Published on10 June 2026 · byLe bureau de l'AIA
Six asteroids discovered from Abidjan: looking back at the 2022 campaign
How a team of Ivorian volunteers detected six new asteroids as part of IAU and NASA campaigns.
In 2022, AIA took part for the first time in the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), a citizen-science programme run with the International Astronomical Union and NASA. The principle: analyse image sets from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, looking for moving points of light.
In the evenings, after classes and work, our members took turns in front of these images. The result: six unknown asteroids spotted from Abidjan.
What happens next?
- The discoveries are going through the Minor Planet Center’s orbital confirmation process.
- Once confirmed, the team will be able to propose a name for each asteroid.
- Campaigns come back every year and are open to members: a computer and rigour are enough, no personal telescope needed.