IAU Minor Planet Center

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>IAU Minor Planet Center</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/stylesheets/mpc.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/stylesheets/table-sorter.css"> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"> <link media="all" rel="stylesheet" href="/css/all.css"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/iau/figs/MPClogo16.png"> <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"> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery-latest.js"></script>   <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery.tablesorter.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/webtrends.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/track_pdfs.js"></script> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Arvo:400,700,400italic,700italic|PT+Sans:400,700,400italic,700italic|PT+Sans+Narrow:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> </head> <body>  <div id="wrapper"> <div class="w1">  <header id="header"> <div class="holder">  <h1 class="logo"><a href="/">The International Astronomical Union Minor 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 Confirmation</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/NEO/pccp_tabular.html">Possible Comet Confirmation</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/submissions/cometary/">Report Cometary Activity</a></li> <li><a href="/db_search">Orbits/Observations Database</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/Ephemerides/EphemOrbEls.html" class="nested">Orbital Elements</a> <ul> <li><a href="/iau/MPCORB.html">MPCORB</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/ECS/MPCAT/MPCAT.html">MPCAT</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/ECS/MPCUPDATE/MPCUPDATE.html">MPCUPDATE</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/Ephemerides/SoftwareEls.html">Orbital Elements for Software</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/iau/services/MPCServices.html">Publications Overview</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html">Publications Archive</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/NEO/TheNEOPage.html" class="nested">NEO Services</a> <ul> <li><a href="/iau/NEO/toconfirm_tabular.html">Confirmation</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/NEO/PossNEO.html">Ratings</a></li> <li><a href="/cgi-bin/neaobs.cgi">Observation 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 href="/iau/MPEph/NewObjEphems.html">New Object Ephemerides</a></li> <li><a href="/cgi-bin/checkmp.cgi">MPChecker</a></li>  <li><a href="/iau/lists/Customize.html">Observing List Customizer</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/delays/neocp_delay.html">Processing Times</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/" class="nested">Identifications</a> <ul> <li><a href="/mpcops/documentation/identifications/">Documentation</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/documentation/identifications/submission-format/">Submission Format</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/submissions/identifications/">Submit</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/iau/ECS/MPCAT-OBS/MPCAT-OBS.html">MPCAT-OBS</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/SkyCoverage.html">Sky Coverage</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/MPC_Documentation.html" class="nested">Documentation</a> <ul> <li><a href="/iau/info/TechInfo.html">MPC Submission Info</a></li> <li><a href="/iau/info/Astrometry.html">Astrometry Guide</a></li> <li><a href="/mpcops/documentation/artificial-satellites/">Artificial 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">  <section id="landing">  <article class="block" style="text-align:justify"> <div style="border:5px GoldenRod solid; padding-left:5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top:1em; font-size:medium"> 2024 11 21 19:50<br> <center>Network Upgrade -- Saturday November 23<br><br> <p> On Saturday, November 23, there will be a planned network infrastructure upgrade taking place between the hours of 13:00 and 16:00 UTC at the computing facility that houses the Minor Planet Center servers. The minorplanetcenter.net website should not be affected and observers should be able to submit astrometry, but processing of that astrometry will need to be suspended for the duration of the upgrade. </p> </center> </div> <br> <br> <p>The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the single worldwide location for receipt and distribution of positional measurements of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets. The MPC is responsible for the identification, designation and orbit computation for all of these objects. This involves maintaining the master files of observations and orbits, keeping track of the discoverer of each object, and announcing discoveries to the rest of the world via electronic circulars and an extensive website. The MPC operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, under the auspices of Division F of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).</p> <p>All of the MPC's operating funds come from a NASA Near-Earth Object Observations program grant. Much of the computer equipment that the MPC uses was provided by the Tamkin Foundation.</p> </article> </section>  <aside id="sidebar">  <article class="widget"> <div class="frame"> <div class="insetn"> <h2>Running Tallies</h2>  <div class="area"> <h3><span class="holder">Near-Earth Objects Discovered</span></h3> <div class="box"> <table> <tr> <td>THIS MONTH:</td> <td>155</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THIS YEAR:</td> <td>2544</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ALL TIME:</td> <td>36693</td> </tr> </table> </div> </div>  <div class="area"> <h3><span class="holder">Minor Planets Discovered</span></h3> <div class="box"> <table> <tr> <td>THIS MONTH:</td> <td>177</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THIS YEAR:</td> <td>17443</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ALL TIME:</td> <td>1392083</td> </tr> </table> </div> </div>  <div class="area"> <h3><span class="holder">Comets Discovered</span></h3> <div class="box"> <table> <tr> <td>THIS MONTH:</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THIS YEAR:</td> <td>55</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ALL TIME:</td> <td>4549</td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> <div class="area"> <h3><span class="holder">Observations</span></h3> <div class="box"> <table> <tr> <td>THIS MONTH:</td> <td>2.7 million</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THIS YEAR:</td> <td>31.8 million</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ALL TIME:</td> <td>466.6 million</td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> <div class="area"> <h3><span class="holder">Close Approaches</span></h3> <div class="box"> <iframe class="area" src="/iau/includes/closeapp_nl.html" width="255" height="600" scrolling="yes" style="margin-left:8px;" seamless></iframe> </div> </div> </div> </article> </aside> </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"> <img src="/images/CfA_Logo_Vertical_CMYK.png" width="110" height="47"></a> <p> <p> <p> <div class="copy">The Minor Planet Center is hosted by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.<center>The Minor Planet Center is funded by NASA.</center></div> </footer> <script type="text/javascript"> $(window).on('load', (function() { $("table").tablesorter(); })); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var _tag=new WebTrends(); _tag.dcsGetId(); //]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ _tag.dcsCustom=function(){ // Add custom parameters here. //_tag.DCSext.param_name=param_value; } _tag.dcsCollect(); //]]> </script> <noscript> <div><img alt="DCSIMG" id="DCSIMG" width="1" height="1" src="//logs1.smithsonian.museum/dcsa7yzrmbdzpxzrosrn4tyep_5i1d/njs.gif?dcsuri=/nojavascript&WT.js=No&WT.tv=9.4.0&dcssip=www.minorplanetcenter.net"/></div> </noscript> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

IAU Minor Planet Center