Finding NEO: asteroids, lightcurves, and amateur astronomers

这项向公众传播研究的建议是基于目前国家科学基金会资助的研究，AST 0607505，“小行星卫星和自旋。“寻找近地天体”项目提出了一个为期18个月的项目，目的是开发在线和博物馆流动的可交付的微位模块，向用户提供从事近地天体小行星研究的业余天文学家的视频短片，以及至少三种关于科学内容和过程的互动游戏式体验，特别是“光变曲线”分析，即，旋转的小行星的光反射率的变化。 空间科学研究所的工作人员将与全国四个小型科学博物馆（两个在科罗拉多州、纽约州、威斯康星州）合作制作这些产品。 用户可通过已经很受欢迎的现有天文学网站，例如www.spaceweathercenter.org，查阅在线材料。 所有材料都将以英语和西班牙语提供。

This Communicating Research to Public Audiences proposal is based on current NSF-funded research, AST 0607505, "Asteroid Satellites and Spins." Finding NEO (near-Earth Objects) proposes an 18-month-long project to develop on-line and museum traveling exhibit-module deliverables that provide users with both video vignettes of amateur astronomers engaged in NEO asteroid studies and at least three interactive game-like experiences on the science content and processes, specifically the analysis of "lightcurves," i.e., changes in light reflectivity off of spinning asteroids. The staff of the Space Science Institute will create these products in partnership with four small science museums around the country (2 in CO, NY, WI). The on-line material will be user-accessed via current astronomy web sites that already are popular, for example, www.spaceweathercenter.org. The videos and software will be made freely available for download. All materials will be both in English and Spanish.