Haleakala telescope locates 19 asteroids

On the night of Jan. 29, the astronomers at the Pan-STARRS PS1 (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System)telescope atop Haleakala decided to "run it flat out" in killer-asteroid hunting mode, and despite uncooperative weather, they bagged a record 19 "near-Earth objects" in one night, reports The Maui News in Hawaii.

Space.com noted, Pan-STARRS astronomers picked up 30 potential asteroids on the night of Jan. 29. They sent their discoveries to the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., which collects and distributes data about asteroids and comets, allowing other astronomers to re-observe the objects.

Scientists at the Pan-STARRS PS1 telescope on Haleakala, Maui, said the record demonstration of the year-old telescope's capabilities was made possible by recent software improvements and refinements in observational techniques, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

While the chance of near-Earth asteroids actually colliding with Earth is remote, roughly a 1-in-1,000 chance, knowing their whereabouts will allow governments to act should the unlikely actually develop into a real threat.