orbital Sciences Command Asteroid Search Campaign 2026 represents a crucial global citizen-science initiative that bridges public participation with professional planetary defense. Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and asteroids whose orbits bring them into proximity with Earth's orbit pose a potential impact threat to our planet while simultaneously offering valuable insights into the formation of the early Solar System. By tapping into deep space databases compiled by major survey facilities, such as the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii, this campaign democratizes astronomical research. It allows students, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts worldwide to directly query high-resolution astronomical image archives, turning high-volume observation streams into actionable tracking data that ensures potentially hazardous objects do not go unnoticed.
Background
Organized by the Orbital Sciences Command (OSC) in partnership with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), this joint effort leverages both institutional logistical reach and proven citizen-science architecture. Founded by Dr. Patrick Miller, the IASC acts as the international clearinghouse and primary interface for educational asteroid campaigns, supplying raw telescope data to hundreds of participating groups across dozens of countries. OSC provides specialized organizational leadership, outreach, and local coordination to ensure that teams have the necessary structural framework to participate effectively. Through this collaboration, non-professional analysts gain access to professional-grade astronomical datasets at zero financial cost, transforming raw observational data into verified candidates that are passed to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) at Harvard University for formal orbit determination.
What is happening there?
The analytical process relies on processing sequential sky frames through specialized software known as Astrometrica, which operates on Windows environments. During the intensive 30-day campaign window, participant teams download multi-image FITS datasets taken at short intervals. By blinking these sequential frames, users look for moving point sources against stationary background star fields a classical detection technique enhanced by modern digital astrometry. An object qualifies as a true asteroid signature only if it maintains a constant straight-line vector, steady velocity, and consistent brightness across all images. Throughout this window, participants receive continuous online support and structured team collaboration tools, enabling them to verify candidate movements before submitting preliminary reports. Expert astronomers then review these preliminary submissions; and they will clarify the finding via deep observations (might take few years). If the findings are confirmed, candidates are elevated to provisional status and entered into the global catalog, putting participants on a pathway toward naming new Solar System objects.
