The Adler Planetarium
University of Minnesota
University of Oxford
The Adler Planetarium
University of Minnesota
University of Oxford
Project avatar for HyperActive Asteroids

HyperActive Asteroids

Results

Project results are summarized here, starting with the newest items.

HyperActive Asteroids at Asteroids Comets Meteors 2026

In preparation to launch HyperActive Asteroids, our science team presented preliminary and related research at the Asteroids Comets Meteors conference held July 6th-10th in Poznań, Poland. Each presentation is described below. Information about the conference, including the book of abstracts, is available here!

  • Chad Trujillo presented a poster discussing preliminary data inspections and future plans for the HyperActive Asteroids project: Trujillo, C. A. et al., “Discoveries from the HyperActive Asteroids Survey,” ACM 2026.
  • Kennedy Farrell gave an oral presentation about the discovery of active Jupiter-family comet 2015 DD349 (see Results entry below!): Farrell, K. A. et al., “HyperActive Asteroids First Results: Activity Discovered on Jupiter Family Comet 2015 DD349,” ACM 2026.
  • Max Frissell presented a poster on two Jupiter-family comets co-discovered with Active Asteroids and Rubin Comet Catchers PI Colin Orion Chandler: Frissell, M. K. et al., “Cometary Activity Discovered on Minor Planets 2005 EC272 and (507119) 2009 SR143,” ACM 2026.
  • Annie Dickenson gave an oral presentation on the orbital dynamics of three newly discovered Jupiter-family comets, including 2015 DD349 (see Results entry below!): Dickenson, A. N. et al., “Dynamical Evolution of Jupiter-Family Comets 2005 EC272, 2009 SR143, and 2015 DD349,” ACM 2026.
  • Colin Orion Chandler gave an oral presentation on the related Zooniverse project Rubin Comet Catchers: Chandler, C. O. et al., “Rubin Comet Catchers: Citizen Science and AI for Active Small-Body Discovery with LSST,” ACM 2026.

First Discovery From HyperActive Asteroids: Active Jupiter-Family Comet 2015 DD349

In preparation to launch the HyperActive Asteroids Zooniverse project, our science team performed preliminary inspections of data from the Subaru Telescope Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Public Data Release 3 (PDR3). In this process, Project Scientist Kennedy Farrell discovered activity originating from minor planet 2015 DD349. Dynamical analysis revealed that this object is a Jupiter-family comet (JFC) close to the Centaur-JFC boundary. Read about the discovery, published June 2026, here!

Citation: Kennedy A. Farrell, Trujillo, C. A., Dickenson, A. N., Frissell, M. K., Oldroyd, W. J., & Chandler, C. O. 2026. “Activity Discovered on Jupiter Family Comet 2015 DD349.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 10, 163, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ae7d1f.

Discoveries from Active Asteroids

Listed below are a selection of results from our sister Zooniverse project Active Asteroids, which searches Dark Energy Camera (DECam) and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope MegaPrime archival images for signs of activity.

  • Singh, D. et al. 2026. “A Tail of Two Classifications: Citizen Science Reveals Activity from Jupiter-family Comet 2021 RK133.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 10, 210, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ae8f3a.
  • Morato, N. et al. 2026. “The Mars-crossing Asteroid that was Actually a Comet: Citizen Science and AI Reveal Activity from (446816) 2000 EE38.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 10, 207, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ae8c40.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2025. “AI-enhanced Citizen Science Discovers Cometary Activity on Near-Earth Object (523822) 2012 DG61.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 9, 3, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ada368.
  • Kueny, J. K. et al. 2024. “Citizen Scientists Discover "Asteroid in a Cometary Orbit" 2010 MK43 has a Comet Tail.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 235, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad7c50.
  • Frissell, M. K. et al. 2024. “Cometary Activity from Minor Planet 2015 VP51 Discovered with Citizen Science.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 225, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad7854.
  • Despain, J. A. et al. 2024. “Discovery of Jupiter Family Comet 2011 UG104 Through AI Enhanced Citizen Science.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 140, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad4d9c.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2024. “The Active Asteroids Citizen Science Program: Overview and First Results.” The Astronomical Journal, 167, 156, doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad1de2.
  • Sedaghat, N. et al. 2024. “2016 UU121: An Active Asteroid Discovery via AI-enhanced Citizen Science.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 51, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad2b66.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2024. “AI-enhanced Citizen Science Discovery of an Active Asteroid: (410590) 2008 GB140.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 50, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad2b67.
  • Farrell, K. A. et al 2024. “Activity Discovered on Mars-Crossing Jupiter Family Comet 2018 OR by Citizen Scientists.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 18, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad1c66.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “New Active Quasi-Hilda Asteroid 2004 CV50: A Citizen Science Discovery.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 237, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad09c1.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “Mars-Crossing Minor Planet 2018 VL10: a Jupiter-family Comet Discovery via Citizen Science.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 279, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad1682.
  • Oldroyd, W. J. et al. 2023. “Cometary Activity Discovered on Vacationing Centaur 2019 OE31.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 270, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad14f5.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al 2023. “New Active Jupiter Family Comet 2008 QZ44: a Discovery with Citizen Science.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 271, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad14f6.
  • DeSpain, J. A. et al. 2023. “Citizen Science Discovery of a Recurrently Active Jupiter-Family Comet: (551023) 2012 UQ192.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 257, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad0ed6.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “A Jupiter-family Comet Discovery via Citizen Science: 2005 XR132.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 146, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ace5ad.
  • Trujillo, C. A. et al. 2023. “Cometary Activity on Quasi-Hilda Object 2018 CZ16.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 106, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/acd7f0.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “New Active Asteroid (588045) 2007 FZ18.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 102, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/acd768.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “New Recurrently Active Main-belt Comet 2010 LH15.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 60, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/acc57e.
  • Oldroyd, W. J. et al. 2023. “Recurring Activity Discovered on Quasi-Hilda 2009 DQ118.” The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 957, L1, doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acfcbc.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “New Active Asteroid 2015 VA108: A Citizen Science Discovery.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 27, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/acbbce.
  • Chandler, C. O. et al. 2023. “Discovery of Dust Emission Activity Emanating from Main-belt Asteroid 2015 FW412.” Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 7, 22, doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/acbb69.
  • Chandler, C. O., Oldroyd, W. J., and Trujillo, C. A. 2022. "Migratory Outbursting Quasi-Hilda Object 282P/(323137) 2003 BM80." The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 937, L2, doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac897a.