Solar system asteroid discoveries 1980-2011 visualised

by JonnieCache • 15 years ago

15 2 15 years ago

Here's his dataset:

ftp://ftp.lowell.edu/pub/elgb/astorb.html

astorb.dat is an ASCII file of high-precision osculating orbital elements, ephemeris uncertainties, and some additional data for all the numbered asteroids and the vast majority of unnumbered asteroids (multi-apparition and single-apparition) for which it is possible to make reasonably determinate computations. It is currently about 41.8 Mb in size in its compressed form (astorb.dat.gz), 153.6 Mb in size when decompressed (astorb.dat), and contains 573208 orbits computed by me (Edward Bowell). Each orbit, based on astrometric observations downloaded from the Minor Planet Center, occupies one 266-column record.

It's apparently updated daily. How have I not heard of this previously? The amount of fun you could have is unlimited...

Rhapso• 15 years ago

So much bounty, waiting to be tapped. I want an asteroid!

Solar system asteroid discoveries 1980-2011 visualised

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