Asteroid Institute Moving Source Catalog (AIMS)

Follow asteroid observations back to their source

Search AIMS detections and detection-backed exposures, retrieve an object's complete MPC observation history, match your own ADES observations, and move from a table row to source-linked images and scientific provenance.

Data Explorer showing the complete MPC observation history for an asteroid
Resolve a familiar designation, then inspect its complete MPC history and linked survey records.

Three ways into the archive

Start with an object, a region of sky and time, or observations you already have. Each path leads to the same inspectable AIMS records.

MPC Designation Lookup

Enter a numbered, provisional, comet, interstellar, or familiar object name. Data Explorer resolves the identity and returns the complete MPC observation history, with the closest linked survey record for each observation when one is available.

Browse AIMS

Search detections or detection-backed exposures by UTC time, dataset, observatory, band, and an optional sky cone. Snapshot-stable pages preserve exact totals, while shareable query URLs retain the submitted filters.

Match ADES

Paste or upload up to 5,000 ADES PSV observations at a time. Data Explorer automatically pins the daily or monthly AIMS Parquet resources that cover their dates, ranks nearby candidates by angular separation and timing, preserves unmatched input rows, and opens candidates in the same detection-detail workflow.

Object history

See the whole observational arc

Data Explorer returns the complete MPC history for the resolved object, not a clipped preview. Virtualized rows keep large histories responsive while retaining the full arc for inspection and navigation.

  • Permanent-number-first identity with submitted aliases preserved.
  • MPC astrometry remains distinct from the closest matched native survey record.
  • Jump directly from a history row to its permalinked scientific detail.
Complete MPC observation history table in Data Explorer
Browse AIMS detection-backed exposure results filtered by time and observatory

Archive search

Find the rows that matter, then keep drilling down

Combine time, source, observatory, band, and true spherical cone constraints. Switch between individual detections and the exposure-level view without losing the scientific context of the rows that produced each result.

Exact sky cones

Degree, arcminute, and arcsecond inputs are converted to exact spherical containment, including RA wrap and polar geometry.

Detection-backed exposures

Group retained detections by source exposure and inspect the contributing rows without implying a complete survey footprint inventory.

Detection detail and images

Inspect the measurement behind every row

Each detection has a durable link and a structured record for identity, time, sky position, uncertainty and correlation, photometry, catalogs, exposure metadata, and source provenance. AIMS crossmatches and MPC object attribution are presented as separate scientific relationships.

Where a source supports imagery, request or reopen its scientific products in context. Data Explorer supports provider-native image families, PNG quick looks, authenticated FITS inspection with WCS and pixel readout, and direct downloads.

A full Data Explorer detection detail page with a rendered LSST difference cutout and tabs for science and template images

Traceable by design

Results keep their scientific context

Data Explorer is a view into Asteroid Institute's AIMS holdings. It keeps source rows visible, distinguishes observation equivalence from object attribution, and reports the snapshot and execution context that produced each result.

Source-aware records

Preserve native survey and MPC representations, with explicit links when AIMS identifies them as the same observation.

Pinned snapshots

Stable cursors, catalog-generation identity, resource provenance, and cache status make result pages reproducible and explainable.

Visible accounting

Query details report elapsed time, billed bytes, and organization credits while keeping the science result primary.

Sources represented in AIMS

ATLAS Minor Planet Center NSC DR2 Rubin/LSST alerts SkyMapper ZTF

Holdings, date coverage, selection rules, astrometric and photometric catalogs, and image availability vary by source. Read the public AIMS provenance before drawing completeness conclusions.

Designed for scientific review

  • Precise detection identities and durable permalinks.
  • Astrometry, uncertainty covariance, photometry, catalogs, and exposure metadata.
  • Bidirectional native/MPC observation links and canonical MPC identity.
  • Organization-scoped private caching for repeatable stable science queries.

Interpret results carefully

  • AIMS is a curated observation index, not a claim of complete survey coverage.
  • Exposure search includes only exposures represented by retained AIMS detections.
  • Image products depend on provider coverage, archive availability, and access rights.
  • ADES matches are candidates for review, not automatic MPC attribution.

Explore the observation archive

Sign in to search AIMS, retrieve complete MPC histories, match ADES observations, and inspect available source imagery.