Amateurs discover Kuiper Belt Object

[glend (Glen)]

This is a nice story, Japanese amateur astronomers discover a Kuiper Belt Object using a couple of Celestron scopes:

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/01/a...nd-neptune/amp

They published in Nature and here is the link (takes some time to load the pdf) I hope it works):

https://www.nature.com/articles/s415...register.co.uk

Amazing use of pretty standard equipment, an ASI1600 camera on a Celestron Rowe-ackerman f2.2. Sounds like Houghy's setup. But these guys found a reducer to get down to f1.98.

So keep looking folks (or imaging in this case).

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Definitely a nice feat, but 'discovered' is pushing it too far imho.
The Minor Planet Center is very clear in it's criteria for discovery, and seeing occultations does not cut it.
You need a minimum of three positions on the same night for a start to count as a discovery observation. You then need at least one more night observing the same object and to calculate an orbit. They are (rightfully) cautious, and in reality you tend to need three or more nights of observations.
For full discovery credit you need dozens of follow up observations.

Not to take away from what is a cool thing to have done though.

[glend (Glen)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

Definitely a nice feat, but 'discovered' is pushing it too far imho.
The Minor Planet Center is very clear in it's criteria for discovery, and seeing occultations does not cut it.
You need a minimum of three positions on the same night for a start to count as a discovery observation. You then need at least one more night observing the same object and to calculate an orbit. They are (rightfully) cautious, and in reality you tend to need three or more nights of observations.
For full discovery credit you need dozens of follow up observations.

Not to take away from what is a cool thing to have done though.

If you read the Nature publication the authors (group) use the term "detection" mostly. There are ten people on the mast head given credit. Follow up observations will no doubt take (or have already taken) place by others.

The use of the word "Discovered" is my layman's vernacular, and no doubt conveys meaning to other readers.

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

With a baseline of just 53m, they most probably detected a bat.

(Seriously, as an occultation observer, it happens all the time!!!!!)