The primary objective of the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) is to discover and track NEOs. CSS has discovered more than 45% of the more than 29,000 known near-Earth asteroids (see NEO discovery plot). This vast and ever-growing database of NEOs has enabled researchers to better understand NEO and asteroid populations, families and orbital dynamics (see CSS asteroid publications)
Additionally, the Catalina Real-Time-Transient Survey (CRTS) imagery from CSS’s extensive sky coverage is being used to search for optical transient celestial phenomena including supernovae, variable stars, active galactic nuclei, blazars, and the like. This value-added ‘downstream’ application of CSS data has supported a prolific and outstanding array of research. We welcome you to explore a sampling of CRTS-generated discoveries and publications.