Asteroid Institute's THOR Algorithm Identifies 27,500 New Asteroids Using NOIRLab Archives and Google Cloud

The Asteroid Institute, a program of the B612 Foundation, has announced a major breakthrough in asteroid identification. In collaboration with Google Cloud and utilizing data from NOIRLab's digital archives, the institute's THOR (Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery) algorithm has identified 27,500 new asteroids, including 100 that orbit within Earth's path.

Developed by researchers at the Asteroid Institute and the University of Washington's DiRAC Institute, THOR processes historical astronomical data to map the solar system and identify previously undetected asteroids. The algorithm connects isolated points of light from different images to infer the presence of the same object, surpassing traditional observation techniques.

By leveraging Google Cloud's infrastructure and technologies, such as Google Kubernetes Engine, Google BigQuery, and Google Cloud Storage, the Asteroid Institute scaled and fine-tuned its algorithms, accelerating the pace of asteroid discovery. Google Cloud's distributed computing power enabled THOR to analyze 412,000 images containing 1.7 billion dots of light from NOIRLab's archives in just five weeks, a feat that would have been virtually impossible in the recent past.

Why this matters: The discovery of these new asteroids, particularly those in Earth's orbit, is vital for planetary defense. Mapping the solar system and identifying potentially hazardous asteroids is key to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. The collaboration between the Asteroid Institute and Google Cloud demonstrates the potential of using data science and AI to expand asteroid detection capabilities beyond traditional telescope observations.

While none of the newly discovered asteroids pose an immediate threat to Earth, the development of advanced algorithms like THOR could significantly improve our ability to spot and track potentially harmful asteroids. Dr. Ed Lu, executive director of the B612 Asteroid Institute and a former NASA astronaut, emphasized the importance of this work for both science and planetary defense, stating, "This is a sea change in how astronomical research can be conducted in the future, providing critical insights for both science and planetary defense."

The Asteroid Institute is also exploring the use of Google's AI technologies to automate the vetting and verification of potential asteroid candidates identified by THOR. This could help adapt the process for larger astronomy datasets from observatories like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, leading to even more discoveries in the future.

The identification of 27,500 new high-confidence asteroid discovery candidates, including over 100 Near-Earth Asteroids, marks a significant milestone in the Asteroid Institute's mission to understand, map, and navigate the solar system. By combining sophisticated algorithms, historical astronomical data, and the power of cloud computing, the institute has demonstrated the potential to revolutionize asteroid discovery and bolster Earth's defenses against potential impacts.

Key Takeaways

• Asteroid Institute, Google Cloud identified 27,500 new asteroids, 100 in Earth's orbit.
• THOR algorithm connected isolated light points to infer presence of undetected asteroids.
• Google Cloud's computing power enabled analysis of 412,000 images in 5 weeks.
• New asteroid discoveries vital for planetary defense, mapping solar system.
• Automated vetting of asteroid candidates could enable more discoveries from observatories.