The plan behind the story · An asteroid called Leilani, found by Todd Fisher in old telescope images, remembers a neighbourhood lost to lava
Four weeks of asteroid hunting from your desk
A month that takes you from your first look at real telescope images to a steady, logged habit of measuring moving objects for science. New to this: you finish confident with one project's tools. Already doing it: you finish with a measured weekly target and a group to share it with.
Why this works
Todd Fisher had no training in astronomy when a friend told him about COIAS in 2023. He learned by doing: an hour or two most evenings, comparing archive images from the Subaru Telescope and measuring the dots that move. Over three years he measured thousands of known minor planets before he found one nobody had recorded, now named (870437) Leilani.
That is the shape of this plan. Discovery is rare and cannot be promised; the Subaru Telescope says more than 3,000 people had used COIAS by July 2026, and nine of its asteroids have been named. What you can count on is the skill, the routine and the knowledge that every measurement goes into real research. SciStarter says all you need is a computer and a web browser.
Before you start
- A computer with a decent screen. A laptop is fine. Spotting a faint moving dot is much harder on a phone.
- One project to begin with. COIAS if asteroids appeal; one of the astronomy projects on Zooniverse if you would rather start with galaxies or other pictures you can name. Do one properly before trying a second.
- A notebook or a simple spreadsheet with four columns: date, minutes spent, number measured or classified, and anything you were unsure about.
- A fixed slot. Fisher works in the evening and says it helps him wind down. Pick a time you can keep, such as after supper.
- Eyes. If you normally wear glasses for the screen, wear them. Take a short break every 20 minutes and look at something far away.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (new to this) | Work through the project’s own walk-through or tutorial. Then do ten real measurements or classifications, slowly. | 4 evenings, 20 minutes | Fisher points beginners to the COIAS walk-through on its website and on YouTube. Do not rush: accuracy matters more than numbers. |
| 1 (already doing it) | Time yourself over five sessions to find your normal rate. Note which kinds of image slow you down. | 5 evenings, 30 minutes | This is your baseline for week 4. |
| 2 (new to this) | Aim for 25 measurements or classifications in the week. Write down every one you were unsure about. | 4 evenings, 20 to 30 minutes | Use the project’s forum or help pages for your unsure cases. Reading other volunteers’ questions teaches a lot. |
| 2 (already doing it) | Try a second project of a different kind (for example asteroids if you have been classifying galaxies) and do its tutorial properly. | 3 evenings, 30 minutes | Different projects train different parts of your eye. |
| 3 (new to this) | Keep going to a running total of 60. Read one page about how new objects are recorded: SciStarter says COIAS findings go to the Minor Planet Center. | 4 evenings, 30 minutes | You are learning what a “known” object looks like, which is how you will one day recognise an unknown one. |
| 3 (already doing it) | Set a target 20% above your week 1 rate, with no fall in care. Log your unsure cases and check them on the forum. | 5 evenings, 30 to 40 minutes | Speed comes from recognising patterns, not from clicking faster. |
| 4 (both) | Share it. Show a friend, grandchild or club how the project works and do a session together. Agree what you will each do next month. | Once, plus your usual evenings | Astronomy societies and U3A science groups are good places to find company for this. |
If it goes wrong
- You cannot see the moving dot. Everyone starts here. Go back to the walk-through, slow down and compare the images one pair at a time. Fisher says the human brain is good at patterns, so it does come.
- Everything you find is already known. That is normal: Fisher measured thousands before his one discovery. Known objects still need measuring.
- It feels like a chore. Cut back to two evenings a week, or switch to a project whose pictures you enjoy. This should be the part of the day you look forward to.
- Your eyes tire. Shorter sessions, a bigger screen, a break every 20 minutes. Talk to your optician if screen work is uncomfortable.
- Someone asks you to pay to “register” a discovery or name a star. The projects in this plan cost nothing to use, and official asteroid names come only through the International Astronomical Union. Walk away.
Track it
Each week, add up minutes spent, objects measured or classified, and unsure cases resolved. By the end of week 4 you should be able to write one sentence: “I can now ___, and next month I will ___.”
What next
- Take the habit outdoors with our stargazing guide, which covers what to see and where to look through a real telescope.
- Set yourself the Fifty at Fifty challenge of 500 classifications on a Zooniverse project, or join an astronomy society.
- Read how Trevor Barry’s backyard telescope caught a ten-sided wave on Saturn, another volunteer whose patience paid off.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.