Prioritize poorly constrained objects and trace candidate detections through archival survey images.
Small Body Search and Rescue
Recovering lost Centaurs, TNOs, comets, and other rare small solar system bodies through archival search, orbit recovery, and follow-up coordination.
Live snapshot Open dashboard
1023 Roster rows
55 On disk
201 Attempted or PNG-ready
8 Submitted objects
1 Through or pending objects
8 Orbit-impact objects
Object Status Evidence
1998 QJ1 Whatcode queue Orbit impact
2003 WW218 Case study Spacewatch
2006 TN147 Case study Spacewatch
Cross-check astrometry, image evidence, site codes, and orbit-impact artifacts before submission.
Coordinate follow-up and submit reliable measurements for public small-body recovery.
Recoveries in progress
The dashboard tracks object rosters, local evidence, submission status, and orbit-impact artifacts while full public narratives are being prepared.
1998 QJ1 Developing case study
A dashboard-visible recovery workflow with submitted observations and orbit-impact artifacts under review.
- Population
- Lost Centaur candidate
- Source
- WHT Prime / archival reduction
2003 WW218 Developing case study
A placeholder for the full recovery narrative, image evidence, and downstream orbit comparison.
- Population
- Centaur recovery workflow
- Source
- Spacewatch archival search
2006 TN147 Developing case study
A placeholder for astrometry notes, image cutouts, and the final submission context.
- Population
- Centaur recovery workflow
- Source
- Spacewatch archival search
Featured Observatories
SBSAR draws on survey archives and follow-up facilities that turn faint archival points into recoverable orbits.
Rubin Observatory Wide-field survey
CTIO Southern sky archive
Spacewatch Targeted archival recoveries
Catalina Sky Survey Near-Earth survey heritage
CFHT Deep imaging archive
SkyMapper Southern survey imaging
Pan-STARRS1 Wide survey archive
Subaru Deep wide-field search
Related tools and projects
Neighboring citizen science efforts, orbit services, and small-body software make recovery work more transparent and reproducible.
Active Asteroids Citizen science project for identifying active asteroid candidates. Rubin Comet Catchers Citizen science project for cometary activity in Rubin-era data. KBMOD Software for detecting moving objects in image stacks. Minor Planet Center Official clearinghouse for small-body astrometry and designations. JPL Small-Body Database NASA/JPL lookup tools for small-body orbital and physical data. Space Rocks Python tools for small-body orbit and dynamics work.
About SBSAR
Small Body Search and Rescue is an early-stage campaign to recover lost and poorly constrained small solar system bodies by combining archival survey search, orbit analysis, and observing coordination.
Colin Orion Chandler Founder, DiRAC Institute and University of Washington
Joseph Murtagh Founder, DiRAC Institute and University of Washington
Pedro Bernardinelli Orbit Specialist, University of Sao Paulo
Max Frissell Observing Specialist, Northern Arizona University
Dmitrii Vavilov Dynamicist, University of Washington