We’re thrilled to announce that for this first asteroid campaign of 2025-26, StAnD teams have already made four preliminary discoveries–that means that these students may have made the first observation of asteroids, potentially new asteroids! The next step is to get these observations validated by the Minor Planet Center.
The StAnD teams were from France, from the Collège Marcel Massot, and from Turkey, from the Emine Emir Şahbaz Science and Arts Center.
Of course, the key word here is “potentially”. These detections are faint, and need verifying to move into the next category of “provisional” detections. As provisional detections these objects will continue to be studied, their orbit examined carefully, and further measurements made over a three- to five-year period.
What are you waiting for?
Join us in this exciting adventure to identify new asteroids!