<p><a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">JPL Horizons</a> is a tool for generating ephemerides and vector tables of bodies in the solar system such as planets, moons, asteroids, comets and (some) spacecraft. These predictions are made through the use of so-called SPK files which contain the results of fits to measured positions of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets as stated by <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/users/16685/pm-2ring">PM 2Ring</a>. Data from the measurement of positions of solar system bodies in astronomical images is reported to the Minor Planet Center, as they are the officially authorized (by the IAU) center for these measurements (as well as designating and naming objects)</p>
<p>Data from NASA planetary missions, along with NASA-funded grant research that makes observations, is generally deposited in the <a href="https://pds.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Planetary Data System (PDS)</a> and data for minor bodies/asteroids would go to the <a href="https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Small Bodies Node</a> of the PDS. These data are generally archived by mission and instrument but you can search by body name or observation type e.g. imaging, as well.</p>
<p>If you want to find general images that contain minor bodies/asteroids, I would suggest using the CADC's <a href="https://www.cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/ssois/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Solar System Object Image Search</a> which can search most of the telescope data archives in the world for images that could contain the asteroid. It allows you to search by object name, by extrapolating an arc of observations or by orbital elements. It uses either it's own ephemeris generator or the ones of the MPC or JPL Horizons to predict where the asteroid will be at a given time and intersects that with the image metadata to find images that cover the right part of the sky at the correct time. It then produces a list of links to the original data in the original archive. SSOIS searches a large number of telescope/instrument archives as shown in this screenshot:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ohXpgjA4.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ohXpgjA4.png" alt="Image listing all the archives SSOIS searches" /></a></p>
<p>from the <a href="https://www.cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/ssois/documentation.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">documentation</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-05T16:32:35.837Z
2024-11-05T16:32:35.837Z
astrosnapper
<p>I can query for the observations in a list but do not see any links to the image(s) corresponding to such observations. Nor have I come across any reference on the Horizons site to view images. Would anyone be able to provide an example of links to images or how to view observation images of minor body / asteroids</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-05T07:33:46.310Z
Horizons doesn't have such images. It just has their ephemeris data. Also see https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-05T07:34:58.403Z
https://minorplanetcenter.net/about "The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the single worldwide location for receipt and distribution of positional measurements of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets. The MPC is responsible for the identification, designation and orbit computation for all of these objects". I don't think they have an image library, either.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-05T17:08:06.353Z
AFAIK, the MPC doesn't get the images, it's up to the observers to perform astrometry and submit the positions in XML format.  It's also possible to submit observations done visually.  There might be a way to submit images, but I believe most of it is just text observation data.
Greg Miller
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-06T19:22:22.930Z
@glabella-streamline I have (I hope) answered your question above in terms of finding existing data behind the measurements of asteroids that are at MPC or Horizons. From your deleted answer, it's not clear whether you are actually asking about performing your own observations of asteroids. If yes, then that should be a separate question but I would then point you to the MPC's [Guide to Minor Body Astrometry](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/Astrometry.html) as that "is intended for those observers interested in observing minor planets etc and reporting those observations to the MPC"
astrosnapper
<asteroids><jpl-horizons>
Does JPL Horizons maintain images from the observations of minor bodies/asteroids as they are submitted?
Glabella Streamline
# Does JPL Horizons maintain images from the observations of minor bodies/asteroids as they are submitted?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-05)

I can query for the observations in a list but do not see any links to the image(s) corresponding to such observations. Nor have I come across any reference on the Horizons site to view images. Would anyone be able to provide an example of links to images or how to view observation images of minor body / asteroids

**Tags:** asteroids, jpl-horizons

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Horizons doesn't have such images. It just has their ephemeris data. Also see https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/  
> **username_1**: https://minorplanetcenter.net/about "The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the single worldwide location for receipt and distribution of positional measurements of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets. The MPC is responsible for the identification, designation and orbit computation for all of these objects". I don't think they have an image library, either.  
> **username_2**: AFAIK, the MPC doesn't get the images, it's up to the observers to perform astrometry and submit the positions in XML format.  It's also possible to submit observations done visually.  There might be a way to submit images, but I believe most of it is just text observation data.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 I have (I hope) answered your question above in terms of finding existing data behind the measurements of asteroids that are at MPC or Horizons. From your deleted answer, it's not clear whether you are actually asking about performing your own observations of asteroids. If yes, then that should be a separate question but I would then point you to the MPC's [Guide to Minor Body Astrometry](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/Astrometry.html) as that "is intended for those observers interested in observing minor planets etc and reporting those observations to the MPC"  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-11-05. Score: 3

[JPL Horizons](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/) is a tool for generating ephemerides and vector tables of bodies in the solar system such as planets, moons, asteroids, comets and (some) spacecraft. These predictions are made through the use of so-called SPK files which contain the results of fits to measured positions of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets as stated by [PM username_1](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/users/16685/username_1). Data from the measurement of positions of solar system bodies in astronomical images is reported to the Minor Planet Center, as they are the officially authorized (by the IAU) center for these measurements (as well as designating and naming objects)

Data from NASA planetary missions, along with NASA-funded grant research that makes observations, is generally deposited in the [Planetary Data System (PDS)](https://pds.nasa.gov/) and data for minor bodies/asteroids would go to the [Small Bodies Node](https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu/) of the PDS. These data are generally archived by mission and instrument but you can search by body name or observation type e.g. imaging, as well.

If you want to find general images that contain minor bodies/asteroids, I would suggest using the CADC's [Solar System Object Image Search](https://www.cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/ssois/) which can search most of the telescope data archives in the world for images that could contain the asteroid. It allows you to search by object name, by extrapolating an arc of observations or by orbital elements. It uses either it's own ephemeris generator or the ones of the MPC or JPL Horizons to predict where the asteroid will be at a given time and intersects that with the image metadata to find images that cover the right part of the sky at the correct time. It then produces a list of links to the original data in the original archive. SSOIS searches a large number of telescope/instrument archives as shown in this screenshot:
[![Image listing all the archives SSOIS searches](https://i.sstatic.net/ohXpgjA4.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ohXpgjA4.png)

from the [documentation](https://www.cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/ssois/documentation.html).


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