Home Page       Tue Sep 2 14:15:44 JST 1997

When the information is not used effectively because of the lack of tracking observations

However, even if such a software has become popular, information in images might not be fully utilized. That is because a discovery of a new object always requires following observations for confirmation and tracking.

For example, when discovering a new asteroid, immediate following observations at some more nights are neccesary, or the object will be lost. After that, continuous observations for several months are needed to determine the precise orbital elements enough to track it for several years. Furthurmore, more than four-year following observations at oppositions are required to be numbered and registered as one of the regular asteroids.

Such a confirming and tracking observations is too hard for the discoverer to do alone. Actually, many of the new objects are lost because of the weather or social condition. Therefore, in order to search more efficiently, confirming and tracking observations should be complementary as a world wide collaboration. Then an environment for the collaboration is required on networks.