The CBAT serves as the international refereed clearinghouse for reports of discoveries, as well as for designations, of comets, satellites of major and minor planets, novae, and supernovae: it also publishes urgent information regarding other transient objects. The CBAT is a service to the entire astronomical community, with a very large percentage of the transient discoveries coming from U.S. astronomers and programs. This respected central service receives, verifies, and issues reports, and by its efficient quality control helps to give merit to the intellectual work and discovery claims of many astronomers. The current team has a combined seventy years of experience in running the CBAT, and their contacts with observers and referees around the world allow for timely and efficient confirmation of new astronomical discoveries.

The CBAT also fields many e-mails and phone calls a year from the professional community, from amateur astronomers, from the news media, from teachers and students, and from the general public. The CBAT is currently working to update its services, including an email and Web page conduit for supernovae observers (although retaining a referee system for issuing formal announcements), and a greatly expanded Web presence to allow educators, students, and the public to learn from the exciting new discoveries that flood into the CBAT office.

The CBAT is an essential service, and the Special Projects program of the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences is providing support for its current, rather difficult, transition to the modern era.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST)
Application #
0708282
Program Officer
Nigel Sharp
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2008-02-01
Budget End
2010-01-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$144,384
Indirect Cost
Name
Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02138