IAU Minor Planet Center

<!DOCTYPE html> <head> <title>IAU Minor Planet Center</title>  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=0">   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/global/jquery-ui-1.12.1.custom/jquery-ui.min.css"> <script src="/static/global/js/jquery-3.4.1.min.js"></script> <script src="/static/global/jquery-ui-1.12.1.custom/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>  <meta name="description" content="We are the official body that deals with astrometric observations and orbits of minor planets (asteroids) and comets."> <meta name="keywords" content="astrometry, observations, orbits, minor planets, asteroids, comets, near earth objects, potentially hazardous asteroids"> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/stylesheets/mpc.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/stylesheets/table-sorter.css"> <link media="all" rel="stylesheet" href="/css/all.css"> <link rel="icon" 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Planet Center</a></h1> <div class="area">  <nav class="top-nav"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/about">About</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/contact/">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="https://mpc-service.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals">Helpdesk</a></li> </ul> </nav>  <div class="form-holder">   <form class="search-form" method="get" action="https://www.google.com/search"> <fieldset>  <input type="hidden" name="sitesearch" value="minorplanetcenter.net"> <input type="text" onfocus="if(this.value==this.defaultValue)this.value='';" onblur="if(this.value=='')this.value=this.defaultValue;" id="search" name="q" value="Search MPC"> </fieldset> </form> </div> <div class="social-bar">     </div> </div> </div> <nav class="nav-holder">  <ul id="nav"> <li> <a href="/iau/mpc.html"><span>OBSERVERS</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html">Ephemeris Service</a></li> <li><a href="/mpec/RecentMPECs.html">MPECs</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/NEO/toconfirm_tabular.html">NEO 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Planning Aid</a></li> <li><a href="/neocp_followup_report/">NEOCP Followup Report Form</a></li> <li><a href="/neocp_followup_reports/">NEOCP Followup Reports</a></li> <li><a href="/neocp_obs">NEOCP Recent Observations</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/neocp/neocp_plots/">NEOCP Plots</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/recovery/recovery.html">NEO Recovery</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="" class="nested">Observations</a> <ul> <li><a href="/wamo/">WAMO</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/mpcops/orbits/" class="nested">Orbits</a> <ul> <li><a href="https://data.minorplanetcenter.net/comparison/index.html">Orbit Comparison Tool</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/orbits/no-orbits-astrometry/">Request for archival astrometry</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/iau/services/WebCSAccess.html" class="nested">Other Observer Services</a> <ul> <li><a href="/whatsup">Observing Target List</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/NatSats/NaturalSatellites.html">Natural Satellite Ephemerides</a></li> <li><a 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Satellites</a></li> <li><a href="/submit_action_code">Submit Action Code</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/documentation/">Other</a></li>  </ul> </li> <li><a href="/iau/lists/Lists.html" class="nested">Lists and Plots</a> <ul> <li><a href="/iau/lists/MPLists.html">Minor Planets</a></li>  <li><a href="/iau/lists/CometLists.html">Comets</a></li>  <li><a href="/iau/lists/ObsCodesF.html">Observatory Codes</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/Animations/Animations.html">Animations</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li><a href='/mpc/obs_stats_2014_2018'>2014-18 NEO Obs Statistics</a></li> <li><a href='/mpc/summary'>Summary of Latest Data</a></li> <li><a href='/deprecated-pages.html'>Deprecated Webpages</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/data"><span>DATA</span></a></li> <li><a href="/"><span>NEW</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="/mpcops/new/developments/">Developments</a></li>  <li><a href="/mpcops/new/existing-upgrades/">Existing Upgrades</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/new/newsletters/">Newsletters</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/iau/MPCStatus.html"><span style="color:GoldenRod">STATUS</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/documentation/"><span>DOCUMENTATION</span></a></li> <li><a href="/"><span>EXTERNAL</span></a> <ul id="external"> <li><a href="https://mpcmug.astro.umd.edu/" target="_blank">MPC User Group (MUG)</a></li> <li><a href="http://iawn.net/" target="_blank">IAWN</a></li> <li><a href="https://sbnmpc.astro.umd.edu/" target="_blank">SBN Annex</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.wgsbn-iau.org/" target="_blank">WGSBN</a></li> <li><a href='http://alcdef.org'>Light Curve Database</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </header> <script type="text/javascript"> document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () { const listItems = document.querySelectorAll('#nav li '); function getDirectTextContent(element) { let directTextContent = ''; element.childNodes.forEach(node => { if (node.textContent.trim().includes('OBSERVERS') || node.textContent.trim().includes('DATA') || node.textContent.trim().includes('NEW') || node.textContent.trim().includes('STATUS') || node.textContent.trim().includes('DOCUMENTATION') || node.textContent.trim().includes('EXTERNAL')){ directTextContent += node.textContent.trim(); } }); return directTextContent; } listItems.forEach(function (li) { const directText = getDirectTextContent(li); const textLength = directText.length; // Log the length of each item to the console //console.log(`Text: "${li.textContent.trim()}", Length: ${textLength}`); // Apply class based on length if (textLength <= 5) { li.classList.add('short-word'); } else if (textLength <= 10) { li.classList.add('medium-word'); } else { li.classList.add('long-word'); } }); }); </script>  <div id="main">   <div class="django"> <h1> MPC Documentation </h1> <p> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/faqs/">List of FAQs</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="astrometryguide">MPC Guide to minor planet astrometry</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/Astrometry.html">How do I begin</a>? </li> <li> <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/Astrometry.html">How do I report observations to the Minor Planet Center</a>? </li> <li> <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/Astrometry.html#HowObsCode">How do I get an observatory code</a>? <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/tycho-tracker/">How do I submit my astrometry to the MPC using Tycho Tracker</a>? </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="apis">MPC APIs</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <h3> Where Are My Observations (WAMO)</h3> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/wamo-api/">WAMO API</a> documentation. </li> <br> <li> <h3> Designation Identifier</h3> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/designation-identifier-api/">Designation Identifier API</a> documentation. </li> <br> <li> <h3> Observations </h3> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/observations-api/">Observations API</a> documentation. </li> <br> <li> <h3> NEOCP Observations </h3> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/neocp-observations-api/">NEOCP Observations API</a> documentation. </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="replicatedtables">MPC's replicated postgreSQL tables</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/replicated-tables-info-general/">Introduction and examples</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/replicated-tables-schema/">Schema</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="ades">ADES related documentation</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/ades/">Introduction</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/valid-ades-values">Valid ADES values</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://github.com/IAU-ADES/ADES-Master/">GitHub repository</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://github.com/IAU-ADES/ADES-Master/blob/master/ADES_Description.pdf">Official format description</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="usefulists">Useful lists</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/valid-ades-values">Valid ADES values</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/program-codes/">Program Codes</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/ObsCodesF.html">Observatory codes</a> </li> </ul> <br> <h2 id="orbitalelements">Orbital elements</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/ele220/">Orbital elements in the <i>ele220</i> format</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/MPOrbitFormat.html">Standard export format for minor-planet orbits</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="orbitandobjecttype">Orbit and Object Type</h2> <p> Below are links to how the MPC categorizes orbit types and object types. <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/orbit-types/">Orbit Type Definition</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/object-types/">Object Type Definition</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="identifications">Identifications</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/identifications/">Identifications</a> </li> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/identifications/submission-format/">Submission Format</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/submissions/identifications/">Submit Identifications</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/identifications/additional/">MPC criteria for accepting or rejecting identifications</a> </li> </ul> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="artificialsatellites">Artificial Satellites</h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/artificial-satellites/#mpc-artsat-obs-policy">MPC Policy on Disposition and Distribution of Observations on Artificial Satellites</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/artificial-satellites/#neocp-artsats">Artificial Satellites on the NEOCP</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="subscription">Subscription to MPC Notification Services</h2> <p> <ul> <li>To subscribe to receive Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (MPECs) or join the MPC Announcement Email List/Group please use this <a href="https://mpc-service.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/18">link.</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="designations"> Different designations that the MPC can assign to minor planets, comets, and natural satellites </h2> <p> <h3> Minor Planets </h3> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/provisional-designation-definition/">Provisional designation definition for minor planets</a> </li> </ul> </p> <br> <h2 id="edgarwilson"> Edgar Wilson Award </h2> <p> <ul> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/edgar-wilson-award-information/">Award Information</a> </li> <li> <a href="/mpcops/documentation/edgar-wilson-award-winners/">Award Winners</a> </li> </ul> </p> </p> <div></div>  </div>  </div> </div> </div>  <footer id="footer"> <div class="holder"> <nav class="nav"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>  <li><a href="https://mpc-service.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals">Helpdesk</a></li>  </ul> </nav> <a href="https://www.cfa.harvard.edu"> 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