IASC Faint Detections

What are faint detections?

Faint detections are asteroid detections that have been observed by IASC citizen scientists without first being detected by the survey telescope's automated processing. These detections are very important as they represent asteroids that would not otherwise have been detected.

There are two types of faint detections listed here:

• Preliminary Detections: These are detections that appear to be valid detections but have not been fully verified by the Minor Planet Center. Preliminary detections do not necessarily represent an asteroid discovery by the IASC citizen scientist and may be rejected for a number of reasons.
• Provisional Detections: These are detections that have been verified by the Minor Planet Center. Provisional detections are recognized as asteroid discoveries and must now undergo further observations over a three to five year period in order to verify the asteroid's orbit and consolidate any additional measurements of the object. Discovery credit may go to other individuals depending upon discovery circumstances.