Can this happen? Put this idea in front of anyone who can do anything with it. Make it a phone app and use BOINC to process the collected data. In sending this email I am giving this idea to the public domain and I want no ownership of it. For the sake of giving it a name I dubbed it Skynet.
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The Skynet system will use citizen scientist and professionals to monitor the skies for near earth objects and other meteor tracking and identification as part of the planetary defense system.
We need a unified system that will use computer/GPS tracking to comprehensively sweep the sky leaving no point overlooked. Data that is collected also needs a more efficient method for validation and verification. An opportunity where everyday citizens can set up their telescopes at night, go to bed, and put the system away in the morning and feel that they helped to do their part for science. Like BOINC is donating your computer, create a system that lets people donate their telescopes.
Automation of a device through a online centralized AI will be best for this situation. A user will require a self-guiding telescope that can either run on:
o A internet linked computer (Best)
o A cell phone that has a installed app and a data plan (second best)
o A computer that is not currently linked to the internet at time of viewing, but has occasional access to the internet. This computer will download a program that allows the central core AI to download pre-determined viewing locations and times. The user will connect the computer (probably a laptop) to the internet at their home, download the observation package, go out in the field with their gear, and allow their laptop to link with the telescope where the program will guide the telescope to collect the needed data. Then the user will return home and upload the data.
Collected data packages uploaded by the community may be able to use BOINC or another Distributed Computing service that analyzes data collected. This data is feed back to the central core rather something is found or not. Even negative data here is very useful and it helps to paint a true picture of the sky.
The “central core” may control some observers to confirm prediction routes of known asteroid vectors, or to confirm observations made from another observer.
The central core, managed by the scientific community, may choose points of interest that on a given night has a few, many, or all users converge onto a single point for data collection from many angles/spectrums/redundancy.
The program needs to detect light pollution and adjust viewing to collect the best data. This can happen on the fly if the observation system is set up to streaming live data or can be represent as a list of interested point’s pre downloaded. In the same way, observers with clear skies and no light pollution may be used to capture data from areas of the night sky that other observers cant sufficiently observe.
A user will need to register their viewing location/s. In the event that their viewing location always changes they will need to fill out the location data prior to downloading a data collection package or they will need to use a computer or phone that has access to real time GPS.
Allow a user to either decide what type of data they want to collect and process or allow the central core to decide for them based on what it needs. Options may be, recent discovery verification, general verification, Griding, discovery, points of interest, manual, Core AI auto control and prioritization.
Other projects that could be done with this system include:
· Deep space observations
· Atmospheric research
· Light pollution research
· Weather research
· Celestial observations (pulsar detection)
· Moon, and sun research
· Equipment specs vs functionality data
· Space junk tracking
· Satellite observation
· Earth’s magnetic field research
· AI capability research
· Keep the program open source so the ideas listed are not the only research/data points available.